# Pheasant Hunting W/out Bird Dog?



## FishThis (Sep 2, 2005)

How many of you hunt for Pheasant without a bird dog? I currently do not have a dog but I would like to get out and do some pheasant hunting again. I have some property to hunt, but like I said, no dog. What are my chances of getting a bird or two without a dog.

Thanks.


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

I do it every year and still manage a few birds from CC and SV. Just walk fence rows, creek bottoms, anything that can keep the birds a good distance in front of you without them running away.


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## Llewellin01 (Feb 23, 2008)

Used to hunt with no dogs...harder, but not impossible. Kick everything, work slow, zig-zag, rework fields. Good Luck let us know how it goes...


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

where you do live? im sure someone would love to run their dog(s) for you


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## deerhunter (Apr 9, 2004)

im thinking about going to spencer lake in medina anyone going be out there


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## Llewellin01 (Feb 23, 2008)

deerhunter said:


> im thinking about going to spencer lake in medina anyone going be out there


Be careful....im serious. That place is a death trap.


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

Llewellin01 said:


> Be careful....im serious. That place is a death trap.



lol how often have you hunted there?


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## Llewellin01 (Feb 23, 2008)

Every youth hunt.....opening day once didnt hunt to many people. Everything turns orange opening day there....everyone with a gun and a license form medina to cleveland hunts there. Not me anymore I joined a bird club....


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## BIG J LAV (Feb 6, 2007)

I've hunted with a group of 4 for the last 4 years with no dog. Someone usually gets a shot or 2 but I have never shot. we only go about twioce a year. good to get out with friends.
________
CHEVROLET MONTANA


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

I use to hunt springvalley without a dog, until this year i took my 7month old beagle out. My buddy has a fat lab and we destroyed em today. His dog jumped 3 birds, mine jumped 9 birds and 5 bunnies. Its much easier to hunt with a dog there because they can get into those thick hedrows and get under everything.

Once everyone in my group maxed out on birds, I put my stuff away and helped a father and his young kit out. We hit a hedrow that didnt get much traffic. My beagle jumed 4 birds and 3 rabbits within a 30min span. The father and kid were gratious about getting the help. I had no problem with staying around to help, because its all about the experience.


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

You can walk birds up if you follow these simple rules. Make a pattern across the field so that you are pushing the birds in one direction. Best to push the birds to a spot that they do not want to cross,ie open road way, open group of trees ect. Now some older birds will cross these but most will lock down. Another way if to pick smaller fields that you can zig-zag across while pushing the birds in one direction. Keep in mind to stop every now and then and to walk in a nice steady pace. If we get a fresh snow it makes walking them up easy. You just look for a set of big tracks and follow them until you flush the bird. 

One other method is to make a tightening circle in a field. This works well in fields that do not have a good place to push the birds to. Just start zig-zagging a 15 yard swath around the edge of the field constantly moving inwards to the center of the field. If you have more than one person in your group the one on the outside needs to stay just ahead of the one in the center. Kind of like a spoke on a wheel. This way the birds move inward .


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

hunted CC yesterday and only seen one runner. took off into a field and was never seen again.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Usually, larger groups(family members on opening day, or at Thanksgiving is a good ex.) can do pretty well if they space themselves about 5 yds. apart and s-l-o-w-l-y walk out a long section of a field(as typical of most state lands). (Of course, doesn't have to be family members-just a group of friends!) One guy, well positioned at the end of a field(called blocking) with other hunters coming his way, can get some shooting at running or flying birds coming his way. Just be very noticeable, and watch where they are shooting! 
I can't imagine hunting pheasants without a dog-I've had one or two Brittanys to hunt with me for the past 40 years(at present I have THREE) and we usually get about 12-20 per year(stocked birds at public areas). Some guys near us last Sat. had two beagles and they chased up both bunnies and birds. They got a few of each-we got three birds and missed one(son and I) at Berlin.


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## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

It is definitely possible to get birds with no dog. I've got a 13 year old Springer spaniel that can't go up steps anymore let alone hunt so I've just been out with one other guy and no dog chasing birds on public land. We've found it to be impossible with just the two of us to push a large field or unpicked corn field since the birds just run along well out of range and 2 guys isn't enough to flush them and block the end, but if you walk fence rows or thicker grass fields they will tend to stay put until you get closer. Without a dog you almost have to step on them in the real thick stuff to make them fly. Just be prepared to walk for miles and anything that gives decent cover is where you should walk but we've jumped a fair share of them and some rabbits as a bonus, certainly not as many as we could with a dog but it works. Or have a large group work a field together like detailed above. Dogs definitely make it easier though, and a big thank you to the guy who had gotten his 2 birds and proceeded to work his 2 dogs with us for awhile at Dillon last week.


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