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Pheasant season opener
- Thread starter whacko
- Start date
45collector
NES Member
I’m finishing up at my duck spot soon and then heading out to pheasantland. 
skiro98
NES Member
The rain definitely did not keep the people in. Called it early today because of that and the rain.
ccm75
NES Member
Took a lap around Westboro around 4:00 today.
No birds and a couple of shots heard.
I did harvest three nice cucumbers and an acorn squash though.
What's the bag limit on vegetables?
And after an almost tick free spring and summer, the little bastards are back with a vengeance.
Scout the yellow lab was covered with them and almost all of them were deer ticks.
Still picking them off. Wife is thrilled.......
No birds and a couple of shots heard.
I did harvest three nice cucumbers and an acorn squash though.
What's the bag limit on vegetables?
And after an almost tick free spring and summer, the little bastards are back with a vengeance.
Scout the yellow lab was covered with them and almost all of them were deer ticks.
Still picking them off. Wife is thrilled.......
Mark from MA
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My son and I each got two. The guy were were with got two.
Lot of guys were complaining the birds were running. Our dogs dont let that happen much. We had two or three that ran
We had two dogs working and these two work together alot. His dog would point. My dog would circle around, cut it off and freeze it, and creep in from the other side and put the squeeze on it making it fly straight up.
Without a dog it would have been a rough day.
Lot of guys were complaining the birds were running. Our dogs dont let that happen much. We had two or three that ran
We had two dogs working and these two work together alot. His dog would point. My dog would circle around, cut it off and freeze it, and creep in from the other side and put the squeeze on it making it fly straight up.
Without a dog it would have been a rough day.
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Southwick
45collector
NES Member
I love hunting with the Ithaca 37. It’s so light.
I just picked up a late 50s model in 16G... need to shoot a few more rounds of trap with it then hopefully get it out for a hunt this year.
ccm75
NES Member
Nice. I have a small collection of Ithaca's. Yours is interesting as it has a deluxe stock but field grade corn cob Forend. Curious as to what you know about that gun.
45collector
NES Member
I bought it used for $150. It was manufactured in ‘58, has some fairly extensive blue loss on the barrel and a few blemishes here and there on the receiver, and was very dirty internally. I tore it down and cleaned the hell out of the guts, replaced a couple small screws and the mag tube spring, and the thing is unstoppable. I didn’t realize the stock combo was mismatched though. Good eye.
Emmit had another good morning. Flushed three birds today...
Unforunantly my shooting still sucks and I only connected with one of them.
He’s pretty exhausted after running hard for 3 hours.
He's doing so well for his second season. We’re only 9 days in and we’ve almost out shot our whole year last year. I couldn’t be happier with him.
Unforunantly my shooting still sucks and I only connected with one of them.
He’s pretty exhausted after running hard for 3 hours.
He's doing so well for his second season. We’re only 9 days in and we’ve almost out shot our whole year last year. I couldn’t be happier with him.
He does stay pretty close. He’s always been like that.
He will range out a little farther if the terrain is open but a quick little call and he comes right back to check in.
Mark from MA
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Out yesterday quick hunt after work on state land. Two roosters in like 20 minutes, both nice points in the middle of the field. So I must have hit a stocking day. Hunt was actually too quick, the dog barely got any work from it. I actually put the birds in the truck, and went out across the way in the woods after some grouse/woodcock just to work the dog more til it was time to leave, we moved one grouse, out ahead of us, dog went on point and the thing flushed wild.
Not sure if I just got the cream of the crop, but man, both birds I took were huge, long tailfeathers,etc. Nicest birds I've seen from the state. Took them home and cut them up and they were full of fat. Must be feeding them well. Not sure if you guys are noticing the same.
I crap on this state for a lot of things, but the pheasant program isn't one of them...they do a nice job with it.
Here she is ready for the sox game and a couple birds from Saturday club hunt
Not sure if I just got the cream of the crop, but man, both birds I took were huge, long tailfeathers,etc. Nicest birds I've seen from the state. Took them home and cut them up and they were full of fat. Must be feeding them well. Not sure if you guys are noticing the same.
I crap on this state for a lot of things, but the pheasant program isn't one of them...they do a nice job with it.
Here she is ready for the sox game and a couple birds from Saturday club hunt
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Nice rooster this Monday. Was hunting with a friend who brought his Swiss Army Knife dog that will point, flush, and retrieve. Cold and dead calm until ~10:30am, so zero activity at first and just about the time we were lulled to sleep walking, a rooster and hen flushed wild. Shortly after that this one gave us a shot. We probably covered ~5 miles and had already circled back to the general area we started before finding the birds. Great time to shoot the bull and relax, and didn't come home empty handed.
O/U is a 20 ga Citori. I'm shooting 3" Fiocchi's which are working as good or better than my low brass 12 ga shells in my Win 1200.
O/U is a 20 ga Citori. I'm shooting 3" Fiocchi's which are working as good or better than my low brass 12 ga shells in my Win 1200.
I know dumb question, but plenty of wild woodcock? I'm assuming they would always be wild but really don't know. I've seen a couple, but never when hunting.
I'm more accustomed to hunting valley quail in CA and bobwhite and doves in the south- always wild and quite different terrain. Hunting stocked pheasant in the mixed clearings and woods is a little different in some ways. I like the shorter, lighter 20 ga O/U with the 3" shells- plenty of lead and knockout power but easy to carry up and down the hills and through the trees and brush.
I'll say this- once they have survived a few days of hunting pressure, the stocked birds are not necessarily easy once the dumb and slow ones have been culled.
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Woodcock are wild game. Not stocked in this part of the country anyway. It's a migratory bird. They flock up and fly at night then find places to stop and feed during the day. Areas with wet soft soil and thick vegetation are the best places to find them.
MP-In-The-Wind
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I finally got a rooster yesterday! If you look close, you'll notice that it was a VERY close shot with the bird flushing about 5 yards away! The good thing was there were NO pellets in the breast and legs!
If you look close, you'll notice that it was a VERY close shot with the bird flushing about 5 yards away! The good thing was there were NO pellets in the breast and legs!
71montess
NES Member
They taste like bloody nose.
ccm75
NES Member
Nice shooting in close quarters...!
As to the woodcock, we've seen good numbers in NH and MA this year...As noted, they migrate in and out and are fun game birds for the dogs to work and offer some challenging shooting.
When they flush, they don't go far so if you cant get a shot or miss, a second flush is often easy to achieve.
But..In my opinion, the small breast meat tastes bad and chewy. You have to marinade the hell out of them and you need 3-4 for a decent serving.
My dog will work them and flush them but he wont touch them once dead.......Timber Doodles.......Stinky little mud drillers.
I shot one in NH after missing 4 grouse but I usually let them go.
As to the woodcock, we've seen good numbers in NH and MA this year...As noted, they migrate in and out and are fun game birds for the dogs to work and offer some challenging shooting.
When they flush, they don't go far so if you cant get a shot or miss, a second flush is often easy to achieve.
But..In my opinion, the small breast meat tastes bad and chewy. You have to marinade the hell out of them and you need 3-4 for a decent serving.
My dog will work them and flush them but he wont touch them once dead.......Timber Doodles.......Stinky little mud drillers.
I shot one in NH after missing 4 grouse but I usually let them go.
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