Pheasant hunting is not only a great way for people to get introduced to upland bird hunting, it is also extremely addicting! You do not need a lot of equipment to get started, and all it takes is a basic understanding of how to hunt pheasants in order to get started. Here’s our tips and tricks on Pheasant Hunting 101: Everything You Need to Know!
If you have ever thought about getting started into pheasant hunting, or simply need a refresher to up your own skills, keep on reading. Here are a few key things that you need to know when it comes to pheasant hunting!
Patience is Everything
Many birds will become educated and live long lives thanks to the impatience of some hunters. Most of these hunters will move way too fast through cover, which leads pheasants to simply circle back behind them and into safety.
In order to have the most success, try zigzagging through cover and take plenty of pauses. This will often be just enough to get a nervous pheasant to lose its confidence and flush into the sky where they are vulnerable to your shotgun.
Stay as Quiet as Possible
Just like in deer hunting, you should always try to be as quiet as possible while pheasant hunting. Something as simple as slamming a truck door shut can alert nearby birds of your presence, and make them harder to kill as they hunker down more or head to thicker cover. Speak softly, don’t slam those truck doors, and take a quiet approach in order to kill more birds!
Hunt the Right Areas
You can’t kill birds that aren’t there, so make sure you are hunting good pheasant habitat. Pheasants will also move throughout different types of habitat during the day, which leads them to edges of these places very frequently. Don’t forget to check out the edges of the habitats like fence lines, ditches, and roads as they can and do hold birds! This might seem a little crazy at first, but wait until you hear our next tip.
Try Sleeping In
Sleeping in is usually never a good idea if you want to be a successful hunter, but hear me out first. While it is true that some good pheasant hunting can be found the first thing in the morning, these birds are also going to get hungry much earlier too. Some of the best pheasant hunting can be found during the early and late afternoon as the birds start moving out of heavy cover.
If you find yourself struggling with birds during a morning hunt, try switching things up and hunting the afternoon. Not only could you use this to get some extra sleep, but you might also be surprised at the results!
In the following video, you will see an introduction to upland bird hunting that will blow your mind! Watch for the fundamental tips & tricks of pheasant hunting that will be essential on your hunting adventures:
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, everything you will need to know to get started pheasant hunting. From running zig zag patterns to moving slowly, if you can master just a few of these simple techniques you should have no problem finding and killing your limit of pheasants in no time!
Please don’t forget to check out the Bradley Smoker Blog for more cool hunting and fishing tips and tricks all year round!
