First time in 3 years

[jb]

Going pheasant hunting. My entire hunting career started with these goofy looking chickens. I think my first hunt was in 1959 at the old age of 15,with a borrowed Winchester Model 97 on my Grandparents Farm.
I bird hunted for 5 years before I ever hunted anything else. Hunted those darn birds all over Michigan along with Iowa, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.
Had the honor of doing it with Captain, BigSky, Cliff and Bwana
My favorite times were with my boys.
A client of mine invited me to go to a rather exclusive hunting club, dogs and guide included.
Weather looks perfect, low 50's, sun and the start of the color season.
Taking along a camera, post pic's when we're done.
Here's one of my favorite photo's taken by Bwana, I have this one hanging on the wall of my den.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/North%20Dakota%20Pheasant%20Hunt%2005%20012_zpsgcq ajtwy.jpg
Here a few the last time the boys and I went out, after seeing it, it's been to long.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/IMG_0577_zpswbory6mc.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/IMG_0600_zpsxdjajvy2.jpg

[No-till Boss]

Is the over-n-under a browning ?

[jb]

Three Brownings and an Remington.
The O/U was a 20th Aniv. Gift from my wife, Grade III Citori.

[No-till Boss]

I thought it was III or V , very nice !

[Trav]

I love my Citori White Lightning definitely one of my favorites.

[No-till Boss]

I've had, or shot, just about all over-n-unders, and for hunting, I don't think you can beat a Citori .

[Trav]

I have a old 20 gauge O/U that was made in Brescia, Italy and the only markings on it says Imperial. It's a pretty sweet shooter but I can't find anything else about it. It's my second favorite shotgun.

[Buckrub]

I have a mossberg.

Pheasants still on my bucket list.

[LJ3]

Thank god! I was horrified by the subject of this point thinking it could be about JBs sex life.

Pheasant hunting like that is most definitely on my bucket list!

[jb]

Great hunt, this morning was our first frost, about 28 when we hit the field, clear skies, slight wind, perfect fall morning to be out in the fields.
Hunted with 5 guys, only knew the gentleman that invited me, but the other three were great people, good hunters and just fun to be with.
Guide was one of the owners of the hunting club and took along two of his best Brits. Dogs were great, birds flew well and ended up with 26 of them and about that many more we missed.
Forgot just how much fun bird hunting can be. I'm sure I'll do it again next year.
Hunting over good dogs is such a special treat.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/001_zps0kffdhqd.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/004_zpszviwpalw.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/jbmich/006_zpse6mhazzf.jpg

[Thumper]

I love pheasant hunting and used to go in Ohio every year. I hunted over a Chocolate Lab that was a one of the best dogs I've ever worked with. I have pics around here, but they're so old, they're still on 3-1/2" floppies! :(

[Cards01]

looks like a great time

[BarryBobPosthole]

Nice looking bunch! Of pheasants that is.

And not one picture of a hard working dog.

Harrumph! They need to start a union.

BKb

[LJ3]

You need to invite me as a photographer next year!

[Thumper]

You need to invite me as a photographer next year!

I thought you were retiring. ;)

[LJ3]

Old guys walking in a field? I can handle that pace :)

[Thumper]

Old guys walking in a field? I can handle that pace :)

Remember ... it's all about your family ... will they be walking with you? :D

[BarryBobPosthole]

I just now noticed the hens layong on the ground in front of the meat picture. Or are those grouse?

BKB

[Thumper]

I just now noticed the hens layong on the ground in front of the meat picture. Or are those grouse? BKB

Dang! I didn't even see those! They do look like grouse. I couldn't tell you how many times I had to clean my pants out after flushing a grouse while tip-toeing through the North Woods bear hunting! :hair

[BarryBobPosthole]

They're cool birds. I've only tried them once, when Trav had some smoked grouse. It was like eating a dried liver. Are there any other birds with a white breast like a Quail or chicken?


BKB

[Thumper]

They're cool birds. I've only tried them once, when Trav had some smoked grouse. It was like eating a dried liver. Are there any other birds with a white breast like a Quail or chicken? BKB

I dunno, I've eaten a shitload of quail, dove and pheasant, but have never had grouse, although I know quite a few guys who like to hunt them. They call grouse "Prairie Chicken", but I have no clue how they taste. 'Course there's turkey ... but any turkey I ever killed, I just ate the breast and gave the rest to the buzzards!

[BarryBobPosthole]

We have greater prairie chickens, or used to here where I live. The lessers live out in the panhandle. There's lots of discussion about whether wind farms mess up their habitat or not. There is a big huge pasture in front of the first house I owned here and any time we got snow it was fun to watch those birds in that pasture. Have no idea if that covey is still there.

Never ate one though. I think the ones I've heard of people hunting are maybe Hungarian grouse? Or some european name.

BKB

[No-till Boss]

A pheasant, is nothing but a bird with carp bones . Wild turkey is not white meat either .

[jb]

Ruff Grouse is common up here, today, more than pheasants. The other game bird around here are woodcock. We did shoot on of those this am also.
All the birds shown are pheasants, those on the ground a hens.
Pheasant correctly cooked look and tastes like chicken, (ya I know)
The way they clean the pheasant is to breast them out, no other meat just the two breasts, I have 11 of them in the freezer, wife fixes them in any recipe that calls for chicken.
Last time we were out in Montana with BigSky we hunted Sharptail Grouse, that picture Bwana took is me shooting at them, they look like a hen pheasant, but a little redder meat. Now those are dump birds.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Hombre has an awesome recipe for pheasant and its the only way I've had it that I can recall what it tastes like. The only other time I've had pheasant was years ago and it was breasted out and fried like and with quail breasts.

I've read that woodcock is very tasty. But then people say duck is tasty too and they're lyin SOBs.

bKB

[No-till Boss]

For the record, my family went pheasants hunting for 30 years in Nebraska. Never have I ever ate one even close to chicken.

[Captain]

That sounds/looks like a grand time there Bubba! Congrats.
I wish we could grow them hippy chickens in this part of the world.

[HideHunter]

Preserve birds.. Hens are actually better eating.. I "guided" (worked bird dogs) on a preserve for 9 years. Best preserve birds going are chukars. Fly strong - eat great and about half the cost of pheasants..12 gauge over/unders are "clubs" imho ;) I've owned a half dozen - didn't much like any of them.. I now have three 20 gauges and one 12.. In my later years I began to prefer S/Ss..

I know pheasants. I've killed over 100 wild birds, in one season, three times. The last year I hunted with my Brittany, we shot 435 preserve birds over her, 138 wild pheasants and then went to OK for a week, hunting quail and killed 60 there,, numbers were down due to a storm.. ;)

[Trav]

I have been pretty fortunate to have killed many types of game birds for my money quail, Hungarian Partidge and chuckar are the best tasting. I would say pheasant is next if I ever eat another Sharptail Grouse, Ruffled Grouse or Prarie Chicken it will be to soon.

[Bwana]

I remember that hunt with you and Cappy jb and am tickled that picture turned out if you giving those grouse the whatfor. The pheasant hunt looks like it was a good time but it would be hard to shoot at a hen after all these years of letting them fly. Our season opens next Saturday and I can hardly wait. I've got my fingers crossed hoping the new pup does well.

Glad to see you got out again knowing how much you enjoy bird hunting.