Hunting Savy Pheasants

Hunting Savy Pheasants

By Nolan Rolston

Half-way through the Iowa upland season, the weather starts to break, our bird dogs start to hit their peak that they had at last season’s end. Along with this, those veteran roosters have been further educated on how to survive all of the conditions they are dealt throughout the year. In my opinion, that is when the season truly starts for my two German Shorthairs and me. There is nothing quite like opening your eyes on an early December morning to a fresh blanket of snow that fell throughout the night. Coffee gets poured, eggs and bacon are on the stove, and as soon as you break out your vest and put that gun in the case, your dogs light up with excitement and adrenaline. They know they are about to go do their favorite thing in the world, hunt roosters.

Check the Wind
I believe the first step to having success in the field with those veteran birds is having a plan prior to getting to your hunting spot. Checking your wind direction is a big part of this. You may have a favorite way to hunt a certain field, but if the wind is going to be directly at your back it may be time to switch it up. It is important to give your dogs a leg up on these smart birds, so try to give them a head wind to hunt into if at all possible. As a result, they will stay tighter to the handler, and will not have to over run an already running bird. It will also hide a lot of your sound from the already flighty birds that are in the grass ahead.

Be Stealthy
The second thing that is often overlooked, especially by dog handlers, is the human voice. I have hunted with a lot of different types of pheasant hunters and many different bird dogs. While I’m still learning everyday in the field, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that will ruin your hunt before it even begins like a human voice will. When I pull up to the field, I know my dogs will be over their heads with high anticipation, and while it is easy to try to get stern with them, try not to yell at them. I remind myself that those birds can hear everything I say and do, and yelling at my dogs is only going to hinder what we are there to do. So be patient, and be as quiet as you can while getting those dogs in the grass. If we can use the element of surprise to our advantage, why wouldn’t we?

Trust Your Dog’s Nose
Now, your dogs have settled in, that bird scent is in their nose, birdie tails are whipping circles as they cut from one end of your orange army to the other, you have to let them do their thing. If there is one thing that I know for sure, is that those birds are going to run, and your dog is going to have to pull some of their best tricks to get that bird in range for you. If you are blessed like I am, you will have a dog that you learn just as much from as they have learned from you. On several occasions, I have watched my female, Willow, get a little outside the lines, and sometimes even behind the line, on a bird that originally started out directly in front of me. Unfortunately, it took me a long time to realize that these birds don’t read a script, and that point or flush isn’t going to be right off your toes every time. So, it is important to trust your dog’s nose, and let them stick that savvy old rooster however they see fit. I think you would be surprised how often a dog gets called off of a bird, because their handler doesn’t think they are on what they are looking for.

Hunt Sloughs Bordering Food
What kind of habitat do I look for when trying to find pheasants? When some people think of pheasant hunting they think of a nice flat switch grass field with food plots and mowed paths every 50 yards, while that sounds nice and easy on everyone, it’s not always what we are going to be lucky enough to have. It is no secret that those late season savvy roosters are going to be in thick cover, but there are a few types of cover that I get excited about before turning the dogs loose. My personal favorite would have to be a slough with reeds and cattails paired with crops surrounding it, whether it be an Iowa corn field or a South Dakota milo field. If you can find that recipe, especially with snow cover, there is going to be birds in it nine times out of 10. The end results will be plenty of smiles and retrieves to go around.

Take Care of Your Canine
I will end with this, without our bird dogs we would not be anywhere near as successful as we are. I feed my dogs a high protein chicken blend during season to make sure they have the extra fuel they need, especially on those multiple day trips out west. Another great tip I have learned is to mix a little unflavored Pedialyte with their water, this will help keep them hydrated on those long hunts. Take breaks, there is no reason to push those dogs to their limits and burn them out in a hurry, this comes with knowing your dog and knowing what they have for endurance. Lastly, a couple spoons full of honey available or a protein snack in your vest is never a bad idea for a mid-hunt boost for your pup, you will absolutely notice the difference.
While all of these tips are pure opinions of mine, I hope they help. I want everyone to have success in the field and make the memories like I have made at this point in my life. We only get so many hunting seasons. Hunt hard, have fun, and be safe.