pheasant questions

I have never been pheasant hunting before but want to give it a try. I’ve looked at some public hunting lands and found a spot. I read the regulations, but wanted to double check some things for hunting in MN. What shells are legal and what is a good all around load for 12 gauge? Any good recommendations for good upland boots, and should I wear gloves? The terrain is some ag fields and lots of tall prairie grass. Any other tips you have for a newbie appreciated. Do the shooting hours start at 9am all season in MN?

thanks

The short version is yes 9am and steel shot on federal Wildlife Refuges and
Waterfowl Production Areas. Lead can be used elsewhere. Hi power from 4-6 shot is typical. I would lean towards the larger end of that scale with steel. We only use 3″ shells when using steel.
Personally I use 2 3/4 for lead in 5 shot but not afraid to use 4 shot late season. I use 4 shot in steel and 3″ shell as mentioned. All of us use 12 ga.
Pheasants are tough and chances few. Max firepower recommended.
See manual for all information. Pages 40 and 43.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/full_regs.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=bookmarks

9 am. I like 4 shot steel, no gloves (I rarely wear them for anything tho), and a good pair of Red Wings/Irish Setters. I use my 800 grain Irish Setters for pretty much everything and love them. If you’re feet run warm, I’d check out some of Red Wing’s uninsulated leather boots. A few other tips, hope you have a dog and if hunting public land just know the areas closest to the parking areas will be trampled and finding birds may require going to the furthest points or hardest areas to walk (read: Cattails).

#5 shot 2.75″ Prairie Storm shells. 12 gauge

steveo wrote:

#5 shot 2.75″ Prairie Storm shells. 12 gauge

The “sizzle”!!!

I’m a fan of the prairie storm shells as well. Like others, I opt for 5 shot for lead but I choose either 3 or 4 for steel. Mostly 4. I have used 3″ steel and have a ton of it around since I no longer hunt waterfowl, but once the 3″ is used up I will only use 2.75″ in steel.
Make sure you pattern your gun with steel and lead to see how it shoots with various choke tubes at about 40 yards.
Make sure you have the blaze orange requirement above your waist. During firearm deer season you will need to have the full requirement of blaze orange as if you were deer hunting. Something to think about.
I like a blaze orange hat and game vest. I do have gloves that I wear when its late season and cold. I don’t know how anyone could hunt in that weather without gloves. For those I like the “shooter” style, where its cutoff finger type gloves that have a mitten that folds over it. For shooting just make a fist and extend your fingers and you are in business. I also like blaze orange gloves for the simple fact when you get in some real thick stuff you can wave your hand at your buddy and its easier to see you.

I wear Danner Pronghorn boots and have for almost 20 years. Light and tough and one of the few boots that still come in a uninsulated version. I almost never have needed an insulated boot when pheasant hunting unless it’s below zero, which almost never happens.

I always wear gloves because constantly getting the backs of your hands raked by thorns and cattails starts to hurt after a while. In warm weather, I wear thin gloves from Filson.

Wear safety glasses or shooting-sport approved sunglasses! One poke in the eye from a branch or errant pellet from another hunter could spell, at best, a long and painful injury. Two men who I hunt frequently with over the years have had serious eye injuries while pheasant hunting. Don’t risk it.

Grouse

I pretty much would type what Grouse said to the T. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear some sort of glasses. Heck, I even wear them when duck hunting while walking through cattails. One poke from a branch, twig, stick or anything you may encounter in the thick stuff and your day is ruined. Or worse, your eye sight.

I’m partial to only using steel shot for any game bird. It’s what I’m used to, so why change? 3″ 4 shot steel, same stuff I use for opening weekend waterfowl for a teal beatdown. Plus there’s no guess work on whether it’s allowed or not. I also keep my plug in year-round.

Good idea on the eye protection. I dont and injured my eye twice grouse hunting this fall. I need to start wearing safety glasses. I cant see as well up close and my reflexes must be getting slower because i have been taking a lot of heat in the face this year.

404 ERROR wrote:

I pretty much would type what Grouse said to the T. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear some sort of glasses. Heck, I even wear them when duck hunting while walking through cattails. One poke from a branch, twig, stick or anything you may encounter in the thick stuff and your day is ruined. Or worse, your eye sight.

I’m partial to only using steel shot for any game bird. It’s what I’m used to, so why change? 3″ 4 shot steel, same stuff I use for opening weekend waterfowl for a teal beatdown. Plus there’s no guess work on whether it’s allowed or not. I also keep my plug in year-round.

Very good idea. I remember goose hunting in Rochester when you could shoot lead, then it switched to steel. Took me a few years before I could zero in on the geese again. Learn your shot, then stick with it.

Lots of good advice here.

I shoot 12 g most of the time. 2 3/4″ lead #5 when able (WMA and WPA). 2 3/4″ steel #3 or #4 when non-toxic is required (WPA, etc). I’ve had good luck with Remington Nitro Pheasant. I’ve got a few boxes of Federal Prairie storm that I will try next.

Boots–make sure they’re waterproof, and invest in a boot dryer. If you can hunt without gloves, you’re a tougher man than I! I hate having cold fingers. I don’t know that I’ve found a great solution yet. Last winter, I tried loose choppers that I could easily fling off. That seemed to work well for me.

Eye protection is a good point. I usually have sunglasses on, but I will make it a point to throw some untinted safety glasses in my bag for those times that sunglasses aren’t needed.

One thing that I forget a lot is a change of clothes. Wearing wet pants home is no fun.

Pack a first aid kit. Comes in handy for you and the dog (if you have one).

Good luck!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I shoot 12 g most of the time.

You are now too stylish and dapper with your proper pointing dog to continue to shoot a 12 gauge. Especially in an–gasp!–autoloader. I mean, who do you think you are, Suzuki or something?

Grouse

@thefamousgrouse I spent too much on the dog, so I am stuck with this ugly 1100 with the English stock.

@suzuki would scoff at it, though, as it only holds 4 shells!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

@thefamousgrouse I spent too much on the dog, so I am stuck with this ugly 1100 with the English stock.

@suzuki would scoff at it, though, as it only holds 4 shells!

Mine only holds 3 (Beretta A390), I’m really at a disadvantage. If I haven’t dropped them in 3 shots I need to just stop shooting. I have had a couple times where unloaded the gun and then more roosters got up with an unloaded gun. That was a firedrill.

A Benelli M2 with extended magazine says what?
Sometimes that third or fourth shot is the charm. And five or six can come in handy on a good stand.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

If you can hunt without gloves, you’re a tougher man than I!

Eye protection is a good point. I usually have sunglasses on, but I will make it a point to throw some untinted safety glasses in my bag for those times that sunglasses aren’t needed.

One thing that I forget a lot is a change of clothes. Wearing wet pants home is no fun.

Pack a first aid kit. Comes in handy for you and the dog (if you have one).

Good luck!

No gloves but I also hunt over a working mans home trained Lab… good info, and agreed on the clear glasses. That’s something I haven’t done, but will going forward.

BigWerm wrote:

No gloves but I also hunt over a working mans home trained Lab…

I guess chasing a lab all over keeps the blood pumping and body temp up!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
No gloves but I also hunt over a working mans home trained Lab…

I guess chasing a lab all over keeps the blood pumping and body temp up!

Haha where did you see us?!?

I would like to reiterate very strongly that eye protection be worn at all times. I didn’t and have spent the last 35 yrs blind in one eye. A good pair of chaps are really nice for helping keep warm dry and legs from getting scratched up.