Some of those people would be happy if the driver just handed them each two birds.

truer words...

Anyone been out this year?

Usually I avoid Hopewell as there is to many people, but Lloyd and myself are chomping at the bit to get out. Might go for a couple hours after work. Good for a walk anyways. Been skunked there most years

yea this is not sporting IMO . Should give them a few days at least . Not really hunting here

I feel bad for the people who are having bad experiences. I have been lucky and not run into too many people at the sites i have been to. But I also hunt alot of wild birds. Wild birds are 6 hours from me and the release sites that are within a few hours are great for me and my dog in the meantime.

Sure the road hunters get on my nerves, yes I do not like it when i do not see lots of birds, and yes the truck follower culture gets me down.

But I am out there for the dog. He loves to hunt and I am addicted to following him. What he does is a beautiful thing and I never get tired of watching it and building on our hunting partnership.

I like the program and I will live with its Flaws. Thank you ACA.

I have never had a bad day at a release site. Yes, there has been foolishness at times, but don't let the odd bad experience some have had get you down. Winter will be here soon enough. Go and have fun.

Im sticking to my statement of how I like the program. This year I was able to take my son on his first hunts for Pheasant. He has really enjoyed working with the dog and he is a great shot and has been successful in harvesting a few over some great points.

However, on Wednesday we were at South Plain and our experience was soured some by others with really bad taste. Someone cleaned their birds in the parking spot on the east quarter and decided to litter the area with their Skoal tins and Tim Hortons cups. Imagine taking someone on their first hunts and they get to see heads and other pheasant parts strung out all over the ground mixed with other garbage. The person that did it knows who they are and I gotta say you make me sick. Please just stay home if you are going to disrespect others and the landowners by making the parking spot your personal garbage dump.

Then the release truck pulled up and so did the hunters. We could hear the pheasants being released and the impending barrage of shots.

So ridiculous. So disrespectful. So sad that some people call themselves hunters.

I’m with you this post. I very much think the same way as you on this topic. I also sympathize with your thoughts on your 2nd post. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward and look for teachable moments. You had one with your son and he now knows the good and the not so good. We use south plain as a training/warmup area for an annual trip south in October. I will continue to use that site for what it is intended for and hopefully things will improve. One thing I would like to see at these places is a cooperator to facilitate better releases. It would be awesome to have a person meet the truck with a side by side or quad with a trailer to be able to move throughout the areas and release small groups to disperse the birds better. One of my observations is release truck shows up and birds are let go to have the resulting groups of hunters go straight into the area and birds then fly to the perimeter and out of bounds areas. When we go we try to work the edges as best we can because that is where the bulk of birds end up. Then work towards the center if necessary.

Just a simple thought, but with a clause in regs like; " unable to discharge a shotgun within 500 meters of a pheasant release truck" solve the problem?
Birds would then have some time to run and settle before fireworks and a lot safer for driver and hunters.

Hopewell
 

Is anyone concerned at this site with the sheer volume of foxtail in the area and running their dogs Through it?? Or am
I being overly cautious??

Hopewell
 

Is anyone concerned at this site with the sheer volume of foxtail in the area and running their dogs Through it?? Or am
I being overly cautious??

Even 300m, if in sight of the truck, would help a lot. That clause would be required, because in some locations, you could be well within 300m, and not realize the truck is present, due to brush between you and the truck.

We won't hunt Howewell again , just too risky for the dogs IMO
Cat

I’m right there with ya. Never had a bad day yet and I don’t even bring my (non bird flushing) dogs. I love the challenge and the exercise. It’s rare to leave empty handed as well