I got lucky and knocked down two quail on a rise with one shot.

Our annual Youth Pheasant Hunt hosted by the Cumberland Trail Chapter of Quail and Upland Game Alliance is coming up on Saturday, March 9 from 8:30 am to 4 pm.   The cost is only $10/hunter, and each hunter will get to hunt for two pheasants,  a door prize and food and drinks.  Clay pigeon shooting will be available all day.   This hunt has limited space, so please call to make your reservations for the time you desire to hunt.   Participants must be 16 and younger, have a hunting license and be accompanied by an adult with a FOID card.

H.A. Kelley set up a pheasant and chukar hunt for his daughter, Morgin. Jeff Powell got the honors of guiding them in the North Tinkerfarm Field on a warm, sunny December day. Good job done by all, shooter and dogs, they came back with all their birds.

Ray and Blake Takmajian brought out their assortment of English Cockers, Springer Spaniel and Black Lab to hunt some pheasant. Mike Curtis and Dave Ruebhausen came along to shoot the birds the dogs flushed. Briar, Sage, Hank and Conroy did a great job finding and flushing the birds, sitting on flush and then retrieving the downed birds on command.

John McIntosh brought down his setter, Binks and his friend, Jeff Marshall along with some of Jeff’s young pointers to get some work on quail. They came down a couple of times in December to work the dogs. You can see the dog named Sue and Big Mac pointing along with the other pointers.

Jerome Themig, Bill Bockhus, and Charlie Williams came out to hunt some pheasant. Jerome brought his lab, Maggie and Bill, his young, brittany, Bailey, to find the birds in the North Tinkerfarm prairie strips. The dogs found all the birds, but a few scattered to the fencerows for further chase.

Wayne McMorris came out with his friend David Brandenburg for an upland bird hunt. Butch Spelbring brought out his pointer, Doc to find the pheasant, chukar and quail in the Clubhouse Field. They picked a sunny, warm, but windy day in mid-December which got the birds up in moving in the thick cover. Tough hunting conditions, but still an enjoyable time in the field.

John Cavaletto brought out his English Pointer, Burl to hunt some quail. I set out some birds in the Clubhouse Field for Burl to point and John to flush and shoot. They picked a beautiful, sunny, December morning and had a great time in the field.

Merrell Collins brought out his new rescue, Weimaraner, Lulu for some more work on quail. I set some singles in the East Bottom Field prairie strips for Lulu to find. She did a nice job and found them all. I think I was supposed to back up Merrell, but pretty sure I missed the only bird I shot at. Nice progress for the young dog.

Tyler Ferin came out with his English Setter, Asher and friend Aaron Mitchell to hunt some pheasant. I set some pheasants in the frozen East and West Bottom Fields and Asher hunted them up. I caught up with them as they finished on the east side, just in time to see them get into a covey of left over quail. After clearing out the center ditch they headed west and flushed a couple more pheasant.