pheasants

Photo Gallery: Deputy Editor Anthony Licata Goes Hunting with Hawks

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 05:00:00 -0400

Dog Training Tips from Master Outdoorsman Jerome B. Robinson

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:20:00 -0400

110 Greatest Tips

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:30:00 -0400

SELF-RELIANCE; TIPS 69-79

098
MAKE YOUR OWN COVER SCENT
Boil a few handfuls of leaves, bark, and coniferous needles gathered from your hunting area in a gallon of water. Let the mixture boil until the water volume is reduced by half. Wet your hunting clothes with the resulting concentrated tea, then let them dry before going hunting. J.B.R., March 2000

099
SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE
For the keenest and longest lasting edge, you need an extremely smooth stone such as an Arkansas oilstone. This is a natural rock of fine, uniform texture which for many years has had a reputation for putting the best edge on a blade. Put a few drops of light oil on it and sharpen with uniform strokes, the edge of the blade facing forward, maintaining the same angle. Don't press hard. Your purpose isn't to remove a lot of metal, but to smooth the edge. Half a dozen strokes each way may be enough. T.T., February 1970

100
MAKE AN EMERGENCY BACKPACK
All you need is a T-shirt and a rifle sling. Remove the sling from the rifle, tie the arms of the shirt to the ends of the sling, and tie off the bottom. The shirt neck can be either tied closed or left open. T.T., september 1974

101
FORECAST THE WEATHER
Smoke rising from a chimney on a calm day provides one of the most reliable of all weather signs. When the smoke rises upward you can bet on fair weather; when it drifts close to the ground that's a sure sign that rain or snow is on the way. H.G.T., July 1973

102
STUFF A STOCKING
Next time you head to hunting camp, drop a bar of soap into the toe of an old full-length nylon stocking. In camp, hang the top of the stocking close to the washbasin. The soap can't get lost or fall to the ground and get dirty, and it suds right through the nylon mesh. H.G.T., September 1964

103
FIX YOUR AXE
If you store your axe at deer camp hanging above the ground, the shaft may dry and shrink, loosening the axe head. To make sure the head is tight, stand the axe in a pail of water to swell for a couple of hours before using it. J.B.R., May 2000

104
STAKE THE DOG DISH
If your dog keeps tipping over his water, use a large angel-food cake pan, which has a hole in the center. Just place the pan over a wooden stake driven securely into the ground. The stake anchors the pan firmly so that even the most excitable dog can't knock it over. H.G.T., June 1974

105
BUILD A BETTER MOUSETRAP
Make a hunting camp trap out of a 10-quart kettle. Hang a bit of bread or cheese from the bail of the kettle, which will lure a mouse out on a sliver of wood extending from one rim and fastened to a wire crosspiece with an ordinary staple. It's balanced with a large nail so that the outer end rests on the rim of the kettle. When the mouse passes center, it'll plunge into 6 inches of water below. The weight of the nail quickly swings the board back down into position for another victim. It should be placed beside a low box, or have a board extending from the ground to the outer end of the pivoting sliver, so as to give the mice every possible opportunity to drown themselves. T.T., May 1942

106
KEEP WARM ON STAND
Metal tree stands sap body heat. Carry two squares of indoor-outdoor carpet, one for under your backside, the second to insulate the soles of your boots from the footrest. K.M., November 2003

107
SCRUB POTS WITH PINE
When you're stuck with the chore of cleaning up after a meal cooked over an outdoor fire, look for help under a pine tree. A dry pinecone makes a surprisingly effective scraper for scouring off food that sticks to the inside of cooking ware. H.G.T., September 1976

108
DON'T FORGET THE GARBAGE
Tuck a couple of plastic trash bags in your pocket when you hunt. Sit on one to keep your tail dry while watching a traail or fashion a poncho to shed rain-and if you must cross a stream, pull them on like hip boots and wade across without getting your feet wet. H.G.T., November 1973

109
MAKE THE PERFECT DOG HOUSE
You can make a comfortable and inexpensive house for your dog out of a 55-gallon plastic barrel laid on its side. Using a saber saw, cut out a rectangular doorway, and then use pop rivets to hang a heavy-duty piece of canvas over the opening. To keep the bugs out, elevate the barrel by placing it on a wooden scaffold. B.T., June 1989

110
IMPROVE YOUR CAMP
You can keep the floor of your tent much cleaner if you make a natural doormat. Gather some fresh boughs of pine, spruce, or hemlock and place them in front of the entrance. By wiping your feet on them before you enter, you will leave mud and woods duff outside. H.G.T., April 1972

110 Greatest Tips

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:05:00 -0400

BIRDS; TIPS 69-79

069
BREAK OUT OF A SLUMP.
The best way to start hitting again is to swing through the birds from tail to head. If you shoot as the gun passes the bird's head, the gun actually fires well in front of it due to the fast swing plus ignition delays from human reaction time and the gun's lock time. B.B., December 1998

070
PUSH PHEASANTS.
The trick to driving cornfields is to position the shooters at one end of the rows without making a sound. They should be all set before the birds in the field know there is a man within miles. Then, and only then, should the beaters start through. And as they go, they should talk-talk to one another, talk to the dogs, talk to themselves. It doesn't matter what they say, just as long as they talk. The human voice is anathema to a pheasant. T.T., October 1961

071
MAKE A WIGEON WHISTLE.
Take two bottlecaps and drill a 3/16-inch hole through their centers so they line up perfectly when the caps are placed lip-to-lip. With the holes perfectly aligned, epoxy the two caps together and you have made a wigeon whistle. It'll work like magic. N.S., November 1989

072
GIVE BIRDS THE FINGER.
Sporting clay pros often point the index finger of the forward hand at targets to get a more precise readout of their speed and angle. Hunters can do that on real birds and gain new trust in the body's incredible, instinctive ability to obtain instant alignment with a moving object. B.B., December 1998

073
SAVE A FEATHER (OR 20).
Can't remember how many gamebirds of each species that you shoot each year? Save a tail feather from each bird as a tally. At season's end, arrange a "bouquet" of them in a small vase half filled with sand, for a souvenir of the hunting season. T.T., November 1972

074
SCRATCH LIKE A TURKEY.
A wild turkey scratches once with its left foot, then twice with its right when searching for food beneath leaves and forest litter. These contented feeding sounds are reassuring to approaching turkeys, particularly in autumn when turkeys are motivated by feeding routines rather than breeding. To imitate the sound, brush dry leaves with your hand or a twig in a 1-pause-2-3 rhythm. Combine the sound with contented purrs and clucks from your turkey call. You'll fool even the most suspicious gobbler. J.B.R., September 2001

075
DON'T SHOOT.
Bird dogs become more reliable on point if gunners avoid shooting at birds that flush wild. Saving your shots for birds that the dog has pointed teaches the dog that shooting is a reward for a job well done. J.B.R., April 1995

076
SHOOT INTO THE WIND.
If a duck or goose is traveling into a strong wind (even with wings cupped and seeming to be almost motionless), swing through and give him more forward allowance than seems necessary. This will help compensate for the wind drift of the shot pattern. If the bird is going downwind, lead him as you normally would. He will seem to be going faster, and you'll instinctively give him more lead. Shot drift will be in the same direction as the bird. B.B., June 1974

077
SHARE A DRINK WITH YOUR DOG.
If you're right-handed, pull the dog's lower left lip from his gums at the side of his mouth, make a trough of the lip, and pour water into the trough. Gauge the flow. Pour no more than he can lap. Never try to pour water down his throat, or straight into his mouth. He'll just gag. Bill Tarrant, September 1980

078
GO WHEN IT'S COLD.
For waterfowlers, bitter is better. Cold weather forces ducks to feed more often and for longer periods of time to maintain energy. Bad weather also seals off many freshwater and saltwater feeding grounds with a mantle of ice. The birds are limited to a few special spots that remain open by virtue of warm springs, tides, or river currents, and theconcentrate there, often in unbelievable numbers. N.S., October 1978

079
AMBUSH A GOBBLER.
Wild turkeys usually prefer to walk to destinations rather than fly. Consequently, they are most likely to cross streams on fallen logs or other natural bridges when they can. Make note of these natural bridges, and set up near them whenever you are hunting turkeys in those vicinities. J.B.R., August 2000 [NEXT "BIRDS, CONTINUED; TIPS 80-86"]

BIRDS, CONTINUED; TIPS 80-86

080
USE A SEAGUL.
Your decoys may pull in more sea ducks if you add a gull decoy to them. Gulls often light among live du.cks but never really among decoys, and ducks seem to know this. If you can't find a seagull decoy, one or two Canada goose decoys sometimes help to convince wary ducks. H.G.T., November 1983

081
GIVE DECOYS LIFE.
To rig a dipping decoy, cast a cement anchor in a tin can with an eyebolt in the middle. Screw a smaller eyebolt under the tip of the bill of a decoy. Tie fishing line to the decoy's bill, then run the line through the anchor and to your blind. When you tug on the line, the decoy will dip exactly like a feeding puddle duck, creating ripples and reflections that can be seen from miles away. N.S., July 1986

082
FINISH THE RETRIEVE.
Never pull a bird from the dog's mouth, always push it. That's right. Take the bird in hand, then gently press it forward. This will naturally open the dog's jaws and release his hold on the bird. If he still holds, push with more pressure while at the same time turning the bird in the pup's mouth. This will release the carcass from his teeth, plus gag him. He'll literally cough up the bird. B.T., September 1980

083
HUNT ALL THE WAY.
Always hunt a piece of pheasant cover-swamp, swale, or weedfield-to its very end, even though it seems barren of birds. Ringnecks would rather run than fly, and often stay in cover till the last possible moment, then flush at the extreme edge. H.G.T., October 1973

084
STEP UP IN SIZE.
Use small shot during the early part of the bird season, then switch to larger shot as the cover thins and birds start flushing farther from the gun. In the case of pheasants, for example, start with 71/2s, then change to 6s. H.G.T., October 1973

085
KEEP YOUR PUP COMPANY.
The new puppy's first night in a strange home is a fearsome experience, and he usually lets the world know it by wailing inconsolably from dusk till dawn. Both you and the pup can get a night's sleep if you put a wind-up alarm clock beside his bed or in his kennel. The sound of its loud ticking will reassure him and supply the companionship he longs for. H.G.T., February 1952

086
PUT ON A SHOW.
When dove hunting, always carry one extra box of shells hidden on your person. It doesn't matter if you have to tape them to your body like a drug smuggler or bury them in the field a day or so in advance-you must have more shells available than your audience thinks you have. G.H., August 1984 [NEXT "BIG GAME; TIPS 87-97"]

BIG GAME; TIPS 87-97

087
SNEAK UP ON PRONGHORNS.
If you're stalking on open terrain, "Frenchwalk." This is an interesting exercise in calisthenics that finds you sinking lower and lower to the ground with each step. It creates the illusion of a profile that's proceeding toward the horizon, and darned if it doesn't calm the suspicions of antelope and other wildlife. N.S., July 1983

088
WATCH THE WIND.
Always tie or tape a piece of light thread near the end of your barrel. The "telltale," as sailors call it, shows how the wind blows, helping you still-hunt or make distant shots. H.G.T., December 1964

089
ESTIMATE RANGE.
The best way to learn how to judge distance is to guess the range to objects like telephone poles and then pace it off. You can practice it any time you take a walk. Whenever you kill an animal, step off the distance afterward. T.T., October 1969

090
HUNT THE EDGES.
Mule deer prefer the edges-the edges of big timber, the edge where brush joins grass or meadow, and all the other places where two kinds of vegetation meet. Food is more abundant here and occurs in a greater variety. Unbroken timber and big brush usually provide no food, yet are good escape cover, and food is plentiful in the lower growth adjoining them. T.T., October 1967

091
TRACK AN ELK.
Don't try to watch the tracks right at your feet. They're easier to see at some distance-possibly 4 or 5 yards. Alternate your glances at the footprints with careful looks ahead. After all, the purpose of following a trail is usually to get a shot at the animal that made it. If you lose the trail, remember that any game will normally pick the easiest, most logical route unless wounded or frightened. Go ahead a few yards in the direction you'd take yourself, and you'll probably pick up the trail again. T.T., October 1958

092
GET OUT OF THE WIND.
On a windy day you'll always find wildlife on the lee side of natural windbreaks, or holed up in quiet crannies in the timber. N.S., March 1991

093
SCOPE THE ANIMAL.
The easiest way to locate game in a scope, particularly in heavy timber or brush, is to keep both eyes open and bring the gun up into position so that the shooting eye is seeing the game through the scope and the other eye is keeping it in view for insurance. With practice, it will become second nature. B.B., December 1972

094
FIND ELK.
You would be far better off to spend all day inspecting 1 square mile of tumbledown terrain where the going is difficult than to cover 10 square miles of easily hiked, easily glassed openings. Along this line of thought, natural barriers to easy access make for a top spot to prospect. N.S., October 1979

095
USE YOUR HAT.
One of the handiest shooting rests for hunting out West is the cowboy hat. The crease in it holds the gun nicely, and the hat has enough "give" to prevent the gun from throwing its bullets upward away from the rest. B.B., December 1972

096
LOOK SOUTH.
Southern exposures that absorb maximum fall and winter sunlight continue to produce food long after shaded plants have become dormant. Once elk are stressed by a few snowstorms, you can always find them on a south-facing slope. N.S., March 1991

097
ACT LIKE A SPIKE.
One of the most common mistakes hunters make is trying to sound like a big bull. Throwing in half a dozen ringing grunts and a lot of chuckling at the end of the bugle might impress your hunting partner, but a herd bull's usual response is to round up his harem and nose tace it off. You can practice it any time you take a walk. Whenever you kill an animal, step off the distance afterward. T.T., October 1969

092
GET OUT OF THE WIND.
On a windy day you'll always find wildlife on the lee side of natural windbreaks, or holed up in quiet crannies in the timber. N.S., March 1991

Pheasant Finesse

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 05:05:00 -0400

On opening day last fall, my friend Dave confidently raised his gun to shoot the first rooster of the year. At precisely that moment, a hen flushed between his boots and tried to fly up his pants leg, its wing tips battering against his brier chaps. Dave jumped several feet and emptied his gun. The rooster flew on unscathed.

That's the most spectacular miss I've ever seen on a rooster but far from the only one. At 3 pounds, with short, stubby wings, pheasants make a fat target with a white aiming ring draped around their necks. They live in wide open country. Most of the shots they present are going away or quartering, which requires little forward allowance. Yet every year, thousands of hunters stand stupefied in fields, empty shells at their feet and a healthy ringneck a dot on the horizon, asking themselves, How could I ever have missed that one?

How, indeed? Here's how not to, starting with your first boot step:

STAY ON HIGH ALERT Pheasants escape by catching hunters unaware. One minute you're trudging along, eyes on the ground; the next, there's a big, loud copper-colored bird in your face and you're scrambling to get the gun on him. That's why you have to believe a bird can flush at your feet with every step you take. Keep your eyes up and expect a bird to pop into your field of view. Imagine pheasants scooting unseen ahead of you, because they are. Be especially alert as you approach any place where they might sit tight or fly, such as the end of a grass strip or food plot, a field corner, or someplace where the cover turns from heavy to light.

FOCUS ON THE RING Even when you're paying attention, a flushing pheasant startles you. After 25 years of chasing them, I still hear a frantic little voice in my head saying, There it is! Rooster! Don't screw up! Aaauugh!

How you convert that panic into action during the next split second determines whether you will hit or miss. Jerk the gun up and start pulling the trigger in self-defense, and you'll miss. As often as not, you hear a bird flush before you see it. Get your eyes on the target: not the pheasant, but the white ring around his neck. You need to edit out all the color and noise of the beating wings and the long, snapping tail, and draw your focus down ("like pulling the drawstring on a duffel bag," as one target shooter puts it) until your eyes are on the ring or the head. As your gaze settles, take a short step toward the bird with your left foot (if you're right-handed). Bring the gun to a ready position, parallel to the ground, butt lightly under your arm, muzzles pointed in the direction of the bird. Do not start swinging the gun at it until you see it clearly.

BE SMOOTH Forget about speed. Smoothness will put this bird in the bag. Trace its flight with the muzzle as you bring the gun to your face. English shooters describe the swing-through method as "butt, belly, beak, bang."

EYES ON THE BIRD, NOT THE BEAD A pheasant beating its way across a huge field of grass invites measured aiming. Drawing a bead is a phrase that should be purged from the language of shotgunning. When your eye goes from the bird to the barrel to check your lead, the gun stops, and you miss so far behind that you won't even ruffle those 2-foot-long tail feathers. Rather, keep your eyes on the pheasant and shoot the instant the butt hits your shoulder.

DON'T LOOK UP You still have one last chance to miss. If you lift your head the better to see the pheasant fall, you'll watch him fly away instead. But if you keep your cheek on the stock, he'll be on the ground. Go get him.

Pheasant Finesse

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 05:05:00 -0400

How, indeed? Here's how not to, starting with your first boot step: