# Pheasant farm



## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

Have you ever hunted at a pheasant farm? I have and it was a dfferent experience. It was my first time ever hunting for pheasant.


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

Went to a gamefarm for the very first time this year. It will most likely be my last! One of the birds we flushed flew about ten yards, landed in a tree and sat there and stared at us from about 20 ft away. I couldn't even bring myself to shoot it at that point. I suppose they do serve a good purpose in getting your dog tuned up for some real hunting, but thats about it in my opinion. I'd rather shoot some sporting clays on a good course to be honest. :-?


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## oklahomawatrfwlr (Jan 31, 2005)

I heard that at most of them the pheasants are tame and that you're able to shoot 5 birds(including hens). :eyeroll:


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## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

Yeah i did hunt and it just seemed really weird. It will probably be my last time hunting on a game farm like that again. When we went you could buy 5 birds each and would just go and put them out there for you and you walk it with your dogs. I believe we had 11 people in our group and only 4 dogs. Wasnt a great experience at all.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

It depends on the game farm/shooting preserve, Some release most of their birds in the late spring/summer some release birds as you purchase them. Pen raised birds released the day of the hunt are not much of a challenge, a couple of friends that do this for dog tune up and training have told me that it is not much of a challenge. Early released birds are more of a realistic hunt. I think a lot of the SD shooting preserves do this.

Personally I feel finding the habitat that is holding the birds in the wild is one of the most enjoyable parts of upland hunting, mother Nature has a way of making the most experienced hunter/dog combo very humble!

Bob


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

12


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

My only experience with released birds in ND, is with Ringnecks Unlimited in Flasher. It's a great place to tune up the dogs before the season. Lots and lots of flushes. When things feel right, shoot the birds. A great way to learn to control your dog on live birds. While the birds there weren't exactly wild, they were a long way from tame! Burl


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

Over the past 30 years I have at least a half dozen wild roosters (in ND) land in a tree within shooting range when flushed. All but one were in the opening two weeks of the season.

How many wild pheasants, sharptails, and huns are snuck off of roads, road ditches, and field edges - only to not fly and get ground pounded?

I have hunted on 3 preserves in MN. All were run pretty well. I talked with the owner / operator before I went there and knew exactly what I was getting into.

I typically hunt a preserve a few times in the spring if my dog is under 3 years old. Maybe one time in early September to tune up the dog(s). Nothing beats training / hunting on live birds. This is what makes a bird dog a bird dog.

Each time between 6 and 10 birds were released on 80 to 160 acres of good cover. My dogs and I most often see about 30% more birds than I pay for release. It is these scratch birds that are remembered most.

If I am dog training in the spring: One preserve actually let me release my own birds - another let me ride with him when he planted birds. Now before you have a cow - let me tell you this was only done when I was "training" my dog on a check cord.

Yes - some preserves "rock" or sleep the birds. The one preserve I return to most often does this very little of this. Many of the roosters tend to run when pointed the first time.

Sure there are MN preserves that stack 100 (1000?) birds on a small amount of land for clients that want to entertain the shooters. This is not hunting. I would suspect some ND preserves are often restocked right before their big buck clients step out of the truck - if that is what this client wants. In either state - this is shooting - not hunting.

From September 15th until January - wild birds and only wild birds.


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

I hunted one of 'em near Flasher about 12 years ago. Don't remember the name.

The dead rattlesnakes by the barn did not make us feel to comfy. We hunted and never did see or here one (snake that is)  . Roosters were abundant and acted like any other in the wild.


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

Well, I'm glad to hear some good stories about preserves. I'm sure like anything else, there are good ones and bad ones, good experiences and bad experiences. I was probably a little quick to judge after just one experience, but I can say that I have never been disapointed hunting some good old fashion wild birds in ND! :beer:


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

I am thinking about trying one out this year. I just love getting Remmi into the field!


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

We went to one a lot when I was a kid south of Casselton...Maple River Club or something like that? It shut down years ago.

When there's no other hunting going on, it's alright but it's no substitute for the real thing.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

I have a good friend who is a professional dog trainer. He's always after me to come out and help him train, that is, shoot the birds when he calls it (when the dog does well, etc.) Presumably that is similar to at least some shooting preserves. It's not hunting, its shooting, but does serve to tune up your dog. Impossible to train a bird dog without birds, birds, and more birds! But after shooting a few birds the "shine fades" pretty fast, and it becomes a necessary job to kill them, not fun at all, even though the birds fly well. The only challenge is dropping them when and where he wants or deliberately missing the homers, depending on the situation. Sometimes I go out and shoot (execute!) 50 pheasants/chukars/pigeons or more a week, but "Bah, Humbug!" I sure wouldn't do it if he didn't need the help and being retired, I have the time. Watching the young dogs learn is kind of neat, but I'd much rather shoot sporting clays as someone earlier pointed out even though clays don't taste as good as pheasants and chukars!


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