Pheasants season opener

[Gill-T]

Anyone notice less birds stocked this year?  What is usually a war zone, the state park I was at yesterday was unusually quiet.  I ate pheasant last night but only two flushes in morning hunt. 

[rod hog]

it was a war zone where I was hunting. lots of birds

[dukhnter8]

Lots of guys out down here. Heard reports of lots of birds for youth weekend so good numbers of carryover. Got one and should have had a second but I was looking at something different when the bird flushed and missed. Sunday morning there were lots more people out, 2 flushes out of range. I usually hunt more later on when everyone else is moved on to the next thing. Less people and more room to work my dogs.

[BSmaster]

Saturday morning I heard it going down.  A farm on a hill over yonder from ours releases them.  We end up with some of them when people don't shoot so straight.  I don't think it was a coincidence that I didn't see any deer.

[Giz9219]

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Edited October 18, 2016 by Giz9219

[brucehookedup]

There was 2 shots in hightor. Everyone was cackling how there was no birds and I agree compared to years past. They need to raise 300,000 not 30,000 to make it worthwhile for our dogs and us

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[brucehookedup]

Where do you live rod hog where all the shooting was going on what zone is that?

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[salmonboy41]

I thought opening weekend wasn't bad but this weekend was pretty tough atleast where I hunted. and I agree more birds and a longer stocking season would be nice.  Its sucks having a dog that love to hunt pheasants and to only have a season that's basically 5 weeks long.

[WoodieBoater]

The most consistent stocked area I've hunted is Iroquois and Oak Orchard. I believe they stock every Tuesday and Friday, so birds tend to be easily found. I agree though, I hunted this weekend and I came across one bird in hemlock... I'm sure it was a leftover from opening day. You have to remember there's only one state pheasant facility now that I know of (Reynolds in Ithaca)so the logistics of propagating all of the release sites is pretty mind boggling. PA does a much better job stocking, and especially with habitat management. That's the thing that's real depressing to me is the lack of effort put forth in creating and maintaining habitat.

Edited October 25, 2016 by WoodieBoater

[brucehookedup]

Woodieboater Where do you get information to find the Iroquois and Oak Orchard release sites ?

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[WoodieBoater]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/pheasantsites16.pdf

 

This is a link to the NYSDEC list of release sites and specific rules associated with each site.

First of all I misspoke, DEC releases at Oak Orchard and Tonawanda. my mistake.

They don't list specifically where at Oak Orchard and Tonawanda, but it does say closed to pheasant hunting Tuesday and Friday (ive seen the trucks there on Tuesday and Friday).

 

[WoodieBoater]

Well here you have it. I hunted an hour and a half at Oak Orchard yesterday and flushed 4 roosters. The first three got the pass. Trying to steady up the new puppy. The last one he handled perfectly and it got a dosage of lead.

 

[spinfly]

Very nicely done, good looking dog too.

[brucehookedup]

Nice

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[WoodieBoater]

Hunted Hemlock on Monday and Oak Orchard on Wednesday. Put up two birds at Hemlock and shot one. Only put up one bird at oak orchard (shot that one too). Seems like there was quite a few guys out (especially at Oak Orchard) for weekdays. Nice to see guys out working dogs.