Pheasant on a stick

[Gcckoka]

Hello everyone , heres a report of my yesterdays hunt.

Roko is 1,7 years now , he had a great season on quail in september but since then the weather was hot and there was no woodcock , no duck , no partridge as I was scared of snakes in heat. I wanted to take him out so I called a private hunting land which is the only place you can hunt pheasant here as its endemic and is protected. After just 10 minutes in the field Roko found his first pheasant , then second then third and boom he was doing a super job , of course I didnt let down as well hitting everything with first shot except one which I took with two shots. Rest you will see in the video

Your thoughts about Rokos work is very welcome

 

[Janne]

I have never shot with a dog, so I can not comment, but he seems to work well!

The only tip I would give you: It is easier and less risk to remove the entrails by gently cutting in both sides of the bird, under the rib cage. I usually only make a hole, then use my fingers.
And it is nice to see that I am not the only person that skins a pheasant!

What make of gun is that?

 

[Broch]

Does he point or flush? He's not like any flushing dog I have experience of

What we call rough shooting (walking the hedges and scrub and shooting game that flies up) is, in my mind, the most rewarding game shooting. It's made especially enjoyable with a well trained and well behaved flushing dog (I've always used spaniels). Conversely, if the dog misbehaves or is just not well enough trained it can be extremely frustrating

Does your dog retrieve as well? My dog (before she went blind) was so soft-mouthed she'd bring me pheasant eggs and put them in my hand (remember, pheasant here is non-indigenous and a nuisance to our native wildlife).

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great video.

 

[Broch]

Ah, all my questions answered for some reason the video wasn't showing the first time I looked at the OP.

 

[Gcckoka]

I have never shot with a dog, so I can not comment, but he seems to work well!

The only tip I would give you: It is easier and less risk to remove the entrails by gently cutting in both sides of the bird, under the rib cage. I usually only make a hole, then use my fingers.
And it is nice to see that I am not the only person that skins a pheasant!

What make of gun is that?

Its a tula 34 , old soviet shotgun but a good one , barrels are made with machines they brought from berlin as well as steel so its very good.

 

[Janne]

Wow. Cool.

Yes, Germany gave a lot of gifts to the Soviets. The design is probably gifted too. It seems to shoot well. With the right shooter of course!

Dad always warned me to buy Soviet stuff. Told me the steel was made from melted down T-34 and stolen - sorry - gifted bathtubs.

Our gun club bought some Tula 9mm ammo.
Works, but very smelly, smokey and lots of powder residue!

 

[Robson Valley]

Even just once, I would like to walk up a pheasant shoot over dogs.
My bird-hunting life is incomplete.
Our Ruffed Grouse is a bird of forest edges, we do much the same.

The only shotguns which I have kept are both Baikal Russians (o/u 12 & s/s 20)..
They go "Bang!" like all the others BUT, they fit me.

 

[Woody girl]

There are several rearing pens near me. In fact dozens!
When they let them out ready for the shoot, I don't need a gun or dog. I just need to sit by the road and wait for the cars to hit them. Then pick them up!
I can easily get three or four a day if I sit in one spot. If I wander up and down a certain stretch I could get many more.
Maybe not so much fun tho, but it does present a certain danger in trying not to get run down by traffic
Seems a shame to waste them when fresh.

 

[Janne]

If they are still alive, how do you end their suffering?
Quick head flick? Stretch @ twist?
I use the latter.
I also used to harvest 'God's gifts' , we too had a couple of rearers close to us in Sussex.

Yep, crazy to waste good food.
Usually one breast was a bit too bloody from the impact, so I did not use that one.

 

[Woody girl]

I'm afraid to say I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to quick despatch.
My friend does it.
We have a system. Car hits bird.
Friend watches for traffic ready to flag it and I go fetch.then he despatches if needed.
Best spot is close to a bend so two people needed for safety.
I don't want to end up like the birds
. ..and having to have my neck wrung!

 

[bobnewboy]

Stretching while bending the neck back works for both pheasant/partridge and rabbit. We’ve had plenty of all three to eat during beating and rabbiting season. The beating season has finished now, but there’s still some rabbiting to do, until they are carrying young - very soon now. When it came to preparing the birds, I couldn’t be bothered with plucking, and just took the breasts and wings off and our neighbour’s fox got the remainder. I kept a few feathers for decorative items, and will try a number of pheasant primaries for arrow fletchings.

 

[Robson Valley]

The best method for best taste is to chill the meat as quickly as possible.
Researched fact.

Lay the grouse on the ground, belly up, head away from you. Stand on the outstretched wings.
Pull slowly and steadily on the legs.
Out comes all the innards, head, neck, spine and all body skin and feathers.
You are left with the bare breast and the feathered wings.

I'd try this with pheasant but I'll bet that they are too tough for this field dressing.

 

[Janne]

I used to keep the breasts in the fridge for a couple of days.
Still dry.
After the fridge aging, I liked them marinated for a day in decent wine ( cheap Spanish usually)

To be frank, pheasant was not my favourite food. But I follow the old rule - kill it and eat it. Do not kill if you will not eat it.
Duck is nice. Deer or moose even better.

 

[baggins]

The best method for best taste is to chill the meat as quickly as possible.
Researched fact.

Lay the grouse on the ground, belly up, head away from you. Stand on the outstretched wings.
Pull slowly and steadily on the legs.
Out comes all the innards, head, neck, spine and all body skin and feathers.
You are left with the bare breast and the feathered wings.

I'd try this with pheasant but I'll bet that they are too tough for this field dressing.

Nope, works a treat with pheasant, a damn sight easier than getting knee deep in feathers. i even do this with partridge, IF the wings are intact from shooting.

 

[Robson Valley]

Thanks, baggins, that's good to know. I wondered if they would be too tough.
The law here says we have to keep at least one wing on every bird for species ID until we get home.
Worst is if the legs pull off and I have to gut the bird by hand.