I was out today early - slow start but got one bird after an hour. Three hours in, it sounded like a war breaking out - obviously the truck was in. I went the other way but like Elkhunter, I came through when the shooting slowed. My dog put up a bird in 20 minutes & we headed home. We hunted for about 4 hours - only put up 2 birds. Driving out, some dude has his shotgun lined up down the road from the window of his Chev Equinox - I thought he was going to shoot at us but there was a pheasant in the ditch. I'd think buying chicken would be cheaper than driving the roads for hours.

If the truck is present , or I hear the circus going on, I always head for the far reaches and just run my dog until the shooting dies down. It's a lot more comfortable not being close to the shooting, and we aren't limited out in five minutes. Today took a lot longer, because the people shooting kept missing/ wounding, instead of limiting out quick. I heard more shots today than I have ever heard in one hunt, and most were multiple shot volleys. I was talking to a friend and watched one group about 500 yards off , fire at four birds, and not get a bird .
We did find two dead but still warm birds, that someone shot and didn’t recover. I called Gandeblaster, and he came out and shot his first pheasant, over his new dog, which was nice to see. It was a good start to the season, before sharptails tomorrow.

Heading out in the morning first crack at it this season lets hope there is some left for the dog to find.

It was a great day to be out this morning , no release, or the craziness that occurs right after a release, and no crowd. I had a father and son with me on their first pheasant hunt, we found ten roosters, and they got to shoot their first roosters.

Took out a couple friends and my two kids on Monday. No dogs. We all limited out as the stinking truck rolled in right when we arrived. Bittersweet i suppose. We let the birds scatter and hunted the edges. Kept the kids interested at least but I love the challenge of more “wary” birds (if there is such a thing at a release site). It was fun. We celebrated the life of my friends teenage son who hunted with us there last fall, but tragically died this winter. Never have I not had fun at a release site though. I encourage everyone to try it. Wear some blaze orange and know your backstop at all times!

Hopewell this morning was fun

https://pasteboard.co/7jlLnIn2cGpZ.jpg

https://pasteboard.co/7jlLnIn2cGpZ.jpg

Nice
The blue on that bird is unreal.
Thanks for sharing

Was out last night with my buddy’s 12 yr old shorthair. She ran really nicely for a dog that age. We hunted hard, had one lovely point on a bird that ended up in my fridge. Sometimes you time it within a day of the release when you are lucky, and sometimes the birds just ain’t there. We had the site all to ourselves too. Getting out. Seeing dogs. Enjoying a walk with no one around. Very nice. If it was just about the meat, I can buy a pheasant cheaper than the gas we spent.

Slowest day by far today, no release in a few days. We found and killed two, and only heard six other shots in two and a half hours. 15-20 people hunting, and most people never fired a shot.

If anyone in the Edmonton area is kind enough to get a few tail feathers or a carcass I'd take it for fly tying purposes.

BW

Pheasant Hunting
 

A few guys out today. Everyone shooting lots and saw 3 guys limit out in around an hour. Not sure what i was doing wrong but me and my dog only found 1 bird in 3 hours haha and he flushed it before i could get there. (first season with my pointer)

Obviously were were at different release sites, we had a huge crowd, very few birds, and very few shots. Lol
What many people do wrong, is stay in the open fields , and avoid the heavy cover, where the birds head as soon as hunters appear. Or you just had lousy luck today, it happens. Lol

Took our chesapeake to Daysland at 1:30 today. Put up 2 separate birds and I got both of them. Done by 2:30. What a dog!

I was the only one at Daysland when I arrived at 8 this morning, the crowd started arriving as I left around 9. The release was yesterday afternoon, after we left, so plenty of birds this morning.

I only live a few miles from the release site and I never go opening day or weekends unless I have company that wants to hunt. For 5 days a week it is my exercise. I don't have a dog but going for a daily walk with my shotgun is quite gratifying and usually I'm able to flush at least one bird. I also hunt the wild pheasants in southern Alberta every year as well. The Pheasant release program is a huge bonus for bird hunters in Alberta and the ACA is doing a wonderful job distributing birds from Peace River to South of Lethbridge so that most hunters can get to a release site within a couple of hours from almost anywhere in the province.
For those of you who don't know about the Alberta Conservation Association check them out. Become a member. We all want our kids and grandkids to be able to hunt and fish as we can.
Good luck and happy hunting

Well said!

Become a member? The ACA doesn’t sell memberships. To contribute to their programs, you just have to buy a hunting or fishing licence. A goodly portion of the fee goes to the ACA.

Bird Dog Training & Problem Solving: Training and problem solving for bird dogs. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/069212697X/...JA5HGFR4?psc=1


There is a section in this book that deals with this and virtually any other problem you come in to .

They do, however, accept donations. ACA is a registered charitable organization so donations qualify for income tax credit.

You can always tell when a release truck has been to Hopewell as there is always a certain group of bird hunters all with the same dogs. Definitely do not have inside info on release trucks. I've been there, seen the truck and magically 20 dogs of a particular breed show up. I'm guessing locals know who I am talking about ahahah

No release today at Daysland, and only four volleys out of the 8-10 , people working the release area while we were there. We hunted away from the release area and took four birds in just over 1-1/2 , hours. I had a new pheasant hunter with me, and he quickly learned how important a good dog is.

Have been to Hopewell once very shortly after the truck arrived. Way to many hunters/dogs present for this to have been coincidental. Have often thought there may well be one phone call that triggers a number of chain reaction calls to a “special few”. Have been there many times a couple/three days after a drop and very few hunters and little or no shooting. That a large number of same breed dogs should show up on drop day also does not strike me as coincidental. Let’s hope the powers that be can find a will to check this out. Must be nice to be an elite member of a pheasant hunting group that is paid for, maintained, and stocked all by gov’t tax money.

There seem to always be 20 trucks at Hopewell and weekends are worse
 

My old pheasant dog got a nice surprize this morning when walking around the yard with me the release truck pulled into the yard. Mahko jumped up on the back of the flatbed to thank Bob for bringing him 90 crated roosters. His joy was short lived however when I kenneled him before a single rooster made if off the truck. Only 4 or 5 trucks at Hopewell this morning and these guys were actually well away from the road hunting with their dogs not waiting for the friggin truck.

Good to hear considering I hear so many horror stories about Hopewell. I used to see people sitting around waiting for the truck at Buffalo Lake before they started the random releases, but things have been very smooth at Daysland and Buffalo Lake, over the past few years. ACA has been doing a good job with the releases, but yes, it sometimes it appears that certain people have inside information as to the release schedule, but it is sometimes as simple as one person living by the site seeing the truck driving by, and calling their friends.

Not release site related, but anyone get any new upland gear? cool stuff like that?

Just so the birds know we are serious, gave Lloyd a collar upgrade this year hahahaha.

I am sure the cell phones were calling out
 

Sure those 5 trucks called their friends so the circus would be this afternoon. I have known and sold birds to Bob for over 30 years so when he ended up managing for McFarlanes CAnada it was no surprize.
Early morning releases at 5 30 AM he has even said there are trucks waiting at many release sites when he pulls it. We help with basic care on the birds since we have lots of pheasant experience but when he asked if I want to do deliveries I want no part of it.

The release sites are a great addition to bird hunting opportunities,especially for new hunters.

However wild birds are still out there in more than a few places.Its a shame that many hunters don't get out after them more often. Very wily and sneaky as opposed to the released birds.

Many of these areas also hold Grey Partridge,very sporting when they flush.

The wind made it fun this morning, but we had some exercise, and brought home our birds. Not a huge crowd , and plenty of birds to go around

WWbird, I had one of my springers that always knew where to find pheasants. He would run around their pen scaring them. When I would come after him with stick, he always stayed ahead of me. When he spotted my wife he would run like hell to her. He always knew when I was mad as hell to swat his butt.

Just a heads up, be aware that some hen pheasants have been seen at some of the release sites, including Daysland.