# Best Tactics for Going Dogless?



## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Any special tactics you guys use that don't have dogs? Walking faster, walking slower, being loud, being quit, certain cover to focus on?

I won't drive the roads but any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

concentrate on small areas and edges, walk slow in a zig-zag pattern and stop every 10 yards or so for a little while. Tight sitting birds will get nervous when you just stand there and will more than likely flush. Walk into the wind so the noise you make doesn't travel that far and alert birds.

good luck.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Good advice from Turner here. In my few dogless years, I found that slow and quiet was the way to go. It also seemed that when I would hunt the small, out of the way covers, I would see and sometimes harvest more mature birds. It seems they tend to stay clear of the flocks of youngsters of the year.
Good hunting,
Burl


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

You can hunt pheasants without a dog? :wink:

The best tip anyone can give to someone without a dog is make sure they are dead BEFORE they hit the ground and mark where they hit the ground.

If you can get between there roost and where they feed, hide in some cover and wait for them to come to you. This does take some scouting to find out where they are flying in at but it is very effective. It's kind of like pass shooting geese. You may laugh at this but it works real well.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

What everybody else said...Edges, make them feel trapt...Stop for awhile, go slow, but DON'T MAKE LOUD NOICES. Smart roosters will be long gone! Hush hunting is always the best way to go! My two cents!


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Jiffy said:


> If you can get between there roost and where they feed, hide in some cover and wait for them to come to you. This does take some scouting to find out where they are flying in at but it is very effective. It's kind of like pass shooting geese. You may laugh at this but it works real well.


Last year I found a spot they were flying from the feed to their roosting area. I thought man if I could get in the middle of them it would be an easy pass shoot. Never ended up doing it but may have to try it this year.

Thank you guys for all the help and suggestions!


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## bigboy56073 (Oct 3, 2006)

If I am hunting by myself I like to walk fencerows, ditches, and RR tracks.


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## tumblebuck (Feb 17, 2004)

You can always call a brother from Mandan to go with


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Thanks for the PM brother! I will surely take you up. Who knows maybe we can do a combo goose/rooster hunt or something. Once again very very very much appreciated!!


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

Jiffy said:


> You can hunt pheasants without a dog? :wink:


Can't be done.

Small sloughs in the corners of fields, bring tp for when you step on them.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

All excellent tips. Particularly stopping and working slowly. An interesting thing I used to do before I had dogs and hunted alone. When walking narrow areas leave a portable radio on at one end and go around to the other end and walk toward the radio. Kinda like having a blocker.


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## Gildog (Jan 30, 2007)

guy I hunted with would use a hawk call of some kind when we were quail and pheasant hunting in Kansas, he did this as we got close to the end of the cover--said it would make them freeze in cover for just a little while until we got within range of the end...then we would work that last 30 yards extremely slowly to unnerve them. we did this both with and without dogs...

don't know for sure that this held any more birds than without the hawk shriek...but there were ALWAYS birds in the end of the cover...the excitement was well worth the price of admission (long walk to get there)


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## dakrat (Nov 4, 2007)

the guy that lives behind you wants to be your hunting buddy too. :wink:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Which one of your dogs we going to take?


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## dakrat (Nov 4, 2007)

Leo Porcello said:


> Which one of your dogs we going to take?


lol they are more insterested in barking at stray cats.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I have been working on the cats. 8) As far as those barking dogs...


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## Ac_EsS (Jul 3, 2007)

small areas and lots of walking!


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