storytime: A day in the field looking for pheasant

I bet you have seen those outdoor shows with a group of guys and a group of dogs walking a corn field hunting pheasant. The corn stalks are about knee to waist high, the dogs run left to right at times disappearing in the brush using all that "dog sense" looking for bird scents.

It looks like fun. But I don't exactly live near the world famous corn fields of South Dakota. So if I want to try this what do I do?

Well you do a little looking around, go to the outdoor shows like the ISE in San Mateo, and you'll see that just a little drive north of the Bay Area are fields you can walk, dogs you can rent, and birds that can fly!

This past Saturday I went up 505 to Quail Point Hunting Preserve and hoped to do some pheasant hunting. I had reserved a field and a dog for the day. When I arrived some other hunters were checking in, and dogs were on the porch of the clubhouse anxiously waiting to hop in a truck and do what they love to do. We paid our fees, read the rules, signed this and that and got a quick lesson on dog control.

There are just a few commands that you need to know to run the dogs. The dogs really know what they are doing, they do this all the time. You just have to worry about not letting them get too far away. If they flush a bird way out you won't have a good shot or any shot. Bye Bye Birdie!

We were lucky to get "Molly" a 4 year old hunting veteran. We were pretty excited to go, and so was Molly. She sat next to me on the short ride to our field. She was quiet and excited, and shaking just a little. She was ready to go. I hoped we could keep up with her.

We had 55 acres to walk. It was far from ideal weather conditions. The wind was howling, the grass was bone dry. Molly was a trooper and worked the field left and right. She would slow down at times and slowly walk up to a grassy patch and freeze. The 3 of us were right behind her ready for the first bird to flush. It did. We were a little rusty...

After the dog spotted the first bird and it flew up it was bang bang bang, we all took at least a shot each, and we all watched the bird fly away. It got into the wind and glided about 100 yards away up and over a hilltop.

Ha ha we sucked!

In the field it sounded just like this
"bird"
at least 3 or 4 shotgun blasts "bang bang bang bang"
silence
3 guys swearing
3 guys laughing

Even the dog looked back at us like "what is with you guys?"

Well we got our skills tuned up on that one, and got a little better during the next 2 hours. Molly got to bring us 7 birds, and we all watched 5 fly away.

It was a great day in the field. In the heated clubhouse we had our birds cleaned and ate lunch from their grill. Chatted up the friendly owners a little, then hit the road to drive back and be home Saturday by 1pm. It was a nice way to spend a morning. Oh and the wild pheasant dinner Sunday wasn't too bad either!

So how do you do this?

You need to take a hunters safety class, get a license and the proper stamps, get your own shotgun, (nobody around here rents guns that I know of), then find a place. Try going to one of the outdoor shows and see what options are around.

You'll love the challenge, working with a skilled dog, and the time away from the nonsense of a busy crowded Bay Area.

Sunday Dinner: Slow Cooker Pheasant

Ingredients

1 pheasant, cleaned, washed and cut into quarters. You may use any small game bird as a substitute for pheasant.
flour, salt & pepper
1/2 cup butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water

Directions: Flour pheasant lightly, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Slice half of the butter and put into the bottom of a slow cooker, layer a thin layer of onions. Arrange pheasant pieces over onion. Cover with remaining onion slices. Dot top with remaining butter. Add water, cover and cook on low or at 250 degrees for 4-5 hours or until tender.

I had some Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce with it. It tasted great.

recipe from Cabela's

Bird Season is open! See my cock!

Ever see those outdoor shows on tv where some guy and his friends are walking a field as a dog or 2 out ahead point birds? Look like fun? Look like a great way to start the day?

Well it is.

Today was opening day at Quail Point Hunt Club near Zamora in Nor Cal. It is about 1 1/2 hours north of the Bay Bridge, a little less with no traffic at 6am on a saturday. :)

I met up with 2 other guys and we rented a dog there. More later, but the bottom line was we saw 12 pheasant, and took home 7. The others are still out in the field somewhere.

We were way outta practice on the first few birds that flushed. After the dog spotted the bird and it flew up it was bang bang bang, we all took at least a shot each, and we all watched the bird fly away.

Ha ha we sucked!

Is sounded just like this
"bird"
at least 3 or 4 shotgun blasts "bang bang bang bang"
silence
3 guys swearing
3 guys laughing

Even the dog looked back at us like "what is with you guys?"

Later in the day the other birds weren't so lucky. :)

Walking a field with friends and a dog at sunrise is as good, no wait, better than you think it is. It is one of those things you do as an adult and wish you had been doing all our life.