# No Dog



## the_hunter (Nov 20, 2007)

Pheasant opener is this weekend, and like usual i will head out without a dog, is there any tips to get more birds without a dog?


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## muskat (Mar 5, 2002)

A few things that I have used in the past that seem to work well:

1. Avoid large sections of cover. Target small areas that you can easily walk yourself. Small tracts of CRP/grasslands, or small thin cattail areas.

2. Walk light cover in the late mornings, afternoons. Avoid heavy cover where birds will hold as you walk by.

3. Walk slow and stop from time to time. Birds sometimes get nervous and will flsuh. Also, dont walk a straight line, zig zag through the cover to hit as much area as possible. Dont rush, running through a CRP field at Mach 7 will likely yield you little success.

4. Get in an area where you think birds are and watch early in the morning and early evening with binoculars to locate moving birds. Then you should be able to target specific birds.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I love walking fence lines. I have a dog, but I know I would "flush" about as many birds walking w/o the dog on a fenceline. It wouldn't be near as fun for me and I would lose wounded birds w/o the dog........but I assume you are a better shot than me! :beer:

Also, if you walk an area that was just walked by another group, I like to work the edges when people leave. Seems to me like people rush through the middle and never really work the edges propertly. I'd zig zag the last 20 feet of the edges and you'll see birds (provided you are in decent phez areas).


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

sent you a pm


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

It sounds bad, but drive around on the back roads in the morning and you will see pheasants on the road and they will quickly run into cover. Park your vehicle and if you have permission walk where they went into cover. Did that many times when I didn't have Hoss "The Wonder Dog" with.


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## wingaddict (Sep 16, 2009)

blhunter3 said:


> It sounds bad, but drive around on the back roads in the morning and you will see pheasants on the road and they will quickly run into cover. Park your vehicle and if you have permission walk where they went into cover. Did that many times when I didn't have Hoss "The Wonder Dog" with.


aka roadhunt


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

wingaddict said:


> blhunter3 said:
> 
> 
> > It sounds bad, but drive around on the back roads in the morning and you will see pheasants on the road and they will quickly run into cover. Park your vehicle and if you have permission walk where they went into cover. Did that many times when I didn't have Hoss "The Wonder Dog" with.
> ...


No, I would call it strategic Hunting! :beer: Nothing wrong with that BL hunter, we've all been there before...As long as your not shooting out your window or jumping out your vehicle to shoot...You are certainly doing nothing illegal or unethicle in my opinion.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

I'm with Rick. A lot of those birds will get away from a guy with no dog...particularly those left after Saturday. Window trapping and jumping out and shooting are true road hunting to me.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

i also agree with Rick, i would classify it as scouting with an immediate follow up. road hunting means "brake and bail". i hunted dogless in 98. that was the last time bird numbers were this low. i still shot a few birds in the cattails. i did best by occasionally "rushing" through tall cover and then doubling back and zig zagging through the same patch. it seems to confuse and flush birds that normally would run. i still use this tactic with a dog too, when birds just want to run out the end and sides of cover. try to work in a somewhat random direction too. pheasants quickly adjust to the standard issue pattern of hunters working from point A to B in a single, general direction. if they have to study your movements, they often will stop running until they figure out which way you are going. keep them confused and you will score. if you have another hunter with you, then hunting fencelines with a blocker works well too.


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## flightbirds (Jun 25, 2004)

I would concur with hunting slow and pausing often, zigzagging etc. Also, back before I had a dog we found that hunting silent (no talking, or whistling etc. ) helped. Pheasants get nervous when they do not know where you are - the silence and frequent pauses will flush more birds.


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