Pheasant Hunting

alt Bird dogs greatly increase pheasant hunting success, but more importantly provide hunters with companionship and instill in them a recognition to conserve the areas where hunting memories are made.

For many Pheasants Forever members and pheasant hunters, bird dogs are the link between hunting and conservation. In fact, many hunters find that spending quality time with their bird dogs, training them, watching them work in the field and witnessing their growth and success is much more rewarding than even their own performance.

Because bird dogs are important to upland hunters and conservationists, Pheasants Forever and Native Dog Food - the official dog food of Pheasants Forever – bring you the Bird Dog Bonanza, devoted entirely to bird dogs! The Bird Dog Bonanza presented by Native Dog Food is the place to build and share your passion for dogs, bird hunting and conservation.

UPLAND BIRD DOG BREEDS

Pheasants Forever Bird Dog Breeds

When researching a breed for compatibility, there needs to be an understanding of what makes a breed strong as well as the variation within each breed as traits were selected to improve lines within a breeding program. It should be noted that there can be nearly as much variation within a breed as there is between breeds. Doing your research on both the breed and the specific breeder line will allow you to better meet your needs based on how each dog will behave in both social and hunting situations.

Breed: Boykin Spaniel
Type: Flusher

Hunting Style

The Boykin Spaniel will generally quarter at a moderate pace in front of the hunter to track birds by scent and sight. They are known for their hesitation while tracking before flushing aggressively. They are versatile hunters with very keen noses and a strong, natural desire to retrieve. Boykins are fantastic swimmers.

General Appearance

The Boykin Spaniel is a medium sizes breed with a coat that is generally dense and wavy in solid liver or brown. Their coat is somewhat shorter than other Spaniels and may be smooth in some cases. Tails are generally docked to 1/3 of full length.

Pheasant History, Ecology & Biology

Pheasant chicks in the spring

The pheasant, like many Americans, is an immigrant to North America. The first successful introduction of pheasants to this country occurred in 1881 when Judge Owen Nickerson Denny (US consul to China) shipped 30 Chinese ringnecks (26 survived the journey) to his home in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Eleven years later Oregon opened a 75-day season and hunters bagged 50,000 pheasants. They were subsequently released in 40 of the 50 states. The pheasant thrives in a farmland landscape with ample (20%+) undisturbed grassland habitat. Pheasant populations increased and reached all time highs in the mid-1900s before suffering severe population declines.

A Brief History

In a land rich in symbolism and imagery, the Chinese pheasant represented light, virtue, prosperity and good fortune. Good fortune indeed came upon one hunter in Burma who noticed a precious stone in the gizzard of his recent kill. The discovery inspired him to search for the origin of this stone, and after visiting the rooster's old stomping ground, sure enough, he found an emerald mine!

The pheasant was also associated with a 2000 B.C. emperor named Yu who was famed for developing a complex system of flood control. Similarly, references made to our endeared bird always place it next to important rivers (like its namesake, the Phasis). Perhaps a coincidence that the pheasant was associated with water, more likely it merely provided good habitat.

Thousands of years later in Europe, the pheasant was prized for its exotic beauty and tasty meat. The right-to-hunt pheasants was reserved for the upper class. Numerous attempts to bring pheasants to the "land of the free" failed. Ben Franklin's son-in-law, Richard Bach, released some pheasants in New Jersey. George Washington had some sent to his Mount Vernon estate during his first year of presidency, and the Governors of New Hampshire and New York also attempted to introduce the "old English blackneck" pheasant. Most of these pheasants were raised on game farms and were not hardy enough to survive. Therefore, these introductions proved unsuccessful.

Hunter Safety & Ethics

Always remember, the most successful hunt is a safe and ethical hunt.

Hunter Safety

Pheasant hunting is a fun activity, but a very serious level of responsibility comes with taking to the field. Pheasant hunting, like most forms of hunting, is not inherently dangerous. But it can become dangerous - or worse - when firearm safety guidelines are compromised. That's why it's important for all hunters to go through a Firearm Safety and/or Hunter's Education course, no matter how old you are or if your state requires it. While pheasants are a great gamebird, our want to harvest a bird should never put into question firearm safety. Remember, there's no amount of apologizing that can make things right after a gun accident.

For even seasoned hunters, it's important to refresh the basics of gun safety before each hunting season:

Treat every gun as if it were loaded

Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction

Know your target and beyond

Pheasants Forever also reminds pheasant hunters to always wear hunter orange and be especially cautious when using blockers at the end of fields.

Hunter Ethics

Equally as important as following firearm safety is being an ethical hunter. Though it differs for each and every one of us, all hunters that take to the field have a personal code of ethics. Sometimes hunters are faced with situations that may be well within the hunting regulations but may push the boundaries of ethical hunting. Remember, the actions of one hunter can affect how non-hunters perceive all hunters. Follow Pheasants Forever's Code, and consult Jim Posewitz' timeless Beyond Fair Chase, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a safe and ethical hunter and part of a time-honored tradition.

Where Can I Hunt?

Nearly every state across the pheasant range offers opportunities for good to excellent pheasant hunting on public land.

Great places to hunt pheasants, quail and other wild game exist all across the country, and with a little effort, both in research and exploration, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Every state has lands open to public hunting, and when combined with federal lands (such as Waterfowl Production Areas), public opportunities abound.

Over 60 percent of land in the United States is privately owned. If you own or have hunting access to private land, you know there are prime hunting opportunities to be had. Not in either of those categories? Don't let that deter you from trying to gain access on private land. Yes, some landowners will deny your request, but with persistence and a positive attitude, you'll ultimately find that many landowners are willing to let you hunt. Don't be surprised to make a few new friends in the process!

Seasoned pheasant hunters find that having a mix of public and private hunting opportunities marked on the map is the best recipe for success. Here are some good-to-know pointers to help you plan your next day afield.

Know your signage

Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs)

Federally owned and open to public hunting unless marked to the contrary.

Steel shot only.

Lands were purchased by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service through Federal Duck Stamp funds, conservation groups, Build a Wildlife Area campaign, etc.

State-owned Public Hunting Areas

Different names for these in different states: Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), Game Production Areas (GPAs), etc. Check your state's regulations to find out if there are state-owned public hunting areas.

Lands purchased by state natural resource agencies, groups like Pheasants Forever, Build a Wildlife Area campaigns, etc.

Walk-in Areas

These are privately owned acres that state natural resource agencies have paid the landowner to open up to public hunting.

Walk-in programs do not exist in every state and are called different names in each state. Check your state's regulations to find out if there are public hunting opportunities on private lands in your state.

Grafton, N.D. – July 12, 2010 – Dedicated pheasant hunters with high interest in conservation have formed the newest Pheasants Forever chapter in North Dakota. Known as the North Valley Pheasants Forever Chapter, the Walsh County group has rallied around introducing youth to outdoor activities.

"My family and I have been passionate about pheasant hunting and conservation for many years," explained Jared Pokrzywinski, a Grafton, North Dakota, resident and the chapter's first president. "With the current decline of outdoor interest from the next generation, I feel it's important to promote activities to spark an interest in the outdoors from today's youth." North Valley Pheasants Forever joins the national Pheasants Forever organization's No Child Left Indoors® initiative, a nationwide movement to get kids unplugged from electronics and turned on to the outdoors. The chapter will do this through activities such as mentored youth pheasant hunts and youth outdoor field days.

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