Went and hunted planted pheasants the first time this weekend. The pup needed the work, and the place I hunt wild pheasants won't let me come in till the end of the season (I trade pheasant hunting for coyote control -- what a tough deal!).

Anyway, this was at a F&G WMA, good country, but the pheasants are, well, a little dense. Anyway, good excercise for the pup, and a beautiful day out, and a pheasant in the bag. It's just not the same, though, when you have time to think before the shot:

Hey, pheasant!
Ok, square your feet
follow through
He's pretty close, not too much lead
Pull ahead,
Bang!

he,he,he...... Headshot! Now, if I could just do that on wild birds..... LOL! That's more like "OMYGAWD --- out of range". LOL! Dutch.

I shot planted quail, once. I felt a strange sense of not wanting to be shooting after about the second flush. I pretty much backed off, let my buddies shoot (one was working his dog, that was my original reason for trying it), and just wanted the day to end. It was an odd feeling to not enjoy myself while "hunting".

I've never gone back.

Cold Bore, I know what you mean, it is not hunting.

On the other hand, I have no problem shooting a fancy colored chicken for dinner, and the dog needs the practice, badly. JMO, Dutch.

I was a devout wild rooster hunter in the IF area for a long time. Would walk 50 miles and get a few shots (after all the ditches were taken out and center piviots installed, it was better before that), end of the season and I had a few frozed up for special occasions. Now I pay the grand and hunt at a private reserve. The shooting is better, expectations are always met and exceeded and that farm raised rooster is absolutely fantastic eating. Cost per bird is less than hunting in the wild! BTW for the planted birds the 28 gage is perfect.

Bag

You can get further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone - Al Capone

Cold Bore & Dutch. You're absolutely right, there's a difference between shooting and hunting. I love to flush wild birds with a dog (the English call it "rough shooting") and am perfectly happy to bag 3-5 pheasants during a hard day's work. About twice a year, I respond to an invitation offering planted game and drive hunting. Difficult shooting at high towering pheasants (chickens ?) yes, but real hunting, no way. There, after shooting 30-50 birds/day, my shooting/killing instincts are satisfied till next season and I may resume true hunting.

3 wild pheasants in a day, that would be a record where I hunt! Usually, you trudge through every ditch bank and brushpile, and then the birds jump at 60 yards...... Oh, well, that's why they call it hunting.

I remember, as a kid, being a driver on our farm in Holland for some of the driven shoots. Those were at least wild pheasants, but there'd be more drivers that shooters on those affairs. I'll never forget the little truck that would take us around from one drive to the next, with pheasants hung inside, by the hundreds. If it was a plentiful year, us drivers would get to take a bird or two home.....

I remember that in the 70's the populations started to drop. Round-up and 2-4D sure reduced the pheasant counts, too. Dutch.

I totally agree that planted birds is shooting, not hunting. At best, it's a poor substitute for hunting. However, I don't think its to be totally shunned. Let me play the Devil's advocate here.

1. Off-season, planted birds will keep you in better tune than clay targets.

2. It will put good meat in the freezer.

3. It's a good way to start a new hunter.

4. It will make your dog happy off-season.

5. It offers a chance to get birds you may not otherwise be able to hunt (I have never shot, or hunted, bobwhite, but will soon).

6. You can test new loads prior to the season.

7. When the wild bird count is low, planted birds can take the pressure of wild birds. For instance, I'm in S. Calif where are the 4th year of a serious drought. No quail. We are reluctant shoot what we may find as they are desperately needed for brood stock.

I could go on. Point is, there is a time and reason for everything.

Steve

Cold Bore,
to follow-up your line of thinking....
Except having a sucessful day and being told what is going on before hand makes the difference in staying in the sport.
Example - Introduce your child to fishing.
Do you:
A) get worms and go for Bluegill
B) Artificial lures and go for Bass
C) Fly rod and Dry Flies for Trout


No question Answer A to allow them some sucess to start with.
As for hunting, if going after birds, after several (or more) trips to the clay range then a trip to a reserve to allow multiple attempts at live birds AND a kill or more. Then a "real" wild bird hunt. At this time, they know what the bird will do(from the ranch hunt) and what they will need to do to take it(with luck).

You are correct in that todays kids think everything is instant gratification so it is up to us to enlighten them before the ranch hunt that this is an "experience" hunt and not a "real" hunt.

My 2 cents