Pass Along PDJ
September 2008

Early Season Pheasants
by Steve Smith

Early season pheasants are not quite the challenge that the late-season survivors are. But there's nothing in their DNA that makes them easy. There used to be an old factoid floating around that most of the pheasants shot in a season were shot on the first day, and most in the first hour of the first day. I always figured that maybe that had as much to do with the crowds in the fields as it did with young birds getting caught flat-footed.

Early season pheasants -- on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being those old veterans that survive the weather and the hunting pressure and 1 being barnyard chickens still -- rank a 6, an 8 if the hatch was bad and most of what you're hunting are last year's survivors.

But there are enough young birds and birds that have not seen a hunter or dog to put thousands in the bag on opening day. If there is a time when you can hunt wild roosters and expect that your dog -- pointing breed or flushing dog -- can handle them, it's the first few hours of the first day. After that, things get tough(er).

Speaking of tough, though the birds aren't feathered out and fattened up yet, they are still tough to kill. But it's possible to hunt them with something other than a 12-gauge with highway flares for ammo. I like a 16-gauge heavy enough to handle a stout load of an ounce or more of Number 5s. In most cases, if you use enough choke and a good-size shot, 6s being the most popular, and your dog's a good one, an ounce or 1-1/8 ounces is enough. Later on, almost everyone shoots 1-1/4-ounce loads, and some hunters go heavier than.

Just remember, a .416 Rigby won't kill a crossing pheasant if fired even one inch behind him.

The Who’s Who of Conservation Organizations by R. Michael DiLullo

Wildlife Conservation groups are looking for your contributions, but are their policies concerning hunting the same as yours?


Every week I receive several solicitations in the mail and via email to join or contribute to a conservation group. And I am not alone, I am sure many of you are on some of the same mailing list as I am. Wildlife and conservation has become a business and raising funds, be it through contributions or memberships, has become very competitive among the countless number of groups out there. However, many of these groups are not clear on their agendas or stances concerning hunting. Also, local affiliates sometimes differ drastically from their national’s policies concerning hunting, firearm ownership and the shooting sports.

So, who do you support and whom do you send your hard-earned money to with confidence that the funds will be used appropriately? Supporting a group or groups whose views and opinions closely match your own is a responsible and noble thing to do. As hunters/conservationists, it is our duty to support the organizations that support our rights and our sport. But, do your homework and find out whose goals you are really going to be supporting!

Below is a partial listing of some of the more well-known conservation organization, this is by no means a complete listing! Remember to always check for policy differences between your local chapter and the organization’s national (official) positions before making a contribution or becoming a member.

Pro Hunting
·  American Forests
·  Delta Waterfowl Foundation
·  Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU)
·  International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
·  The Izaac Walton League of America
·  The National Rifle Association of America (NRA)
·  The National Shooting Sports Foundation
·  The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
·  Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA)
·  Pheasants Forever
·  Quail Unlimited/The Dove Sportsman’s Society (QU)
·  Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance (TRCA)
·  The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
·  The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS)
·  The Wilderness Society
·  The Wildlife Legislative Fund of America
·  The Wildlife Management Institute
·  The Wildlife Society
·  Waterfowl USA
·  Wildlife Forever


Selectively Pro-hunting
·  Defenders of Wildlife
·  National Audubon Society
·  The National Wildlife Federation
·  The Sierra Club
·  World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Anti-Hunting
·  American Humane Association
·  Friends of Animals, Inc.
·  The Fund for Animals
·  The Human Society of the United States (HSUS)
·  People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Past Articles:

MOVING WITH YOUR PET

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BIRD PLANTING…
OR LIFE IN THE JUNGLE