Until this last weekend I've never even seen a wild pheasant. Been talking to TPW biologists and game wardens and even a few local farmers. I finally decided I just need to go there to learn. I drove from Wimberley to Canadian Friday night. Man that is a long trip. Coco slept the whole way. It's a good thing cause she needed all her energy.


It was raining in Abilene and rained the whole way from there. In Shamrock the temp hit 31degrees. The side on the road had snow on it but the roads were not icy yet just water.

I didn't get much sleep cause I was so pumped. Headed out early and got in early. There were groups of hunters already there when I arrived. I got set up and was off hunting earlier then ever. It was first light. We usually give the birds time to leave their roost while we have coffee. Public hunting has you rushing:) I forgot my gps. I forgot rain pants for walking in snowy grass. Off I went.
The wind was very light and hitting my right cheek. All the other hunters had already went right into the wind so all I could do was go straight. The ground was snowy which was cool cause I don't see that often. It was gorgeous out.
Coco wasn't really hunting yet cause she wasn't running her zigzags. I think she was confused why we were not hunting into the wind. I reminded her hunt m up find em. That usually fires her up.


We go almost halfway through the whole property and I was about to turn into the wind when I saw coco stack up. It was a weird point. Her head was an inch off the ground and but was up high. She's barely a year old so I was kind of not expecting a pheasant. She was definitely in the birds scent cause she was so solid and not moving. As I approach a loud flurry of wing beats erupted on my right about 30 yards out. I saw the pretty markings and knew it was a rooster. First shot rang...I wasn't even in the gun.. next two I wasn't really. I hit him twice but he kept flying straight ahead. I sadly told coco no bird and settled her back. Right there I changed the choke in my gun to modified. I figured I'd loop to the left into the direction the bird went but as I cleared a rise I saw some hunters were already after him...They were the first ones out and had already circled to me and now we're headed with their backs into the wind..I'm guessing to get onto that bird. I headed right and didn't find anything

It is a rush. I started by just going to Kansas. Now I go twice a year. There is much more public land and less hunters up there.

After a while of that I decided to head back to the area I found the first bird. I circled around and saw some different grass and cover. It looked good so I got the wind right and moved right to it. Coco pointed just outside and I flushed a hen. Then another and another. She was in the thick of the cover. All I could see was her orange dress and it wasn't moving. I quitely said hooold hold. I moved in and a rooster erupted 10 yards in front. I got in the gun and actually waited a bit. The bead was settled as he climbed and started planing out. Boom! Down he went.



At this point I was happy I made the drive. I was sure that the cover I was in was the ticket. I looked and saw another 200 yards of it ahead. Then saw a group of hunters headed at a ninth degree angle to my front. I knew I wanted to hunt this cover and they were not usuing the wind right so I just stood there and watched them pass. Then we advanced coco found the next two hens right away. Then she found another rooster. I dropped him. I was on the edge of the end of the cover and coco was doing tight circles. I was ready to move but she wouldn't quit. I called her but she insisted to circle then points to my left about five feet. I was thinking she smelled the birds in my bag so I was telling her lets go and a rooster got up right next to me. I was on him really fast and balancing the bead on his lower body. Boom.

Greatness.

And the moral of this story is, Trust your dog.

Great story

How did Cocoa hold up?

Wacm, what a great story. Once you go on a real wild fast flying wild pheasant hunt, a shooting preserve tame low motion pheasant hunt will not work again.

To see those big colorful bird hens and roosters burst from the grass flush and glide across the field is a sight to behold.

I wish the TP&WD would try to expand the wild Texas pheasant range east and southward.

We know that you spent the night Friday in Canadian. Without giving us the specific town or area what county did you guys hunt in?

I'm between patients as I write.. just wanted to share...
After that last picture my phone died.. it had a full charge and went out I guess from the cold. You really couldn't see much of a horizon line cause it was so gloomy. I found my way but not before coco found a few more hens and another rooster while I was lost. Here's my tailgate pic.



It's a shame the wet conditions had the birds all nappy but they were still magnificent to me. The suspense and uncertainty of public lands plus having a young dog and competition really put me in overdrive. My little dog pointed 7 hens and 5 roosters. The birds held and I got a limit. I was so hooked after that as I drove back to Canadian for lunch.

I saw lots of pheasant and quail on the way back. Even saw Texas pronghorn off the road.


I ate at the Cattle exchange in Canadian. I didn't hold back and had a chicken fried ribeye.. it was the way to go after that great hunt.


After some sleep I headed to Gene Howe. I didn't have much light,just a few hours but she found a few coveys. There were lots of huge rigs working multiple dogs in there. Honestly it was kind of sad. The first few coveys I got on were only three and four birds. I held off. They were really fun to work though cause man they sure could run. One really awesome covey ran up a hill and flew off the top.. so cool. It was a big covey so we stayed on the and caught up to a female in a Texas jungle.

She was the only quail I shot. I didn't feel the need to shoot much after my morning hunt. I saw lots of spent shell on the ground. I'm guess Gene Howe has been hunted hard. I really wish the limits were smaller so birds wouldn't get shot out.

Coco slept most of the whole way home. I kept an eye on here stitch scars from her Spey a few weeks ago and no issues. I did change vets by the way:) I look forward to hunting my lease For the remainder of season. Those birds are untouched...

Great thread. Thanks for sharing yours and Coco's hunt.

I got busy here but wanted to add... the next morning I met my brother and his dog. We were very optimistic about getting on another wild pheasant. We got there and it was still dark. Even in the dark we noticed lots of tire tracks. I was still optimistic but he wasn't. He has lots of experience with pheasant. We got in there and rotated dogs. We covered the whole property and only had one point which was definitely where one roosted and then his dog trailed it out of the property. We hunted from first light till noon and not even a hen. That whole place got wiped out that.
I guess I'll have to wait till next season.

Noticed you said wish the limits were smaller so they wouldn't be shot out. I like the limits we have but it's the shooting the guts out of a covey has always burned me up! I was raised chasing blues in west texas and it was work. My dad taught me find them then hunt and get a count on covey, and we never took more than 25% of covey if possible. If there weren't many birds then we just didn't do much hunting. I love hunting the ditch chickens in the panhandle, never hunted public(blessing in itself)and learned to look at country for where they may hold up after feed, and will not I repeat WILL NOT stomp stubble with a crowd of people. Beautiful bird that should be hunted not crowded to a gauntlet of gunfire! You had great write up and glad you enjoyed your hunt!