Pheasant and Chukkar

[hedgeapple]

My cousin just invited me to Ohio for a pheasant chakkar hunt on a hunting preserve.  So, I just got this crazy idea that I just might hunt them with a bow.  What would you suggess as points for hunting these larger birds?

[mullet]

 Number six shot.

[JW_Halverson]

#5 shot has 40% more retained energy at 30 yds.

Call ahead to the game farm, some of them don't want hunters with bows or black powder slowing down the "operation" by looking for arrows or measuring powder and shot. 

Come out here to South Dakota and I'll take you out with me, bring flu-flu and scotch whisky.

[sailordad]

Come out here to South Dakota and I'll take you out with me, bring flu-flu and scotch whisky.

does that go for merriams also 

Jw do ya'll have a fall turkey season out there?
ours starts here in mn on oct 2nd

[JW_Halverson]

Yup, we got Merriams out here.  Crappin' all over my yard, reachin' their skinny, warty necks thru the fence to eat my cherry tomaters!

[sailordad]

i would be sitting next to that fence with a club
just waiting for them sneaky ground buzzards 
theyed stick their heads thru and WHACK 
MMMMMM turkey dinner

[hedgeapple]

JW, thanks for the very tempting offer.  I just don't see it happening this year, though.  Scotch Wiskey,  hmm, I'm a Kentucky boy. The finest bourbon is the world is distilled less than 2 hours from my door step.  I don't know that they'd let me out of the state bearing Scotch as gift. 

[gstoneberg]

Regarding the broadhead, for me it would depend on whether retrieving dogs were going to be used.  I've pheasant hunted with a bow 3 times and have yet to hit one in the air.  I've seen them hit though and would recommend a broadhead unless it isn't safe for the dogs.  3 things conspire to rob energy when wing shooting.  First - at least for me, it is really hard to keep from short drawing your bow.  Second, the birds own movement in the air reduces the impact force (unless they're flying towards you).  And last, you're almost always shooting fluflus which quickly slow down.  One advantage you have on a preserve is that the birds are not nearly as tough to bring down as they are in the wild.  If I was hunting with dogs I'd use one of the small game points or even big blunts.

Wingshooting is insanely frustrating with the bow.  Arrows that appear to go right through the bird are clean misses.  2 out of the 3 times I hunted I switched to a shotgun after half a day.  Maybe if I were a better shot it would help. 

George

[John K]

Ace hex blunts or field points, if hunting with dogs, otherwise go with a broadhead.

Wing shooting at Pheasnats is a blast, i've yet to take one out of the air, but it doesn't keep me from trying !

Good luck and have fun !!

[juniper junkie]

my wife got me a pheasant hunt last year for my 50th b-day. I had 4 of my friends along with my son. what a blast! we got feathers but never knocked any out of the air. got some on the ground. but would definitly try it again. sometimes it looks as if the arrow seperates and then comes back together when the bird reaches it. it is tough shooting. you need to shoot to where the bird is going, not where he is at. give it a try, it is fun.

[huntertrapper]

some kind of wide head and good flyin flu flu, cant be slow though so might be real tough.

[sailordad]

use a wire loop bird arrow

[hedgeapple]

Thanks guys.  Well, the possibility of me hitting a flying pheasant/chukkar with an arrow is pretty remolt.  But, one never knows until you try.

Sailordad, I"ve seen those points in 3 Rivers catelogue.  I might give them a try.

[John K]

Hey Hedge, don't waiste you'r money on the those snaro type bird points, there junk, they just bounce off the birds !
Pheasants are very tough birds to kill !

Good luck and keep us posted on how you do !

[JW_Halverson]

Tough birds?  Only if you consider my last pheasant of the year...both wings broke, one leg broke and it was outrunning the dog!  Good thing it hit some thick cattails and tried sitting out.