Got a few birds

[Toadkiller]

Hunted a pheasant preserve on the Luckiamute River the other day. Beautiful area and big beautiful birds. Primary goal was training the new GSP on his first live hunt. Great job Maverick!

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[ilikegunspdx]

Nice! Looks like a great place for it.

 

[drstrangelove]

Nice zombie takedown on one.

 

[Toadkiller]

Nice zombie takedown on one.

Took his head off clean in one shot. It was my first pheasant hunt, and someone had told me I should bring steel, 3" no. 4s. Next time I think I'll go with 2 3/4 inch lead No. 5s.

 

[cowboykid8]

Took his head off clean in one shot. It was my first pheasant hunt, and someone had told me I should bring steel, 3" no. 4s. Next time I think I'll go with 2 3/4 inch lead No. 5s.

A little more penetration power with the lead 5s than steel. What you will see is a wider pattern with lead than steel. might be worth patterning a few shells to see what works best. Keep in mind if you are ever on a wildlife area that requires non-toxic ammo or could find some ducks along your pheasant hunt, having only non-Toxic ammo will keep you within the regs.

 

[drstrangelove]

Lead 5 or 6, 1 to 1-1/8oz loads are all you need for planted roosters.
If nontoxic required, use bismuth 5's or hevishot 6's.
I can't stand using steel; too many wounded crippled running birds.
Luckiamute has a notoxic preferred policy, however they are OK with lead in older guns that would be damaged by steel.

 

[Tlock]

It's a shame there isn't more wild birds in the valley. I go to South Dakota every year to hunt wild birds

 

[arakboss]

It's a shame there isn't more wild birds in the valley. I go to South Dakota every year to hunt wild birds

There used to be but they keep getting shot.

 

[gmerkt]

There used to be but they keep getting shot.

"Pheasant preserve" on the surface sounds like a contradiction in terms since hunting is involved. I suppose the habitat is in preservation; hunting is used to manage the game on the land.

Years ago, Mrs. Merkt's grandfather won some desert land in a card game. Later the government came along, fenced it in without asking and said it was now a tortoise preserve. But hunting turtles wasn't part of the deal. They gave him some other BLM land elsewhere in compensation.

 

[Tlock]

There used to be but they keep getting shot.

It's more than that

 

[Toadkiller]

A little more penetration power with the lead 5s than steel. What you will see is a wider pattern with lead than steel. might be worth patterning a few shells to see what works best. Keep in mind if you are ever on a wildlife area that requires non-toxic ammo or could find some ducks along your pheasant hunt, having only non-Toxic ammo will keep you within the regs.

Good advice. Thanks cowboy. Most of my experience is shooting dove and quail with steel. Dove in particular are tiny little rockets, I'll go through 50 shells to get ten birds. When Maverick pointed and we flushed the first pheasant, I was like "holy S!&t that bird is huge, so close, and very slow, this thing is DOA" lol. I went on to kill one bird per one shell fired, and trust me I'm no marksman. I'm sure truly wild pheasant are much more challenging.

 

[Toadkiller]

Lead 5 or 6, 1 to 1-1/8oz loads are all you need for planted roosters.
If nontoxic required, use bismuth 5's or hevishot 6's.
I can't stand using steel; too many wounded crippled running birds.
Luckiamute has a notoxic preferred policy, however they are OK with lead in older guns that would be damaged by steel.

Correct, preferred but not required. No one asked or brought it up when we checked in, so I guess it's not a super high priority for them. Thanks for the advice on the steel.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Good advice. Thanks cowboy. Most of my experience is shooting dove and quail with steel. Dove in particular are tiny little rockets, I'll go through 50 shells to get ten birds. When Maverick pointed and we flushed the first pheasant, I was like "holy S!&t that bird is huge, so close, and very slow, this thing is DOA" lol. I went on to kill one bird per one shell fired, and trust me I'm no marksman. I'm sure truly wild pheasant are much more challenging.

Yep pheasants are often like a big balloon rising close in. Doves are like darts flying past. I've often stepped on a pheasant and felt it flush under my foot. Used to hunt a lot when younger.

 

[Toadkiller]

"Pheasant preserve" on the surface sounds like a contradiction in terms since hunting is involved. I suppose the habitat is in preservation; hunting is used to manage the game on the land.

Years ago, Mrs. Merkt's grandfather won some desert land in a card game. Later the government came along, fenced it in without asking and said it was now a tortoise preserve. But hunting turtles wasn't part of the deal. They gave him some other BLM land elsewhere in compensation.

They call themselves a preserve, so I referred to them as such. One way to look at is that they are preserving the tradition of pheasant hunting when they could probably make a lot more $$$ doing something else with that land. So I applaud them.

Unfortunately too many people in the past did hunt CA Desert Tortoises, as in target practice. I used to live there and as a kid we saw them regularly on camping trips. Another big culprit are crows and ravens, who eat the hatchlings. The crow population is at unnaturally high levels due to human population and development; as in more trash and crap for them.

 

[cowboykid8]

Good advice. Thanks cowboy. Most of my experience is shooting dove and quail with steel. Dove in particular are tiny little rockets, I'll go through 50 shells to get ten birds. When Maverick pointed and we flushed the first pheasant, I was like "holy S!&t that bird is huge, so close, and very slow, this thing is DOA" lol. I went on to kill one bird per one shell fired, and trust me I'm no marksman. I'm sure truly wild pheasant are much more challenging.

Yep pheasants are often like a big balloon rising close in. Doves are like darts flying past. I've often stepped on a pheasant and felt it flush under my foot. Used to hunt a lot when younger.

Yeah the doves are tough, lots of dipping and dodging in their flight pattern, and their speed and distance changes when they dive down.

 

[Member 94692]

Looks like a great hunt!
Birds are my favorite quarry. Very sporting because...they don't sit still!
Loved me some pheasants, sharptail grouse and huns in Montana. Never did bag one of those monster sage grouse though.

 

[Kmshott]

Good job! Congrats.