Pen raised bird hunting?

[MCgunner]

I came across a site for a local club that shoots pen raised birds that are released. I'm just wondering if anyone has done this and your general impression of it? Seems expensive. The annual membership isn't too bad, though, and has dove and duck hunting. I love both. Would be cool to have 'em close to home. I'd hunt both without a guide. But, just wondering if anyone has anything to say, positive or negative, about hunting pen raised pheasant, quail, flushing type game? I've heard the animal rights freaks go nuts over this, but they're clueless. I'm seeking the opinion of hunters.

http://www.topflighthunting.com/

 

[MCgunner]

Just notice the video. I wouldn't be interested in that. I'd be into hunting released birds with dogs if I did the upland thing at all.

 

[GarySTL]

My BIL as well as some friends have done it. They don't always get all the birds that were released. I'm told the birds are set out about 30 to 45 minutes before the shooters enter the field.

I have participated in a Continental pheasant shoot. Big circle of shooters about 200 yards across. Birds released from the center and everyone rotates one station CCW after every three birds.

 

[gspn]

I have had two experiences with pen raised birds.

Experience #1 - South Dakota Pheasant hunt. I was assured prior to going that we would be shooting wild birds. I had no interest in shooting anything that wasn't wild.

I had never hunted pheasant before but I brought some guys with me who had grown up hunting them. Mid-way through the first day one of my Iowas buddies jokingly said to me "I'm not saying these are pen raised birds…but I've never had to throw a corn cob at a pheasant to get it to fly off."

We were clearly hunting a mix of wild and pen raised birds on that hunt…and I didn't go back with that guide again.

Experience #2 - A guy I worked for joined a local club that raises birds for hunting. The idea is that you can use this place to train your dogs, stay sharp on your shotgun skills, and take some meat home.

I went out there one day to make sure everything was good to go before his hunt. The guy who ran the place said he was about to take the birds out and asked if I wanted to go along.

We jumped in a cart with the birds in cages in the back and he'd plant them under some brush every so often. I recall the level of surprise I had when he grabbed a hungarian partridge from its cage, held it with both hands, and spun it like crazy.

I asked "what in the world are you doing that for?"

He replied "I'm gettin em drunk!"

"Why" I asked.

"So they can't walk, they'll still be here later when your guy gets here." He shook all the birds in this manner.

That was an eye opener. Later on when my boss got there I walked with him and his dog as they "hunted". All of the birds flushed late, dang near when you were on top of them.

This particular bird…the hun that he had spun so violently…refused to leave cover. The dog was right on top of it, they kicked the cover, nothing. Ultimately he had to lift up the cover the bird was hiding under and kick it in the hind end to get it to leave.


So those are my two experiences. I don't have anything against people pen raising birds to be hunted, but I have zero interest in doing it. Nothing about it appeals to me.

 

[Sniper66]

I've shot pen raised birds maybe 8-10 times. Some have been very good and others, not so much. Most of the time it is with a guide and good pointing dogs, which has been fun. Most of the time the birds flush much like wild birds But, I too have had duds that would not fly. Another aspect of it for me; I have foot and ankle problems that make long walks for wild birds painful and not fun. One good feature is that you always go home with a cooler full of birds. All that said though, I have lost interest in it and haven't done it for several years.

 

[oneounceload]

Depends on how it is done. If it is the type where they ask how many birds you want to shoot and they set out exactly that amount 30 minutes prior, I would pass. If they incubate and flight pen raise their birds and keep their fields stocked from before the season through it so the birds get a chance to get "wild", that is something different

 

[shiftyer1]

Last time I hunted pen raised birds I got in trouble for shooting up the chicken coop!

 

[DeepSouth]

I work with a few people who hunt Quail, and if you go Quail hunting in AL then your hunting raised birds. I've never been, but the guys I know seem to love it but do say it's more about the dogs than the hunt, I'm not really sure what they mean by that but it's what they all seem to say.

 

[gspn]

say it's more about the dogs than the hunt, I'm not really sure what they mean by that but it's what they all seem to say.

I think what they're getting at is that it's really cool to see the dogs work…especially if they are dogs that you've raised and trained.

I agree that it is really, really neat to see those dogs working the birds. The way they solve the problem…hone in on birds…point them out. When one dog "honors" another dogs point, then the discipline involved when they tell one dog to flush them out and the others hold their ground…it's impressive.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
If you have never hunted anything with good dogs you wouldn't understand it.

A well trained bird dog, or several, working in unison, and honoring each other when one comes on point is a thing to behold.
And something to remember the rest of your life.

I could hunt all day, never fire a shot at a bird, and enjoy it immensely.
Just watching the dogs work.

Toot a whistle once they run right, toot twice they run left.
They get confused?

They slide to a screeching stop, and look back at you to see what you want then to do next!
You point your arm one way or another, and they go that way to hunt that area of a field.

It's truly a wonderment how man's best friend relies so much on a man to make a hunt successful, every time you let them out of the truck!

They are always way more excited about running 25 miles through brush & corn stubble fields thats cuts them bloody all day then you are walking the 5 miles all day following them.

But again, until you have seen it, and done it a thousand times, it is probably hard to understand exactly.

rc

 

[MCgunner]

Well, the only flushing game bird I've ever hunted were scaled quail out in west Texas and those will run a dog to death. I've never hunted over pointers. My dogs have been retrievers since I hunted ducks a lot. They work for doves, too.

Thanks for the comments. If I joined this club, would be for ducks and doves I reckon. I'd try the pen raised birds, though, and if they made me use a guide for duck hunting, I think I'd just pass. I'm better on a duck call than most guides I've seen, have my own dog, and know how to set deeks. Don't need no stinkin' guide for ducks.

 

[Patocazador]

Good for training dogs and a kid's first "hunt". Not good for anything else. Just my opinion.

 

[cat_IT_guy]

I "hunted" farm raised pheasants about an hour from my home (near Canton IL). I had a lot of fun doing it, watching the dogs is really neat, even if they are the guide's dogs. It is not cheap - I seem to recall being out the better part of $300 by the time I paid for a dozen pheasants, a guide, and a tip for the guide.

I've never hunted wild pheasants, so I cant say how different the farm birds are from wild.

I put quotes around hunting in this context, not because I have a problem with it, but because its not exactly hunting wild animals. I think of it as more of a fun, less common means of buying chickens (really expensive ones) at the grocery store. Unlike the chickens from the store, at least these birds have a chance that I will miss.

 

[buck460XVR]

In the stae of Wisconsin, there are very few opportunities to hunt pheasants that have not been "pen raised", either by private shooting preserves or the state DNR. This means you hunt public land where the state releases birds at various times of the year or you patronize local shooting preserves/game farms. Or you pay big bucks to hunt outta state where the other state's DNR more'n likely planted birds.

Public land is a zoo opening day and on weekends early in the season. During the week and later on in the season, pressure is much less, but so are the amount of birds. On local game farms/shooting preserves you pick the amount of pressure, the amount of birds and the time of year(generally their season runs for several months longer than the open season). On many of the game farms/shooting preserves around here, the cover is thick and the birds are wary of humans. Many times the experience is similar to many of the hunts I've taken to South and North Dakota. The hunting is just as hard, and the dogs need to work just as hard. Birds will run, flush, hold just like many wild birds. The act of "putting the bird to sleep" or "spinning" if done correctly, does not inhibit the flush when pointed or flushed by a dog, it just keeps a newly plab=ntyed bird from flushing immediately and leaving the country when first put out. By "spinning them", by the time the come out of it, they have calmed down from the experience of being caught, put in the release box, trucked/ATVed to the field and then handled again. They then stay in the general area until pressured by the hunters. Yes, some handlers will really make them dizzy so they hold tight and do not flush for new/young dogs and hunters. Some will even break a middle toe so the birds don't run, but only fly. For me, I can pay $1000 for a 4 day hunt in South Dakota(gas, food lodging, license and access fees) and come home with 12 birds if I limit out. I can also drive for 10 minutes and hunt/shoot 50 birds for $1000 at the same place I shoot sporting clays. Once in the field, the cover and the hunt itself rivals the SD hunt. My dog doesn't know the difference, neither does the SxS.

 

[Captcurt]

I miss wild quail.

You have to hunt pen raised birds when it is the only game in town. I grew up in the Ozarks and cut my teeth shooting quail. In the late 60's a saturday hunt would usually end at noon with 4 or 5 coveys found and 2 limits to clean. I even got to hunt in Mexico a couple of times. Now if I want quail I have to go to a preserve and hunt pen raised birds. I spend many, many days in the field hunting deer and will not see 3 coveys of wild birds in a season.

Some operations just raise the birds in small cages and the birds don't fly well. I've seen birds that you nearly had to throw into the air up to make them fly. There are a few places though that build large fly pens and they do exercise the birds. They still don't fly like wild birds but at least they can fly. The pheasants, on the other hand will give you a challenge.

 

[wgp]

I did it once in Kansas. By the rules here the guys using pen raised, planted pheasants have a longer season so we hunted the day before regular opening day. Also, you could shoot hens as well as roosters. Yes, the dogs worked the birds very well, that was good, but usually when the dogs went on point we had to literally kick the birds to get them to fly. I don't think there were any native pheasants there, since we did not see even one bird flush wild. Even with enjoying the dogs, it just was not a real hunting experience for me. Rather not do it again.

 

[d2wing]

Years ago I belonged to a club and went there to train dogs or get them ready for season. Not as fun as wild birds at all. The dog doesn't care. You pay for the birds released. My club also let members hunt for excess birds. They were released and not shot and the club wanted them cleaned out on off days. That was more fun. I haven't done it for years but since my dog died and I am a little lame I may try it again. It beats watching TV.
I agree there is nothing like having a good dog and wild birds. I was lucky enough to a great Springer. After she died I got a Red Setter. That dog was a thing of beauty as well as a great hunter. And his retrieves were epic. Nothing like being in a secluded grassland on a sunny crisp evening and seeing an Irish Setter on point. I miss those days and that dog so much I am in tears.

 

[MtnCreek]

I've hunted a lot of raised quail and they are not all equal. Native quail population around here is not plentiful, so hunting released birds is fun to me.

Someone mentioned the pheasant thrown from a tower. IMO, don't waist your money. I'd rather shoot clay birds 10:1.

I've shot released ducks. That's about one step ahead of the pheasants from a tower...

I've hunted with a couple of dogs that were trained to hunt released birds and they were ruined from ever hunting wild birds. They would point right at the birds. No wild quail would have stood for that.

Look around to see if you can get some flight / weather conditioned birds to let loose on your place. A friend does this and now has a pretty good population of releases birds (or the descendants of) on his place.

 

[MCgunner]

I'm not sure what happened to quail in Texas. When I bought my place in Calhoun County in 88, there were quail all over the place. The hogs moved in there, sort of overrun the area, might be the problem. I don't think it's fire ants as they're not that plentiful down on that place. There's still a few birds, but not like there used to be. But, I never hunted 'em, takes a dog in that cover and all I've ever had is retrievers.

 

[MtnCreek]

Something I've noticed about quail around here: On active farms there are little to no quail. Fence lines are kept clean and grasses are non-native (quail can't run through think grass like Bermuda). On grown up farms and power lines, there are a lot more quail. They are grown up with a mixture of native grasses and some small pines.

 

[Toml]

Yep. Small pines until you can't see over them. Nothing like walking the broom sedge and watching the dog work. I remember when the broom sedge was higher than me. And there were lots more quail about.

 

[mquail]

I came across a site for a local club that shoots pen raised birds that are released. I'm just wondering if anyone has done this and your general impression of it? Seems expensive. The annual membership isn't too bad, though, and has dove and duck hunting. I love both. Would be cool to have 'em close to home. I'd hunt both without a guide. But, just wondering if anyone has anything to say, positive or negative, about hunting pen raised pheasant, quail, flushing type game? I've heard the animal rights freaks go nuts over this, but they're clueless. I'm seeking the opinion of hunters.

I lived in SD for 25 years and never, on purpose, hunted pen raised birds. BUT!!! For the guy who wants to shoot a few birds at either a preserve or a hunt club I see no reason not to. I was raised in Northern Virginia and before I left did once go to a hunt club to hunt bobwhites. That experience was awful from a hunting standpoint because I watched several dogs simply inhale a few birds that either couldn't or wouldn't fly. That experience I would never want to do again. Anyway these clubs serve a purpose for those who want to shoot birds without driving to another state or standing elbow to elbow with all the other hunters in the county, etc. If done right lots of these birds will fly real well and offer some sport. I've accidentally killed a few released birds and really didn't know the difference until I saw the holes in their noses from the blinders. On the other hand released birds only serve one purpose, to feed us or predators. Very few survive with the percentages being much lower than wild produced birds.

Concerning the animal rights freaks. They are going to complain no matter what you do or say if it doesn't fit the way they view the world.

 

[longknife12]

I've shot pen raised Pheasant....once. Expensive and the taste was like something out of a dog food bowl! I'll stick to free range.JMO
Dan

 

[jrdolall]

I hunted wild quail in AL, GA and northern FL up until around 1985 but it got harder and harder to find wild populations. I currently have 3-5 coveys on my property and we will hunt them once or twice this season. Bust the covey and shoot 5 birds or so and then leave them alone. I have a couple of spots, an acre or so, that we develop year round just for the quail.

We buy pen raised birds probably 5 times every year and release them on my neighbors property. The birds come from central Alabama and are raised in flight pens which are about 40 feet long and they go in daily to make the birds fly. This can certainly be an enjoyable weekend as we will buy 100-150 birds, release them on Friday afternoon and then hunt them Saturday and Sunday. We virtually never get more than 75% of the birds we release so maybe that is a part of why I have "wild" birds. I don't own any bird dogs (don't have the patience nor the desire to try and keep the escape artists in a pen) but we have a friend with 4 and it is absolutely amazing to watch those birds point and back. One is a Lab and points.
I have been on a few penned pheasant hunts and didn't enjoy them much. This was at Callaway Gardens in GA. I am not saying it can't be fun but the ones I went on were like shooting very slow frisbees.

We pay $3 per bird but I have seen them as high as $4. $300 for a solid weekend of hunting with 4-5 guys isn't too bad.

 

[HB]

I was given a pheasant hunt as a Christmas gift when I was about 12. Nobody else in my family hunted but my dad came with. It was fun I guess but I would never do it again. Probably cost 150 bucks which would be better put to gas money and a real hunting trip. Watching the dogs work was awesome but I killed 6 birds in 6 shots and left before 10 am.