Midwest Pheasant Hunting Guide

Pheasant hunting is one of the most popular types of upland bird hunting and is great for hunters of all experience levels, even beginners. It involves a lot of strategy and skill, but with its minimal gear load-out, you don’t need a ton of equipment to get into the game of pheasant hunting. There are a couple of different ways that you can go about pheasant hunting, depending on if you’re in a group with others, hunting with a dog, or just flying solo. In this guide, we’ll take a deeper look at some of the most essential gear you’ll need for pheasant hunting, and the different strategies that you can implement when you’re out in the field.

Essential Pheasant Hunting Gear

Shotgun & Ammunition

When you’re hunting, you’re obviously going to need some sort of weapon to take down your game. Shotguns are typically the weapon of choice for pheasant hunters. The most common shotguns you’ll find used for pheasant hunting are 12 or 20-gauge shotguns. You’ll want to physically pick up and hold a couple of options to determine which one feels most comfortable for you.

Additionally, you’re going to need some ammunition for your shotgun, so you can actually take your shot when the time comes. It’s recommended to focus on high-quality shells with a shot size of 4, 5, or 6. These will do the best job of knocking birds down and ensuring that they don’t get back up without doing too much damage to them.

Clothing & Footwear

Pheasant hunting involves lots of walking around covered, uneven terrain in a wide range of different lighting, temperatures, and weather conditions. That’s why making sure you’re dressed appropriately is an extremely important aspect of preparing for a pheasant hunting trip. 

The first thing you’ll want to get is a durable blaze orange vest, or jacket with lots of pocket space. This will give you plenty of space to hold extra shells along with water, snacks, a pocket knife, and other essentials that you want to keep handy. Wearing blaze orange will add visibility, allowing you to stand out to other hunters in the area. It’s also a good idea to pick up some thick and protective pants to keep your legs protected as you navigate through thicker trees and brush areas. Burrs are a common enemy often found in the fields while pheasant hunting, so having some high-quality pants to keep you protected is a must.

As we’ve mentioned, pheasant hunting involves a lot of time spent walking and a lot of it is through uneven and rough terrain. Long story short, you’re going to spend a lot of time on your feet, so you need to invest in a quality pair of boots. Look for a pair with waterproof protection and stable ankle support. These should last you through the years and stand up to any elements that you’re walking through. Once you break them in and they adjust to your feet, it’ll make your hunting trek much easier.

Accessories

Once you get the key pieces of gear mentioned above, you’ll next want to pick up a few additional accessories that will be beneficial to have out in the field. Getting proper eye and ear protection is crucial when it comes to protecting yourself against the blasts of your shotgun when shots are fired. Look for a pair of nice safety glasses, and be sure to use either ear plugs or ear muffs when out hunting. Both of these will protect you from possible permanent damage being done to a few of your key senses.

Next, it’s smart to invest in some quality cold-weather outerwear that will keep you comfortable when out in the field. There are some great gloves out there that are lightweight, warm, and are built to provide more grip for you when handling your shotgun. During those colder days, it’s also a good idea to keep your head protected from the elements. You can opt for a blaze orange hat that will keep your head warm, while also providing another piece of bright visibility to keep yourself standing out to other hunters in the area.

Finally, you should always keep a first aid kit on you while hunting. This can be helpful for both you and your hunting partners, or dogs in case of any injuries while you’re on the hunt. Being able to tend to a wound immediately can save any drastic damage from occurring while traveling back to your home camp or anywhere else.

Dog Equipment

Many pheasant hunters will head out with their four-legged hunting partners, and if you do, you shouldn’t forget to ensure that you’ve got the right gear for them as well. The first thing you’ll want to get is a comfortable, well-fitting vest for them to wear when out on the hunt. This will keep their fur and body protected from rough terrain, and burrs or other harmful sharp objects that may be in the wooded or brush areas.

Along those same lines, you’ll need to make sure that you have a reliable leash and collar for your dog. A leash will allow you to keep your dog near you when necessary, and a collar will hold all of your contact information should a situation arise where your dog has gotten lost or strayed away from the hunting area.

Lastly, ensure that you have food and water packed that will be readily available for your dog. It’s very important to keep your dog hydrated while they’re out expending so much energy, and they’ll need to eat to re-energize themselves as well. Carrying some wet food cans is an easy way to transport food, so you can simply open a can and allow them to take a break and enjoy some nourishment. You should also carry some of their favorite treats, allowing you to reward them when doing their job while on the hunt.

Different Pheasant Hunting Strategies

Walk-Up Hunting

Walk-up hunting is the most popular and straightforward method of pheasant hunting, and is probably what you picture when you think of pheasant hunting. This strategy involves a hunter walking through fields, wooded areas, and brushes to flush out and search for pheasants to simply walk up and shoot when spotted. 

To be an effective walk-up pheasant hunter, you’ll need to prioritize a few key techniques. First, you’ll need to move slowly, and quietly. You won’t want to walk too quickly or make any sudden movements, as this will disturb the birds and greatly decrease your chances of being able to take a clean shot. Related to that, you’ll need to ensure that you keep your noise levels down. Even so much as slamming the car door when you arrive will make a loud noise that will scare off the birds, so you’ll need to stay quiet the entire time from arrival, to packing up once the day is over. 

When it comes to moving around while on the hunt, successful walk-up hunters will do a good job of covering lots of ground and making sure to not stick around one area for too long. Work through areas with tall grass, brush, and crops where pheasants are likely to be hiding or looking for food. It’s also effective to move in a zigzag pattern, so you can cover even more ground and increase the chance of spotting birds, or flush them out into one centralized area. 

While you utilize these techniques, stay alert and watch for any sudden movements both on the ground and in the air. Pheasants can flush unexpectedly, so it’s important to make sure that you are always ready to take a shot if needed in a split second. You always want to shoot in front of the birds, and never behind. This involves trying to lead your shots in the direction they’re moving, because if you shoot behind, you’ll miss almost every time. 

If you’re hunting with a dog, keep a close eye on them while you scavenge the covered areas. A well-trained hunting dog will sense and smell when a bird is nearby, so if you know their cues, you’ll be able to get an extra step on the birds.

Push and Block Hunting

This method of hunting relies on a lot of teamwork and strong communication, but it can be a very successful way to hunt if you’re able to implement it effectively. Push and block hunting involves a larger total group of people, with some tasked as the blockers (hunters) and others in the role of pushing (drivers). The pushers move through the covered and brush areas, pushing the birds into areas where the blockers are positioned and ready to take the shots once they are moved into the area. 

This method helps push the birds directly to hunters, but as you could imagine, it takes a ton of coordination and awareness to be able to pull this off. Before you even head out into the field, you’ll need to have a strong communication method established, and know what your fellow hunting team members are going to be wearing. This is a method where wearing blaze orange apparel is a must, so you can always spot your drivers. 

It’s also important to make sure you’ve strategically placed where your hunters will be positioned, and ensure that the drivers are flushing birds to the correct area. Drivers should be focused on moving at a steady pace, flushing the birds to fly over the areas where hunters have their stands placed.

For the hunters, positioning and overall awareness should be the highest priority. When the birds are flushed out, things will happen quickly, so hunters need to have their shotguns loaded and ready to aim and fire whenever the pheasants start moving, or else all the hard work will be lost without any rewards to show for it.

Along with strong communication, both hunters and pushers need to maintain their roles, or else you can put each other in a lot of danger. Pushers should stick to the planned and expected route, and hunters should not move from their designated hunting stand. This will reduce the chance of any accidents happening since everyone should know what to expect to happen and where the movement or shooting should be coming from.

Hunting with a Dog

As mentioned earlier, pheasant hunting with a trained hunting dog can make things much easier for yourself as a hunter. If you are interested in training your dog to be your hunting partner, it will take time and lots of practice, with a slow graduation into different tasks and environments. You’ll first want to start with training them on basic obedience commands (sit, stay, come, etc.) and then slowly move into different field environments to grow their comfortability, and start practicing simple retrieving exercises. Once they master these introductory things, you can begin scent training, and get them used to hunting for that pheasant smell. This is where positive reinforcement will be key. Giving them treats once they complete a task or follow a command will reinforce good behavior and their willingness to follow commands. 

As for what breeds of dogs are best for hunting companions, pointers and setters are great at locating and pointing out birds while in the field. Spaniels and labradors excel at flushing birds from brush and cover, and are also great at retrieving them once they are knocked down. If you can train your dogs to retrieve your hits, it will save you a huge amount of time and prove invaluable in terms of efficiency. 

Pheasant hunting is a great introduction to the hunting world for newcomers to the sport, and is a great way to get out in the field with others and spend some time in the great outdoors. With these pieces of essential equipment, you’ll be prepared to head out whether you hunt using the walk-up, push and block method, or you’re simply out with your trained hunting dog. No matter which technique you opt to hunt with, with this guide, you’ll be set up for a successful and enjoyable hunt. So grab your gear and get on out there!

You can shop all of our pheasant hunting gear online at FleetFarm.com, or at a Fleet Farm store near you.