Hunting Pheasants And Quail American-Style

It’s rough shooting, but not as we know it. Jarrod Spilger provides a fascinating glimpse into the pheasant shooting scene in the wilds of Nebraska

 

- Jarrod Spilger

Pheasant hunting enjoys a loyal following among American upland hunters – as it does in the UK – but the manner in which pheasants are hunted is quite different.

Sure, there are some preserves that occasionally offer driven-style shoots on released, pen-raised birds, but for the most part American style pheasant hunting involves wild birds and what Brits would refer to as ‘rough shooting’.

The closest thing to a driven hunt typically encountered over here is when a party of hunters divides into two groups: walkers and blockers.

Walkers are comparable to beaters in the UK, except they carry guns. They begin at one end of the field, usually a field of harvested corn rows, and walk towards the blockers standing guard at the opposite end ready to intercept any escaping roosters. Of course, the walkers must defer shots to the blockers as they get closer for safety’s sake. Likewise, blockers must be mindful of the walkers’ location at all times. That’s why many American upland hunters wear blaze orange caps and vests rather than tweeds.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the big group hunt. Instead, I prefer to hunt pheasants solo: just me, my dog and the birds. I sometimes tolerate a second hunter (usually my dad) and maybe even a second dog, but I typically prefer it to be just Phantom and me.

Phantom is my Small Munsterlander pointer. Now in her seventh season, she’s finally caught onto the wild rooster game. It took some time, though, and a few trips to the preserve for practice on released birds. Wild roosters can wreak havoc with a young pointing dog, since they often prefer to run rather than hold.