Pheasant Hunting is a passion for me and greatly influences how and where I live. Because of pheasant hunting:
- I have dogs and they are part of our family. One of the reasons we live where we do is so that they have a large, fenced in yard. Our dogs are a significant investment in time and money but they do keep us entertained.
- I live in Minnesota. While there are many reasons why I live here, access to pheasant hunting is definitely a factor.
- I schedule my surgeries around the pheasant season, so I can rehab during the off season.
- I schedule vacations with Jae, around the pheasant season. She calls herself a pheasant widow, which is pretty accurate.
This post is about my pheasant hunting and shares information that I have collected over the years. It has links to web sites that I use as well as links to the different types of pheasant hunting related content on this web site.
Introduction
My Pheasant Hunting History
The reason I even started hunting pheasants was that my dad hunted them while he was in high school during the depression. Growing up, my brother and I learned to shoot at a very early age. When I was in my teens, my dad started hunting pheasants again with one of his co-workers. That co-worker had German Shorthair Pointers. Little did I know that 30 years later I would have Shorthairs. When my dad started hunting pheasants again, my brother and I got to tag along. I also had an uncle who was an avid pheasant hunter with Irish Setters that we hunted with. I hunted consistently until I went to college.
Fast forward about 30 years. My daughter, went away to college and I started to get back into hunting. After college, my daughter, her boyfriend and I started pheasant hunting out at her uncles farm. They bought a German Shorthair Pointer (GSP) puppy just prior to buying a house. I kept the puppy for them until they closed on their house and moved in. I enjoyed the puppy so much that I tried to buy it’s sister. The breeder wanted to keep the puppy but offered me an 18 month old female, which I ended up buying. That was Mazey, my first German Shorthair. Once I had Mazey, then pheasant hunting became an addiction.
Hunting With Dogs
If you talk to pheasant hunters who own dogs, one of the most common things you will hear is that it is more about the dogs then it is about the number of birds harvested. Some of my best trips have been days when the dogs find lots of birds, even if we never fire a shot.
During the hunting season, I do weekly recaps of our hunting trips. For the last couple of years, these recaps include videos of our hunts. The videos are almost entirely of the dogs working birds with some birds being harvested.
The dogs live to hunt. They carefully watch me load the truck the night before a trip. In the morning, they are especially alert, watching my every move. When I go downstairs to get dressed they follow me and watch carefully to see if I am putting on orange. If I do then they stick to me like glue until they get loaded into the truck. The following picture is of Willow while I am trying to put my boots on.
Pheasant Hunting Information
General Information
Pheasant Hunting in the Midwest is a long standing tradition. One of the better sources of information about pheasants is an Iowa DNR document about Pheasants.
Habitat
Back when I started hunting, farms were still small family farms with fence rows, wetlands and abundant habitat. That has all changed to fewer, much larger farms dedicated to row crops. Wetlands have decreased due to tiling, fence rows are gone and overall, a lot of habitat was lost.
Organizations like Pheasants Forever have done an excellent job identifying, purchasing and restoring habitat that is then turned over to the DNR. The Minnesota DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have also acquired, restored and manage significant land for public hunting.
I have been a member of Pheasants Forever since I started hunting again in 2006. I also belong to Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl as they also acquire and restore habitat that serves waterfowl as well as pheasants.
Seasons
We hunt in Minnesota and Iowa. The Minnesota season typically opens around the second Saturday in October and closes January 1st. Iowa usually opens the last Saturday in October and closes January 10th. I have often thought about hunting in South Dakota but just have not made a trip yet.
In recent years, weather has become a real factor. Due to climate change, it is staying much warmer, much later in the season. For the last several years we have had limited hunting opportunities just because it is too warm for the dogs.
Where to Hunt
In Minnesota, I have one area of private ground that I hunt plus a lot of public parcels. Over the years, the public ground has gotten better due to the efforts of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl. Minnesota has a network of Wildlife Management Areas and Walk In Access areas that are open to public hunting.
My son-in-law grew up in Iowa and he introduced me to Iowa pheasants. For many years, we would travel to Iowa and stay with his parents while hunting near his hometown. Since then, his parents have moved to Minnesota but we continue to go to Iowa to hunt. Iowa also has its own Wildlife Management Areas and the Iowa Habitat Access Program.
Pheasant Hunting Equipment
Dog Related
As mentioned above, much of the reason I hunt pheasants is for the dogs. They love to hunt and it is enjoyable to watch them. But there is a lot of equipment needed to support them ranging from collars to kennels.
Collars
When I got my first German Shorthair Pointer (GSP) I started with an E-Collar with the usual training capabilities and a beeper. The beeper allowed me to find her, if she was out of sight. That worked okay when she was fairly close. When I got Willow all bets were off. Willow is a hard driving dog that covers a lot of ground and tends to lose track/ignore me. On one Iowa trip I lost her in a huge cornfield. That was a traumatic experience and after that trip I switched to GPS collars.
The GPS collars allow me to always know in what direction and how far away the dogs are. I started with a Garmin Alpha 100 which worked fine. After a couple of years they came out with the Alpha 200i, which I use now. In addition to knowing where the dogs are, the collar system also provides tracking data for me and the dogs, that I use for my trip logs.
Kennels
In the early days, I had a dog barrier in the car that kept them in the back of the car. When I got my truck it was no longer a good option so I switched to wire kennels. They worked but were not really safe for the dogs.
I now use Ruffland Kennels in conjunction with the drawer system I built for my truck. The kennels are anchored to the truck and provide the dogs with safe and comfortable transport. I have fans mounted in them for when it is hot and cover them with blankets when it is cold. I also have LED lights mounted on the kennels that we can use when we clean birds at the back of the truck.
First Aid
With my first GSP I learned that I had to carry a first aid kit. She loved heavy cover and would plow through anything. We have had multiple instances of lacerations due to barb wire. I built a first aid kit that I carry all season long. My daughter commented that the kit I carry for the dogs was much bigger than anything I ever had for her.
While I carry a wide variety of supplies what I generally end up using is gauze pads, vet wrap, chlorhexidine and tape. I even carry a small zip lock bag in my vest with tape, pads and vet wrap. Usually when a dog gets hurt I clean them up, control the bleeding and find a vet.
Guns and Ammunition
My preference for a shotgun is a 12 gauge autoloader. My first autoloader was a Browning A5 that I purchased used. I used that for many years with lead shot but had to retire it when non-toxic shot was required. I then purchased a Browning Gold Fusion autoloader which is a lighter version of the Browning Gold. The gun itself weighs less than 8 pounds, empty.
I only shoot non-toxic shot. It is required on WPAs and public ground in Iowa. After trying different brands of ammunition I have settled on Hevi-Metal. Early season I load the gun with two #3 shells, followed by two #2 shells. I very seldom fire more than 2 rounds. Late season I use 4 rounds of #2. I have had one issue with “Hevi-Metal” shells where sometimes a pellet will bulge the sidewall of the shell. This can cause the gun to not cycle properly. I deal with this by checking the shells.
Boots
I use Lowa boots because they fit my feet. Specifically, I buy the taller boots without stitching on the toebox. Prairie grass will destroy the stitching. My boots are GoreTex lined and un-insulated and I use them all season with no problems.
Clothes
You do not need a lot of specialized clothes to hunt, but having them does make things more comfortable. Over the years, I have figured out what works for me across a wide range of weather conditions. For me, staying cool is very important. I always dress in layers so that I can shed a layer to stay cool. In the early season, I often times end up with just a long sleeve t-shirt.
Hats
I prefer ball cap style hats, even when it is really cold. I might pull a stocking cap over the ball cap until I get warm. Ball cap style hats also work with the GoPro. I have a couple of different hats setup to mount a GoPro.
In addition to hats, I also use a balaclava as a neck gaiter. This is really nice to keep cold drafts from my neck, at least until I get warmed up. It is lightweight and does not take up hardly any room.
Pants
Some kind of brush pants are important. The pair that I currently wear are from Scheels and I really like them. Unfortunately, they no longer make this model and the replacement models do not fit very well. The biggest problem I have with the currently available pants are that the legs are so tight it is difficult to lift your legs while plowing through tall grass.
Shirts
My current favorite is from Orvis. I do have a lightweight hunting shirt but lately it is so warm I just wear a long sleeve orange t-shirt.
Outerwear
Outerwear is all about layers. I have multiple options depending on the temperature and how windy it is. Again, the key is heat control. I would rather be cool than warm. At least, while I am moving.
My go to jacket is a Columbia rain jacket that I wear over my Orvis shirt. I wear this down to temperatures in the low 30s and sometimes into the 20s. It blocks the wind and is easily zipped open if it is too warm. I can also take it off and stow it in my vest as the day warms up.
If it is colder (20s to low 30s) with minimal wind then I wear a lightweight fleece.
If it is from 0 to low 20s, especially if there is a wind then I have a medium weight fleece that is somewhat wind resistant. Or, I can wear the lightweight fleece plus the rain jacket.
I also have a heavier jacket that I used to wear all the time when it got colder. But with climate change, it has not been cold enough to justify this jacket for the last 5 or more years.
Vest
I use a vest with an integrated waist belt. Most of the weight is carried on the waist belt which I really prefer because I end up carrying a lot of weight between water for the dogs, ammo, the handheld for the GPS collar and a few miscellaneous items. My vest was made my “Mother Tech” but they went out of business a long time ago. The vest is setup so that I can use a bladder (CamelBak) for water. I have it plumbed so that not only can I drink but I can also water the dogs.
I also modified the vest so that I can attach the Garmin Alpha 200i handheld I use. The handheld is attached to the left shoulder strap, where it is convenient to look at and out of the way.
Video
For the last few years I have been using a GoPro Hero 9 while hunting. It has been a real learning experience but enjoyable. It is nice to be able to go back and review what happened, as well as share the experience with friends and family.
Capturing the video is just the beginning. On a typical trip where there are birds I will capture an hour or more of video clips. From those clips I usually edit specific clips into something much shorter. Learning to edit has been a fun learning experience that has paid off in my web business where I now create instructional videos for clients.
Once I have a video edited into a consumable form then I upload it to YouTube. While I have a YouTube channel, I typically post the videos as “unlisted”. This just means that they are publicly available but not searchable. People can access then via my blog posts.
Applications
I use a variety of applications to support my hunting experience.
Phone Applications
I use multiple phone applications for weather, navigation and mapping. The most commonly used apps are:
Waze – Used for driving. My truck has CarPlay and I can display the Waze map on the console.
Onx – This application has detailed maps of land in Minnesota and Iowa. It also has satellite images combined with GPS tracking plus it is also CarPlay compatible. We use it in the truck to locate public hunting and in the field to figure out how to get around obstacles or back to the truck.
WeatherUnderground – My preferred weather app. I find it to be the most accurate.
Quik – The GoPro app when I want to see what the camera is seeing.
Computer Applications
On the computer I use several applications for hunting related activities:
Microsoft OneNote – I keep all of my trip logs and checklists in OneNote. I can access everything from my computer, my tablet or phone.
Garmin Basecamp – This free application works with Garmin products such as the Alpha 200i GPS collar. I use this application to store and display the routes from our trips. This is where I get all of the information about the distances I walk or the dogs run.
DaVinci Resolve – Video editing software. This is another free tool that works really well. There are tons of YouTube videos on how to use it.
Ear Protection
I do have a set of Wildear electronic ear protectors but I seldom wear them hunting. If there is any wind at all, it is just too hard to hear. Even without a wind, identifying where a cackle is coming from or where a bird is flushing is hard. I do wear them when I shoot sporting clays because they are comfortable and suppress the sound well.
Pheasant Hunting Trips
Since I am retired, I try to hunt at least twice a week, for the entire season. During the week we hunt public ground and on weekends we hunt private.
Minnesota trips are typically day trips because we can get to decent hunting in less than 2 hours. When we hunt Iowa it is usually overnight although we have done day trips to Iowa. I keep track of the number of trips as part of my statistics. How often I go is a function of weather and health.
Day Trips
For day trips, temperatures and wind dictate where we go and how early we leave. Normally, there are two of us but I have gone solo and often times we may have a third hunter with us. In Minnesota, we are blessed with a lot of public ground within a reasonable drive. There are a couple places very close that I will hunt if I just want to get the dogs out. When we are serious, we drive about 90 minutes to get to a lot of public ground.
We have done a few Iowa day trips but they are an exception. Sometimes we go to hunt the morning while it is cool. Sometimes I will go solo at the end of the season to get out one last time.
Overnight Trips
The majority of our trips to Iowa are overnight trips. The ideal scenario is that two of us go with one dog. We leave about 8 AM, arrive at the hunting area about noon, and hunt all afternoon. After hunting we drive into town, check in to a Super 8, clean any birds we have and then get cleaned up. Then we go to a Pizza Ranch and eat. From there it is back to the motel to sleep. We get up around 6 AM, eat, get ready and drive to the hunting area for an 8AM start. We hunt until mid day or when we are tired, then we pack up and head home.
Record Keeping
I am a data driven person. I always was when I was working and I continue to this day. For pheasant hunting, I find that creating a trip log for every trip including a variety of information enhances the experience. In addition to the trip logs I also capture video and pictures.
Trip Logs
After every trip, I create a OneNote trip log. It allows me to reflect on the trip and at a later date, quickly access information that I can use for trip planning. The information I record is:
WHERE – Where I went, usually the name of the WMA, WPA, Walk-in or IHAP. In this section I usually record a few highlights about the trip such as weather, condition of the prairie, etc.
PARTY – Who went.
DOGS – Which dogs did I take.
BIRDS – In this section I try to document where we saw and/or harvested roosters. I use a code that I then also put on the picture of our route. I will also note how many hens we saw.
DISTANCE – How far I walked. I get this information from the GPS collar handheld.
DOG DISTANCE – How far the dog(s) ran using GPS collar data.
GEAR – My template has a list of the clothes I wear so I can just check the checkbox next to an item. This helps me know which clothes to take based on the weather. I refer back to this information when I am planning on what clothes to take, based on the weather forecast.
WEATHER – I record notes about the temperature, wind, sun/clouds and precipitation.
LESSONS LEARNED – I record any things that I learned on this trip. I make an effort to identify at least one thing every trip.
TRACK PICTURES – I will attach pictures that show my track and the dog tracks overlaid on a satellite image.
It takes about 10 minutes to log a trip, once I have processed the GPS tracks.
Pictures and Video
Starting a couple years ago, I started using a GoPro while hunting. This has proved to be not only fun but informative. It is handy to be able to review captured video in slow motion. I can also capture stills from video, which is really nice. The picture below was captured from a video.
Using the captured video, I edit together a highlight video for the week. The videos typically focus on the dogs tracking and occasionally retrieving downed birds. I will also do some voice overs on the video to explain what is going on.
Every week, I do a blog post recapping the previous week. The blog posts usually include a short summary of each trip, a video, lessons learned as well as a summary that includes a few statistics for the season.
2024 Weekly Recaps
Statistics
In addition to the trip logs, I also maintain a spreadsheet to collect a lot of data that I then use to produce the graphs that are in the annual statistics posts.
Lessons Learned
As stated above, I log the lessons we learn in my trip logs. I usually consolidate those lessons in a post near the end of the season. Starting with the 2024 week 4 recap post, I am also including significant lessons learned in the recaps.
Cooking
One of the benefits of actually harvesting birds is eating them. I have a variety of recipes on this web site that we use.
One of my hunting buddies sautes bite sized pieces of pheasant breast and uses it in tacos. He also will slow cook it with cream of mushroom soup.
Summary
Pheasant Hunting is a passion for me and my dogs. We spend a lot of time and money to pursue these birds of fall.
