Be Prepared for Pheasant Season -
October will be upon us shortly and with it comes the opening of New Hampshire’s annual pheasant hunting season, from October 1 through December 31. Now is a good time to start getting your gear together and be ready for the long season ahead. I’ve enjoyed pheasant hunting since the early 1950s. Years ago, the Fish and Game Department had their own pheasant farm and used to stock as many as 100,000 pheasant state-wide. Hunters didn’t need to have a dog to enjoy a successful day’s hunt. Today is very different.
Unfortunately, the pheasant farm birds became infested with salmonella, forcing Fish and Game to kill the remaining birds and burn down the farm. That catastrophe led to their having to purchase pheasants from out-of-state sources and, because of costs and very limited means of keeping the birds they purchased, it caused them to drastically reduce the number of birds they could buy and stock out. In addition, unlike the good old days, pheasant survival became very low due the increased numbers of coyotes and fishers in the state.
So, in essence, having and using trained bird dogs is the key to having the greatest success in pheasant hunting today, as compared to hunting without. I’ve never owned a bird dog, but am fortunate to have a couple of friends who have terrific, well trained dogs and I occasionally get to go along with them. Don McGinley, of New Boston, N.H., is one of them. Don’s dog, Meg, is a really well trained and successful bird dog and we have had success together.
Cock pheasant.
Just because you may not have a bird dog doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy hunting pheasant or even being successful in your hunt. While hunting is much harder and the chances for success are slimmer, there are things that you can do to improve your chances. One is, don’t hunt alone. Take a friend or two along with you. By doing so, you can split up and work the covers more efficiently.
This season, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will be stocking 13,500 pheasant in all 10 counties of the state. There are a total of 73 stocking sites in 51 townships involved. That is an average of 120 birds per site, with the majority of the release sites being on private lands. The birds will be distributed over four stockings at all sites this year and will be completed by October 18. In-season stockings by Fish and Game will be done on Thursdays and Fridays in order to maximize weekend hunting. There are a total of 73 stocking sites in 51 townships. However, Fish and Game asks hunters to refrain from training their dogs at release sites during the three days prior to October 1. Dog training flushes pheasants from the release sites, often onto posted property or other areas not suitable for hunting.
Readers may obtain a copy of the 2008 Ring-necked Pheasant Stocking Sites list for 2008 on the internet. The list will give the townships stocked and the name of the roads. The list may be obtained by going to:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_pheasant.htm.
There is a daily limit of two birds and a season limit of 10 birds per hunter. Pheasant hunters are required to purchase a $16 pheasant license, in addition to a regular New Hampshire hunting license. Non-residents are allowed to hunt with a pheasant license and either a non-resident
N.H. hunting license or a non-resident New Hampshire small game license. Pheasants are purchased with revenues derived from the sale of pheasant licenses. Of the $16 fee, $1 is retained by the license agent and $15 is available for the program. This year, the pheasants will be purchased from Full Flight Game Farm in Massachusetts, at a cost of $8.92 per bird.
Of real importance is that pheasant hunters hunt safely and follow these basic safety guidelines:
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Wear Hunter Orange at all times on your head, back and chest.
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Always wear safety glasses. They can help protect from someone’s stray shot.
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Control your firearm muzzle at all times.
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Know where your hunting partners are at all times.
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Be sure of your target and what is beyond.
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Shoot only within your safe zone of fire.
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Always keep your hunting dog under control.
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Dress your dog in a Hunter Orange doggie vest so it is more visible to other hunters, especially when in brushy conditions. The wearing of a bell around it’s neck will also alert other hunters that a dog is working nearby, but it should not solely take the place of wearing Hunter
Orange.
Come October, let’s hope the weather will be good and the pheasants will be cooperative.
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