HUNTING -AN UPLAND SPECIAL

TEXAS PHEASANT
By Jim Foster

(Photograph shows author, Jim Foster, and Houston hunter and longtime friend, John Artz with a pair of mature roosters.)

Standing by the truck I had just snapped the side-by-side shotgun closed when the high grass a hundred yards away seemed to come alive. There were birds flying in all directions – counting was out of the question – there were THAT many birds and, - oh yes, this was Texas.

A few minutes later our small group entered the grass and more birds began flushing to the clear blue sky. Shots fired and a couple of birds fell into the heavy cover.

The Texas pheasant populations have been growing steadily over the last decade. The limits now -3 birds a day – the same as primary pheasant states like South Dakota and Iowa.

The weather for hunt this year was pleasant and I can’t ever remember seeing as many birds. In one brushy draw I know there were at least 200 birds flushed out of an area the size of a football field. Several other areas held at least that many.
The ideal pheasant habitat is a nice mix of tall grasses for cover; weedy areas bordering fields of corn, milo or wheat; the wooly, nasty-looking bottoms of dry playas. This year these were the areas we found the most birds.

Pheasants follow a consistent daily routine: roost, feed, loaf, and roost. Hunt the best habitat in the world at the wrong time of day and you’re wasting your time. Around sunrise, the birds leave their roosts in heavy grass or weeds and fly to grain fields. After filling their crops, they head back to cover to loaf away the middle of the day. Late afternoon, they feed again, and then roost.

On the first day of our hunt the wind was blowing hard. Conditions like this will make pheasant spooky. Some will flush wild well out of shotgun range or hold so tight you’ll nearly have to step on them. Extremely cold, nasty weather will send the birds to the heaviest available cover.

Pheasants call for heavy loads — at least 1 1/8 ounces of number six shot. Some old hands prefer number four shot. Most serious pheasant hunters tote a 12-gauge. However a double 20 gauge in the hands of a good shooter is a fine choice and it’s a lighter weight to carry. Improved cylinder and modified chokes are good all-around choices in a double and modified coke for single barrel shooters. John's Little double 20 did the job launching number 6 shot.

Pheasants frustrate pointing dogs, but close, careful workers can be effective in scattered patches of cover where pheasants tend to hold. Here again, teamwork is critical. Finding downed and crippled birds are where a dog will shine. Even my young Brittany earned his feed by locating hiding birds and by chasing down a runner across a plowed field.

Don’t overlook public land. In the 2005-2006 season, TPW offers pheasant hunting on about 14,257 acres through the Public Hunting Program. There are no better deals to be found than the $48 annual public hunting permit.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com