Pheasant hunting while home for a week

[John Kelley]

Well, 

I figured I might as well update my NY friends about my trip home to South Dakota to take my boat back home and do some pheasant killing! Drove all day Saturday and finally finished the 1250 mile drive by 11:45 p.m. central time.  Set my clocks back, and slept my butt off!!  Sunday I watched my hapless Viking almost pull out a victory in Dallas, and then decided to try road hunting in some ditches close to my town.  Didn't have much daylight, but started to walk some ditches anyways.  Ended up flushing and shooting one really nice 3 year old bird, but that is all I saw before sunset.  I plan to start earlier today, and will be updating this thread with bird pics throughout the week.  Thanks 

Edited November 4, 2013 by John Kelley

[Gill-T]

Thanks for the update. Went out yesterday with Tinkerbelle and got three nice points and non-flushes from pheasant carcasses that a fox or yote ate on state land. My dog was very confused lol. Wish the Dakotas was closer.

[Guppy35]

Just curious, how do you age a pheasant? 

[Frogger]

From what I learned back in the day is the spurs can generally tell you whether it's a Juvie or an adult however late fall the Juvie spurs almost match the adult. Then the tail feather length and weight can be used. In general though you can only really tell a Juvie from an adult out in the field. Not the # of years old but then again someone who hunts the Dakotas sure has seen more pheasants than us nyers by far so I wouldn't put a he's wrong about the age. It's a nice bird.

[John Kelley]

Basically by the spurs, and this guy had long spurs that came to a really narrow and sharp point.  No, Juvie or first year spurs never come close to even a two year spur.  They are usually just short, rounded nubs. The three I shot today were all first year birds.  You can kind of see the spurs on the pic with them lying in the field.

Edited November 5, 2013 by John Kelley

[skipper19]

Chinese chickens under glass! Nice hunting John!

Mark

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[Guppy35]

Thanks! I definitely wasn't questioning your aging, just didn't know that there was a way to age them.

[John Kelley]

Thanks! I definitely wasn't questioning your aging, just didn't know that there was a way to age them.

No problem, no offense taken.  Two year birds usually have fairly long spurs that are fat and pretty dull.  The older birds get the good, pointy spurs that get all thin and fight ready!

[Frogger]

Way to go John. Damn nice birds

[ultralight]

Sorry I can't figure out how to make my own post and figured this is the place to start. I need help....here is the story. I live in Ovid ny and love running tipsters with my lab. Due to poor population in my area there are few spots to do this. When I was a younger...23 now..me and my father would do good in the big local govt owned grass fields. Today all of those fields are mowed pasture that they can make make money on. Understandable on there part. But here's where I get riled up. Lodi, which Is a small town just to the south, has a huge I'd guess 1000 acre grass field great for wild life. In the years past we started seeing a solid hen population. This year we had good numbers of rooster and hen birds, even started seeing woodcock in the small thickets within the field. In my option this is one of the only fields in our county that had native birds. Yesterday and today the US wildlife management group, along with local fire dept. Burned most of the field down with intent on finishing it today. How can they justify ruining that much wildlife habbitat. Woodcock are not going to stop there on there migration any more, deer are not going to be able to bed and feed there any more....the struggling pheasants are now getting drove from cover and I could go on all day but I was just wondering if anyone had an idea who I could call or write with my concerns. Dec is out of the picture because it's govt land. This group has 4-5 more fields to burn just in our small community. Thanks

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[ultralight]

Roosters not tipsters sorry Damn auto correct

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[nasc620]

here is a 3 man limit of some NY pheasants

[John Kelley]

Nice looking bunch of birds!

[John Kelley]

here is a 3 man limit of some NY pheasants ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1383833869.626306.jpg

That would be a two man limit out here on the prairie.