pheasants at five degrees

[salmonchaser]

So, Sande is a relatively new hunter, with a young dog. We chased some pheasant last year but only have shot a few birds this year. Drove down to Pendleton Sunday night. 5 degrees when we arrived with a couple of inches of snow on the ground. With our two shorthairs and my brother's golden retriever, seven of us collected our limits Monday and Tuesday. Sande was giving me stinkeye as we headed into the cold Monday, with no wind she survived just fine. Really proud of her and the dogs who did very well.

 

[DrMike]

Sounds like a great day. I'm sure your good lady did very well. Limiting out on those fine birds would make anyone happy, I should think. It's been years since I ate pheasant (living back in Kansas), but the memory still lingers.

 

[Guy Miner]

Nice! Congrats on a good hunt!

Guy

 

[sask boy]

Sounds like you had a great hunt!!! Thank you for sharing.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[salmonchaser]

Sande is getting to be more fluid when trying to connect on pheasant, but she does get frustrated by her lack of experience. She has a great analytical mind, you can see the computer working when a bird flushes, trying to put it all together. She does her best when the birds hold for the dog and she can get ready. These birds have been hunted, so they're not prone to holding very long. Twice on Monday her dog was locked up with mine honoring. Sande worked up on her dog, kicked some grass, pushed up past the dog, kicked some brush, turned and worked back toward her dog, who by this time was a quivering mess, and the rooster got up behind her. We all thought it funny..
We're off again the day after thanksgiving.

 

[Osprey78]

Nice. I have never hunted pheasants, but would love to one day. I was tracking a doe I shot one year through a grassy field that was about 3' high of vegetation. One pheasant came out of the grass and scared the living daylights out of me! LOL.

 

[salmonchaser]

I've hunted them every year since I was old enough to have a chance keeping up, let's call it 52 years. They will still startle me from time to time. I gotta tell you though having Sande join in these last two years has been great, and then there's Molly, my two year old GSP. She is a machine, far and away the best dog I've ever owned. I'll be 59 next week, she could well be my last Gsp, but what a dog. Most of the time I have my Benelli slung over my back, I just want to watch her work. Just wish she would retrieve regularly. If there is another dog with us, she won't touch the bird. Simply goes right back to hunting. Damn dog.