Pheasant hunts

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Anyone here go or have gone on western pheasant hunts? Where did you go and what was your experience like? Public, private land, or outfitter?

I am toying with the idea of trying to go this fall or maybe next. South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, etc. I was going to try to work in a day or two on the front end of a deer hunt, but since that is not happening, I may try to just go out there for pheasant. I've got a dog that is in training now that I will be trying to get on birds this fall. I've got a place to put him on quail, but I thought chasing pheasants would be a fun trip.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We hear a few and see a few in NE and KS when we are out there turkey hunting. But most of the locals we talk to indicate that the pheasant population is way down from where it was a few years ago. Definitely seeing less now than when we first started hunting turkey out there. We also occasionally see a grouse and this year, we saw more quail than in past years. There is plenty of space out there to chase them but private land access will be tougher than chasing turkeys. The locals can be anal about their deer and upland birds.
 

wcjones

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I go to Kansas every year. Used to be Iowa but we stopped going there because of bird numbers. Plenty of public land and decent bird numbers. Quail have been good the last few years. Pm me and I'll fill you in a little. FYI don't plan on bird hunting during rifle season.....a lot of folks rifle hunt deer on public land and the season only lasts a week and a half
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
. I would also look at Montana.

The state of PA is restoring wild pheasant populations and have been getting birds from Montana.
 
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PG2

Ten Pointer
I would not go to PA for pheasants.... They release them on the game lands and you don't want to be around when they do, it sounds like WWII and the people are crazy shooting everywhere without regard for another hunter.
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
I saw quite a few last year in North Dakota while we were duck hunting. We even had a rooster get up from across the pond and fly over our decoys. ND is a little more friendly in terms of license costs than SD.
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
I would not go to PA for pheasants.... They release them on the game lands and you don't want to be around when they do, it sounds like WWII and the people are crazy shooting everywhere without regard for another hunter.

I've done similar hunts in Illinois. Its a different experience.

South Dakota is different, if you go with an outfitter. Its kind of a wild release system, I can't find the reg but at the outfitters, its something like for every four birds killed they have to release 5 more. Its a different type of hunting, bigger groups I think.

If you want to go for wild birds, I think Kansas would be my choice, maybe Nebraska.

The hard part is, one year an area can have great bird numbers, but a bad winter/drought/heavy rains can dampen the population for the next year.

Personally, I'm going to try and tack on some extra days in NoDak this year specifically to hunt sharptails and huns.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Might wanna get with Gadwall on here. I think they do a waterfowl/pheasant hunt about every year in ND. Public land.
 

Moose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
A group of us from here went to Iowa. Probably been 10 years ago I'd guess. Went with Safari Iowa or Iowa Safari can't remember. 3 day hunting package ducks in the morning pheasant in afternoon. No ducks so that part sucked but the pheasant hunting was a blast. At the time they raised them in big pens with very little human interaction and then released them before the season. They seemed pretty wild plus there is wild birds as well. Enjoyable hunt, easy to put together, they supplied dogs and guide and we stayed on their farm. I assume they habe a similar set up I think they axed the waterfowl option. Their kids took over operations.
 

Cootmeurer

Six Pointer
Been going to NoDak for 20 years. We normally go either 2nd or 3rd week of waterfowl (1st week is Resident only). We will watch the winter and hatch reports to decide if we want to go 3rd week and also chase pheasants.

In a good year it is as good as SoDak, with 1/10th the pressure and a cheaper and easier license. After a bad year it is just not worth the license. In NoDak, if we get the license, then you can also target sharp tail grouse and Hungarian partridge.
 

Eggman

Twelve Pointer
I have been to SD around Pierre. This was public hunting on the right of ways. Season does not open till noon but we always got a limit (3 birds) before dark.
 

g3trappernc

Twelve Pointer
I spent a full summer up in northeast NE (north of Norfolk) back in the early 90's. I got sick of seeing them crossing the roads. They were like ants. At that time, I had permission from multiple landowners on 20,000+ acres. Unfortunately, due to being a college student I couldn't afford either the travel or the time off from school. Not sure what it is like now, but back then the farmers were fine with you hunting their private land. Most of the birds I saw were actually north of a small town called Hadr (population 208) all the way up to the S Dakota border
 

nckeith

Ten Pointer
Anyone here go or have gone on western pheasant hunts? Where did you go and what was your experience like? Public, private land, or outfitter?

I am toying with the idea of trying to go this fall or maybe next. South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, etc. I was going to try to work in a day or two on the front end of a deer hunt, but since that is not happening, I may try to just go out there for pheasant. I've got a dog that is in training now that I will be trying to get on birds this fall. I've got a place to put him on quail, but I thought chasing pheasants would be a fun trip.

Not sure if you are still looking. Folks I know had good experiences with this outfit.

http://www.doublepranch.com/

Cyrus at 651-357-2764
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
Hunted SD many, many years ago and it was awesome. I'm sure things have changed drastically since that time period. It was easy to find places to hunt back then but I suppose by now a lot like finding a place to hunt in NC since the deer population explosion. I would highly recommend you go if you get the chance, don't think there is a prettier bird and more exciting bird to hunt.

Best of luck if you do go. We had the best luck near Wall and Pierre, SD. At that time they had just changed the law where the season opens at noon each day, at that time only covering part of the state but that too may have changed by now.
 
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Combat Diver

Eight Pointer
Worked cruising the back roads of ND, SD and IA first 6 months this year (300mi/day). ND has the largest number of pheasants observed followed by SD. I know ND has Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS, yellow triangle). I've seen 100s at a time in ND during winter/spring. Fewer as I went south.

CD
 

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
There used to be a good population in Western Kansas between Dodge City and up to Dighton and Scott City. Lots of dry land wheat farmed in that area but only hunted on private. Where there's lots of irrigated corn the corners are usually grown up in CRP which gives good cover. Populations are usually so up and down from year to year that it's a crap shoot with wild birds.
 
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nchunter2

Eight Pointer
Read an article a few years back on hunting pheasant somewhere on the Outer Banks. Small reproducing population there. Mentioned there was some mineral in the soil there that prevented the eggs from failing. I'm sure there can't be many birds, but thought it would be an interesting trip with the dog.
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
Read an article a few years back on hunting pheasant somewhere on the Outer Banks. Small reproducing population there. Mentioned there was some mineral in the soil there that prevented the eggs from failing. I'm sure there can't be many birds, but thought it would be an interesting trip with the dog.

been chasing them for 5 or 6 years now.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Yeah, I believe Wildlifer has done it.

EDIT: beat me to it....

The place nckeith posted looks good, but I've had trouble finding anyone with time and money and the motivation to go. Most guys I know aren't gonna drop outfitter money to go chase pheasants, and they won't take the time off from work and family to go bum around and do it the hard way on public land with no experience and no guarantee of success. The result is they never go.
 
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Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
maybe not this year but at some point I would be game to chase some public land birds. Never really cared for guided trips, the enjoyment for me comes from the satisfaction of making it happen on your own.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Read an article a few years back on hunting pheasant somewhere on the Outer Banks. Small reproducing population there. Mentioned there was some mineral in the soil there that prevented the eggs from failing. I'm sure there can't be many birds, but thought it would be an interesting trip with the dog.

Cape Lookout

There was a nice article in Wildlife in NC about hunting them if that's what you are referring to

I've heard hurricanes might have eliminated a lot of birds
 
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Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
Cape Lookout

There was a nice article in Wildlife in NC about hunting them if that's what you are referring to

I've heard hurricanes might have eliminated a lot of birds

They have been there since the core sound gun clubs put them there in the early 1900's, They have been through a few hurricanes. Their population has always been limited due to habitat needs and weather. There is essentially no effort to maintain this population however they continue to persist. One of the biggest threats that they face are from mammalian predators, mainly raccoons that overran the island. There was a fairly large effort to remove them from the island which has helped a lot. Core banks is not the only place they can be found. They stretch as far up as Hatteras.

They hold a special place in my outdoors life and I revere them as one of the most difficult game animals to hunt here. As one of the few people to hunt them and actually shoot a limit of "wild" NC pheasants I feel truly honored and blessed.
I've often thought about the idea of a pheasants forever chapter just for this isolated population. I foresee a myriad of issues, foremost that the population inhabits federal land run by the park service. From most accounts it would prohibitive to do any kind of meaningful work with the birds.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
That's neat you shot a limit

What I read was storm surge limited the population but I bet raccoons and Hawks are worse
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
This website claims Hatteras pheasants are gone

http://www.jeffpippen.com/birds/rnpheasant.htm
 
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