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*Last edited by brdhnt on Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:37 am; edited 1 time in total*

To All:

More will follow after I have recovered from walking into a 50 mph wind all day on Wednesday, but I will say this about RevDoc.

He has some pheasant blood somewhere in (not on) his genetic blueprint. While most of us mortals will figure out a way to use our minds to outwit a pheasant that has landed in the middle of a green winter wheat field, RDD takes off running towards it with gun at high port looking like an orange scarecrow assaulting Omaha Beach. He can actually run fast enough to get into gun range of a rooster that thinks he is safe in the middle of a wheatfield.

Although we saw the bird fall and the dog retrieve it, he would not actually physically show us to the bird to end the discusssion that had developed. Did the bird have a look of shock on it's face that some human was actually crazy enough to try and out run it, or did the bird have a smile on his face from laughing so hard at the orange scarecrow?

TJ and I maintain that we saw the bird roll onto it's back at least once prior to flush, so we are of the opinion that the bird was rolling on the ground laughing.

OK Drew, how's that for a Texican twist on the story?

TMB
________
FEMALE ADVICE ADVICE

Member Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 50 Location: South Texas

Well Guys, my take on the Kansas hunt , if you can believe a Texican that owns racehorses: Laughing

This was my first time ever to hunt wild pheasants. I think I read every magazine article, watched every Pheasants Forever program, and talked to everyone I know that had been to Kansas to hunt. By that time, I was so confused as to what gun/choke/load to use that I decided to take two guns. I have a Model 24 Winchester, 16 ga of course, and a new 16 ga DeHaan SXS. I ordered some Fiocchi high velocity 3 1/8 dram 1300 fps 1 1/8, 7 1/2s thinking it might be a good load for quail and maybe the occasional rooster. I brought a couple of boxes of Remington Express 6s, which I planed to use on the pheasants. I was given a handful of #5s by the guides and other hunters that thought I was a little foolish to use a dove load on a pheasant, and yes, they are hard to kill and very tough birds, and yes,RevDoc, they do not always get up straight away at 10 yards. I killed all of my birds with the 7 1/2s in South Dakota, most of them quite dead with the Model 24 right tube which RevDoc measured to be a light modified. I soon learned that if a bird was in the air, let him have both barrels, even if hit hard by the first, second, or third shot from your gun or someone else's. The DeHaan is choked cylinder and skeet. I had planned to use it on quail, but since some of our party could not make it to hunt later in the week, I figured I should at least try it on the roosters. It did quite well, and yes, RevDoc, they are not always hanging in the wind at 10 yards, but you take the shots that are presented. Very Happy

I'm smiling now as I write, because I had a great trip, shot more than my fair share of the limits Embarassed

Birdhunter was kind enough to give me a box of Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads, again in a 1 1/8, 7 1/2s with 3 3/4 dram eq, but plated. These are GREAT loads, and I am not saying you can kill every rooster deader than a hammer at all ranges and conditions, but they did work for me. I did try a # 5 in the De Haan, hit a rooster that flew across the road, but RevDoc did not offer to make the retrieve, only said that it didn't plop down. I didn't have an E-collar on him, but after a few words Razz

he did very well on his next retreive, which has already been mentioned.

I must admit El Texican Grande no es mentiroso-he just hammered every bird he shot with both guns BUT most birds were taken within 20 yards or so. Working into the wind, birds would get up, catch the wind, and rocket over out heads or out the side but if you caught them in that pause, they were momentarily floating in the air. A few going away birds were shot in their boney backside, even with 5s, and managed to wing it quite a distance before flopping down. Very impressive performance by tj and his 7 1/2s. Dr Joyce was using 1 1/4 6s in S. Dakota and at one point had 5 birds dead on the ground with 6 shots (but he shot 3000 dove down in Argentina last July and the low-life philistine shoots a 12g Benelli SBE Rolling Eyes

) The .035 left brl of my 12g Sterly reached out and nailed some distant birds using 1 1/8 4s. Bottom line-it's the man doing the shooting, not the shot size, that counts IF you limit your shots to a reasonable range.
AND FOR THE RECORD: I started across the road for that bird but Tim Brown hupped me back and his big black lab was beating me to the bird anyway Wink

Member Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 50 Location: South Texas

But you have the better nose and are much more stylish!

Member Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 50 Location: South Texas

Quick reflexes help, as does a shotgun that swings nicely. I did hear in jest, about some kind of a lazer-guided pheasant killer that felt like a 2x4 in someone's hands. Everyone had nice guns and knew how to use them. Stan made some good shots with Vintager loads, 2 1/2 inchers, and RDD used lighter loads in his Elsie. I promise I will bring better ammo and shoot it or shoot whatever Terry gives me to use/try if I can make another hunt with you guys. I HAD A BLAST!

Member Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 110 Location: California

Especially in Blaze orange! I am surprised at the recollections of the Rev's retrieve - from my vantage point at the other end of the line I just saw an orange blur. But I do believe the bird did take a look over his shoulder and just give up once he saw the Rev on his tail. Would not have been surprised to see Rev fly, if he had to, to get that bird Very Happy

I got home about 11 pm (CA time), had a good nights sleep, but am having a hard time adjusting to the weather - it is 50 + degrees right now. WAY too warm after spending a week where the high was about that!

I had a great time - even though I did not shoot nearly as well as I should. Next year - after lots of rounds through the Sterly (which we found, thanks to the Rev, to have 2 9/16 chambers) and the Ithaca Model 37. Both of them got in on the action, but they deserved better than I gave them. THAT will be rectified.

Member Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 110 Location: California

Just a quick note on the walk-in that Brdhnt, TJ, and I did on Wednesday. As previously mentioned, wind blowing hard all day. We pulled up to one spot, and TJ attempted to open his door. He thought initially that it was locked. No, just the wind holding it closed. Shocked

TJ and I are both pretty large framed - and the wind was just having a great time tossing us around as it saw fit.

Member Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 50 Location: South Texas

My frame is not that large, there is just a lot hanging from it. Seriously, I leaned on the door very hard a couple of times, and it wouldn't budge, so I figured it had to be locked. 50+ mph wind kept it shut. One bird got up that morning and Terry motioned to me as if to say, "Why didn't you shoot, was it a hen?" It got up on that wind close enough for a shot (about 25 yards)and I started to mount my gun,(35 yards) watched it rocket past on that wind,(45 yards and increasing speed and distance) dumb and slow guy trying to figure lead on that shot (55 to 75 yards) all in less than a second. I didn't see any ringneck or much color, but I couldn't have made that shot one out of a hundred if it was cackling all the way past! Terry and I concurred the day would have been better spent Grouse hunting in front of a warm fire. The Famous Grouse, that is.

Glad you made it home OK 3Doc and once you got the mount and head position figured out you made some good shots with your Sterly.
Now I know between tj, 3Doc, and brdhnt, somebody can post some pics!

Member Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 134 Location: TEXAS

Howdy all,

Here are some pictures, I hope.

[img]http://jwooten6.photosite.com/Album1/[/img]

Happy trails,

HHH
[/img]

Member Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 134 Location: TEXAS

Try again,

[img]http://jwooten6.photosite.com/Album1/Img_0023.html[/img]

HHH

Member Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 Location: Denver

I’ve been following with some interest the various descriptions of Revdoc’s feats in the winter wheat field last Tuesday. Most of the stories told to date contain small bits of truth. However, there has also been much speculation and, I’m sorry to say, down right misinformation. As the only person in that wheat field with Revdoc and that pheasant, I feel it is my duty to relate the TRUE story.

The pheasant in questions was wounded by me and both Revdoc and I marked it down in the winter wheat field, about 120 yards away. Both Revdoc and I headed into the field after the bird. Revdoc took the lead with me following ten yards or so behind. When Revdoc approached with 75 yards or so of the bird, the bird popped is head up and realized what was going on. It is at this point where the stories being told and the TRUE course of events start to diverge.

The bird was not laughing. In fact, realizing what was about occur, the bird let out a string of epithets that I can not repeat here Though hard to hear clearly, most of the birds comments seemed to concern humans in general and Revdoc’s and my family histories in particular. At this point, Revdoc started sprinting toward the bird, the bird realized its mistake, took flight, and Revdoc shot him.

The moral of the story is, of course, don’t piss off the preacher. Especially when he has a strong set of legs and lungs, a 16g shotgun and can use them all equally well.

That is the TRUE story.

*Last edited by revdocdrew on Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:38 am; edited 1 time in total*

Close Colorado Paul but FOR THE RECORD it was the Lab that beat me to the pheasant. And I must humbly confess some malice aforethought regarding that blasted bird Rolling Eyes

Member Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 Location: Denver

Revdoc:

Like some wines, I’m sure the story will only get better with time. Also FOR THE RECORD, I had a great time and enjoyed meeting all the folks on the trip. I’m already looking forward to next year and a new official trip story.

Paul