[Bob Dillon]

I had a great day yesterday with three buddies for the opening day of pheasant season in California. Early in the AM we took one of our hunting party's Skylane up to Rio Vista airport and drove over to the Hastings Island Game Preserve.

http://www.hihp.com/index.html

We went afield at the opening of the season at 7:30 and navigated through some marshy areas without any action. About 8:30 we began to walk through some tall grass as the dog ran around. As we approached a more open area I clicked the safety off on my Citori, as in my experience the birds will run through the tall grass and flush as cover lessens.

Sure enough, quite soon I heard that intoxicating sound of fluttering wings and a loud cackle as our Lab flushed a cock bird about 15 yards ahead on my side of the hunting line. Two of us fired at the same time and brought him to bag. Two more came up in about the next 20 minutes and were again bagged.

We had about a 30-minute dry spell and then formed a line with me walking the levee road, one guy between me and a canal which ran alongside the levee and the other two hunters across the canal in a field. The brush was sparse and I saw a pair of cock birds running ahead ducking in and out of cover. I told the hunter who owned the dog and he sent her running ahead, and both flushed. One came up over the road I was walking and again I fired along with another hunter, bagging him. The other went towards the two guys in the field. They shot and winged him, and he went into a glide right away and landed about 100 yards ahead. By the time the pup swam across the canal and went after him, he'd vanished. We spent about 20 minutes looking for him but finally figured he was probably halfway to Kansas by then. We headed back towards the car and as we got to the edge of the field, the dog flushed a hen which was brought to bag by the other side of the line.

By now it was 10:30 and we jumped in the car and returned to the (quite nice) clubhouse, turned in our birds to be dressed and cleaned, and had breakfast in the restaurant that is part of the club. We then picked up our birds (guess what's for dinner tonight!) drove back to the plane, and got back to Gilroy about 1:00. I had a nice nap and will head out to the garage in a few minutes to clean my shotgun. While I love my citori, I can tell you that at the end of a 3-hour hunt, that damned thing is heavy. I may be taking my 870 20-gauge next time.

I was not exactly enthused about hunting a "game preserve" at first, as I thought they were using pen-raised birds, but all the club did when it opened was release stock. There are no pen-raised birds, which can make for a pretty lame hunt. We didn't see any chukars, which they have as well.

It was also weird for an Ohio boy to be bird hunting in 80-degree weather, but I was layered, so I didn't sweat all that much.

A great day with buddies, and duck season opens here 10/22. Doesn't get much better than that. Pics will follow, I hope, waiting for an email.

P.S. Saw a breed of dog yesterday that was new to me, a Spanish Pointer. Allegedly a cross between a pointer and a spaniel. She was a sweet little thing. I might consider one when it's new dog time.

For Mongo: Brian, one of the guys was armed with an old Browning A-5 Sweet 16 he inherited from his grandpa. Schweet! And he still finds ammo for it.

[nashcar]

I can relate to your feelings Bob. I grew up with bird dogs and have hunted as soon as I could walk. My English Setter is laying here next to my feet as I type. I'm still looking forward to hunting birds in Montana again with my grandkids. Here in New York the only birds left are grouse and woodcock. Pheasants with a pointer will always be my favorite when it comes to hunting.

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by nashcar

I can relate to your feelings Bob. I grew up with bird dogs and have hunted as soon as I could walk. My English Setter is laying here next to my feet as I type. I'm still looking forward to hunting birds in Montana again with my grandkids. Here in New York the only birds left are grouse and woodcock. Pheasants with a pointer will always be my favorite when it comes to hunting.

I used to love grouse hunting when I lived in Ohio. Went east along the Ohio to West Union. There was some superb grouse cover there.

I had an English Setter, Penny, who met with an unfortunate death on one hunt. Never could teach that dog to sit when the bird flushed. The cover was so thick I had a bell on her and I knew when the bell stopped she was on point. We moved up on the bird, it flushed, and Penny came leaping up right after it and my buddy got her in the chest. She was dead right there and I used my K-bar to dig a hole and bury her right where she died.

Worst day hunting ever. Boy, did I have some 'splaining to do to my wife and little boy when I got home.

[mike nixon]

I also grew up hunting. The Blizzard of 78 killed off most of the birds here and we quit to let them regenerate. We still don't see enough of them to start hunting them again and the state intro'd Coyotes in the late 80's and that knocked the hell outta them and other small game.

I MISS bird hunting. Have a buddy who heads west to do it and one of these years I'm gonna tag along.

Mike

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

I also grew up hunting. The Blizzard of 78 killed off most of the birds here and we quit to let them regenerate. We still don't see enough of them to start hunting them again and the state intro'd Coyotes in the late 80's and that knocked the hell outta them and other small game.

I MISS bird hunting. Have a buddy who heads west to do it and one of these years I'm gonna tag along.

Mike

Boy, I remember that winter. We walked across the Ohio river to Kentucky and back.

The state introduced coyotes? WTF was the DFG thinking?

[ctgross]

The state introduced coyotes? WTF was the DFG thinking? [/QUOTE]

WTF! I love to hunt the pheasants...been to a friends private club in Neb. several times, but my strokes over the last two years has just about stopped swinging my gun. I have a sweet 20 Ga. Ithaca O/U I bought from a friend about ten years ago that's my all-time favorite.

Put'em "under glass" Bob

[klunker]

I'm head out for my annual Partridge(Grouse)/Woodcock hunting trip in 2 weeks with 3 other buddies.
Partridge hunting is my favorite type of hunting. In fact its all I do anymore. Lots of fishing now. I have never used a "good" dog. I have gone with guys with dogs, but never a good one, never with one that found or kicked up any more birds than I did by myself. Its on my Bucket list of things to do.
We do a lot of hiking, have to be quick getting a gun up and getting shots off as cover is very thick usually. Woodcock are usually pretty easy to hit, not so with a partridge. I hunted once with my dads side by side, never again, 2 shots are not enough. Alot of shots end up pruning trees.

[spartazoo]

Bird hunting is by far my favorite. Hunting game over a good dog is something everyone should see. It is special.

Coyotes don't help pheasants don't get me wrong... but one of the biggest hits on pheasant populations in areas like Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio where it is more populated, is domesticated cats. Domesticated cats take a huge toll on game birds with hawks and raccoon's right there with them.

Around me here in Michigan, the farmers have taken out all the fence rows to create huge fields so they can irrigate them with center pivots. My county is the most irrigated county in the US, and grows most if not all of the seed corn for Pioneer and Dekalb. Farmers have also taken out all the ditches and plant crops within a few feet of the roads edge.

Combine cats, hawks, and raccoon's with demolished habitat and you might see a pheasant once every 5 years around here. Sad considering any person over 60 that bird hunted in Michigan as a kid, talks of birds being everywhere in the 50's and 60's.

[PonchoV8]

Originally Posted by Bob Dillon

I used to love grouse hunting when I lived in Ohio. Went east along the Ohio to West Union. There was some superb grouse cover there.

I had an English Setter, Penny, who met with an unfortunate death on one hunt. Never could teach that dog to sit when the bird flushed. The cover was so thick I had a bell on her and I knew when the bell stopped she was on point. We moved up on the bird, it flushed, and Penny came leaping up right after it and my buddy got her in the chest. She was dead right there and I used my K-bar to dig a hole and bury her right where she died.

Worst day hunting ever. Boy, did I have some 'splaining to do to my wife and little boy when I got home.

Your friend isn't named Rutledge is he?

[PonchoV8]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

The Blizzard of 78 killed off most of the birds here and we quit to let them regenerate.

I believe that's the year the Tennessee River froze over. I remember riding alongside the river in our van and dad saying I should remember that because it probably won't happen again for a long time.

[Engine-Ear]

Sounds like a pretty interesting pass-time...being a city kid from a city family I didn't have hunters to go with so I never took up the sport/lifestyle. That said, hunting and fishing is heavily woven into the fabric of living in Wisconsin and I might get into it someday.

[nashcar]

Sorry for your loss Bob. Sounds like your partner wasn't schooled on hunting with a dog.

Ctgross, I live near Ithaca and had friends and relatives that worked at Ithaca Gun. I have three doubles, 12, 16, and 20 single trigger NID. I gave the 410 to one of my grandsons.

Spartazoo, you are 100% correct on your statements about the decline of the bird population. People should read the study done here about the damage to wildlife by housecats, most cat lovers don't believe it.