First Pheasant Hunt... FAIL

[stubblejumper]

You did not say how good a shot you are? In the off season or certainly before next season, I would go to a trap range and aks if you may shoot some targets from the gun down or unmounted position. Start at the 16 yard line and when you are hittng more than you miss, move back. Go to the 27 yard line and do this. If you are not able to hit way more than you miss, you should not be shooting those 50 yarders. I do not wish to sound too judgemental, but you seem to be taking part in an upland version of sky busting.

I look at it this way,if I can consistently average better than 90 at skeet,the upland birds are in serious danger,and I will be using a 20 guage and #6 loads for pheasant,and #7-1/2 loads for gray partridge and grouse.

 

[SandRoad]

#6 or 5 shot here also. We try and keep shots within 40 yards.

If an area has good cover and has been regularly hunted, the birds can tend to run rather than flush. Several people plus a dog, moving quickly in a line and "driving" the birds makes for a very exciting hunt.

 

[Covey Ridge]

I look at it this way,if I can consistently average better than 90 at skeet,the upland birds are in serious danger,and I will be using a 20 guage and #6 loads for pheasant,and #7-1/2 loads for gray partridge and grouse.

We're close! I would choose 20 gauge, 5 for pheasants and 6 for huns. As per the original poster, if 50 yard shots were expected, I would try more than a few shots at 50 yard clay to put things in a realsitic prospective.

 

[Ahsan Ahmed]

#6 or 5 shot here also. We try and keep shots within 40 yards.

If an area has good cover and has been regularly hunted, the birds can tend to run rather than flush. Several people plus a dog, moving quickly in a line and "driving" the birds makes for a very exciting hunt.

Your statement is reminiscent of a past that I had forgotten, almost ....... square miles of tea gardens nestled in the Himalayan foothills, the line of beaters moving through the patches and the wild flush of the Ringneck Pheasant, the Black and the Red Jungle fowl ..... occasionally followed by the wild boar or barking deer

 

[SandRoad]

Your statement is reminiscent of a past that I had forgotten, almost ....... square miles of tea gardens nestled in the Himalayan foothills, the line of beaters moving through the patches and the wild flush of the Ringneck Pheasant, the Black and the Red Jungle fowl ..... occasionally followed by the wild boar or barking deer

Well that is actually pretty close to what we do, and in Ontario even. No tea gardens but high and low growth upland, and some huge patches of raspberries...

When our families go hunting there are a couple dozen of us, (a dozen kids included) with around 6 guns hunting. The "drives" are great, and even the youngest get involved, they are often our "beaters". We occasionally put up a few deer, but further away.

Since we usually do this for Thanksgiving, afterwards we have our "feast" with the entire family. The setting for this is a log cabin hunting lodge, overlooking Lake Ontario (all private). Needless to say, the kids, and everyone else, look forward to this the entire year.

Does anyone else do hunts like this?