Geez, Jonty.... I can see it now.... looks like "Deer Hunting v.2".    Good luck!.... on all fronts.   

I went out a couple weeks ago but it was too warm here in central Illinois and the birds were running. We only saw and shot one. My buddy has a great dog and we are planning to go this week as it is supposed to cool down. Have a great time!

Rick

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Spaniel

Just had a phone call from a friend of mine to see if I was free for a days pheasant shooting this coming Saturday. I gladly snatched his hand off as lockdowns have stopped a lot of pheasant shooting this year. What makes me look forward to this even more than usual is my daughter has asked if she can come along for her first time - I’ve never pushed my kids and if she likes it great, if she doesn’t, that’s fine too.... as long as she makes her own mind up that’s fine by me.

Looking forward to a good day out in the countryside, catching up with friends, working the dogs and hopefully getting some birds for the table.

 

---

Have a great time Jonty ..... probably won't go this year as it requires getting on an airplane, so I am envious.  Good luck on your hunt!  I have been looking forward to trying put my new Browning 20 gauge O/U.

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Spaniel

Just had a phone call from a friend of mine to see if I was free for a days pheasant shooting this coming Saturday. I gladly snatched his hand off as lockdowns have stopped a lot of pheasant shooting this year. What makes me look forward to this even more than usual is my daughter has asked if she can come along for her first time - I’ve never pushed my kids and if she likes it great, if she doesn’t, that’s fine too.... as long as she makes her own mind up that’s fine by me.

Looking forward to a good day out in the countryside, catching up with friends, working the dogs and hopefully getting some birds for the table.

---

Have a great time Jonty ..... probably won't go this year as it requires getting on an airplane, so I am envious.  Good luck on your hunt!

---

Thanks John, fortunately my access is a short drive away.  I'll post some pictures if that helps.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Owen

Geez, Jonty.... I can see it now.... looks like "Deer Hunting v.2".    Good luck!.... on all fronts.   

---

It's ok Owen, I checked my moral compass and fortunately it pointed north 

Birds. If it flies it dies. The birds are a bonus to every day in the field.
I wish you the very best of good shooting.
My D1 wants to hunt birds, my D2 wants nothing to do with it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Owen

Geez, Jonty.... I can see it now.... looks like "Deer Hunting v.2".    Good luck!.... on all fronts.   

---

The first thing I said when I saw the post is "oh G..." then I stopped myself because that would be bringing religion into it ??

Grabs popcorn, waits for BumDitty to arrive to bore us all to death with 'His' view of this.

At least your computer's SPELCHEK didn't decide to  automatically change it to
"shooting peasants"
They spend SO much of their time ducking bullets, as in this photo.

I'm not the pheasant plucker.
I'm the pheasant plucker's son.

Jonty: What's your choice of shot size? #4?

Ohoooo Jonty!!! I appreciate the fact that you are out and about and so happy that your daughter is taking an interest in the hunt and the fact that you are giving HER the choice to partake or not to partake in the slaughtering , torturing and murdering of flightfull Sentient beings!!! I’ll bet , if she’s lucky enough to Murder her first bird on the fly, she’ll be hooked and can’t wait to make multiple Sentient beings suffer before their un-existence, just to satisfy your Moral Justification!!!
Put the guns down and look under your feet. Your out trouncing on somebody elses dinner and don’t even realize that the vegetation under your hunting / murdering boots could feed your entire family and multiple small countries plagued with illnesses such as diabetes, not to mention curing hunger and disease of multitudes!!!

Spending time and taking the time with your daughter/ family out in nature learning about the right way to make Sentient beings suffer before die  to morally justify your tastebuds is soooooo commendable!!! Not to mention it’s a tradition that she can pass on to her children in the future........if there is a future!!!

Seriously..........hope you and your daughter had a wonderful day together and have some great table fare to show for your efforts that the whole family can enjoy!!!
Pass the salad please!!!
Slammer!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Jonty: What's your choice of shot size? #4?

---

Your question reminds me of a DELICIOUS meal of teal and birdshot, from many years ago.

My shot size is usually 2 to 4 fluid ounces !!!
Slammer!!!

Nice going Dale, you oinker! I agree, at the end of the day.

The dogs get fed first. They can be gated away downstairs in the doggie "pig pen" to dry off while they eat. Then the birds get cleaned. BumDitty can disembowel a living cucumber.
I have 4-5 ice cubes flooded with dry vermouth, maybe a wedge of lime or Navel orange.

Supper plans might revolve around some fresh ruffed grouse.
There have been days when a couple of pheasants (we have none here)
would fill out supper just fine.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Jonty: What's your choice of shot size? #4?

---

You didn't ask me Brian, but I use #5 for pheasant (ring neck) .........

Thanks, John. I have some #5 somewhere. #4 is by far more common here, mostly for ducks.
I've used #5 for turkey years ago. Canada Geese need big medicine like T or BBB steel.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Thanks, John. I have some #5 somewhere. #4 is by far more common here, mostly for ducks.
I've used #5 for turkey years ago. Canada Geese need big medicine like T or BBB steel.

---

10-4 Brian ..... #5 is what we used in South Dakota for the pheasant, and I assumed that is what just about everyone there used.  For quail and dove here in the south we use a lot smaller shot.  I can see #4 for duck.

Soft trap/skeet 1 oz loads of #7.5 are great in our forests for Ruffed Grouse.
I am disappointed to admit that I did not get out once to chase birds this autumn.
I heard no stories about any abundance so I can let it slide for another year.

Ptarmigan up top are open until Feb 15. I always claim one year I will get up there.
The sled heads report 48" fresh powder at the moment so I'll set that aside.

I don't think that my legs are good enough to walk up ring necks.
I'd still like to go, if even to watch the shoot.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Jonty: What's your choice of shot size? #4?

---

Brian, I use no 5 or no 6 shot in lead for pheasant.  These will be driven birds, with the guns (shooters) stood at allocated spots called pegs so you have a pretty good idea where the birds will be height wise etc.  I also carry a handful of something a little larger in non toxic in case there are any ducks or geese about - it's illegal to use lead here on waterfowl (even if they are shot over grassland).

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike gregory

At least your computer's SPELCHEK didn't decide to  automatically change it to
"shooting peasants"
They spend SO much of their time ducking bullets, as in this photo.

---

You're not far from the mark there Mike.  It is illegal to shoot game birds such a pheasant and grouse on a Sunday here.  This dates back to the good old days when pheasant shooting was the preferred sport of the 'landed gentry'.  To keep it exclusive, they it was only legal to shoot birds on the days of the normal working week of the peasants, that way they couldn't partake in the sport on their  one and only day off a week.

Here's a shot of my backyard water tank during the day.... Not too many pheasants around, but lots of California quail....

ring.com/share/4b5fdefb-388e-4...bc174e29e

We had California quail all over the place when I lived down south.
So comical to watch, I gave up on the idea of eating them.
Merriam's turkey and Ringnecks are common down south Not any up here at all.

Chinese Ringneck, Reeves, Golden, Lady Amherst. . . . . what are the others, I can't recall ?
I've got pelts of each for fly tying.

The non-toxic shot program got started here in British Columbia if my memory serves.
I've been shooting uplands with #6 steel for some years now. I know that the field dressings don't last 15 - 20 minutes before some scavenger picks them up. Gunshots mean gut piles. I never hang around to see who shows up but I expect one of the big cats (Cougar/Lynx/Bobcat) or maybe a wolf/coyote/fox.

Non toxic fishing weights became a thing some years ago here as well.
I use burnt out spark plugs = steels and ceramics.

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Jonty: What's your choice of shot size? #4?

---

You didn't ask me Brian, but I use #5 for pheasant (ring neck) .........

---

Its seems from my youth #5s were considered preferred for pheasant. By early adulthood and hunting with top pheasant hunters, they convinced me to switch to 7-1/2s high brass strong loads. Denser pattern. Magnum load 5s on turkey.  7-1/2s on quail, and 7-1/2s or 8s on dove.  Duck were 4 or 5s whatever I had with mag loads.  Brad

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brian T

Soft trap/skeet 1 oz loads of #7.5 are great in our forests for Ruffed Grouse.
I am disappointed to admit that I did not get out once to chase birds this autumn.
I heard no stories about any abundance so I can let it slide for another year.

Ptarmigan up top are open until Feb 15. I always claim one year I will get up there.
The sled heads report 48" fresh powder at the moment so I'll set that aside.

I don't think that my legs are good enough to walk up ring necks.
I'd still like to go, if even to watch the shoot.

---

Brian .... we always have two "blockers" at the far end or the field that we are hunting as we walk the birds toward the end of the field (or trees (usually small cedars)).  The wind up with plenty of birds as they will quit running and fly when they run out of cover.  Sounds like a great spot for you!