Going to South Dakota in the first week of December did not excite me or Vicki because of the cold weather. But there’s just no better way to see if your foul weather gear works than putting it to the test. And it worked last year in October, so what the heck? We went.
We went to the E Circle E Hunting Farm in Meckling, South Dakota to chase ringnecks. Pheasant hunting was something neither of us had a lot of experience doing, even though we teach so many people who pursue this game bird each year. We needed the experience to become better teachers, so when the opportunity to go and hunt with owner Bob Emmick and his family at E Circle E, we agreed.
We sent Bob copies of our books and DVDs to review prior to our arrival and we assured him that we would practice our shooting before we left. We had grand ideas of shooting trap for an hour each day for a week prior to leaving; working on the quartering move that we teach hunters who pursue flushing game. But that just did not happen. We only got out two times and shot about six boxes each time. But we were glad to be able to do that. It seemed that each time we had scheduled to go out and shoot, the wind and rain kept us from getting out.
We did get our guns out and did the OSP Flashlight drill. And we also worked on our gun mounts for two weeks, knowing that it would help when we got there.
Previous experience had taught us that pheasant hunting requires a lot of walking, and this time of year the cold could be brutal. So, we began packing layered warm clothes and chose 20-gauge over and unders for the trip. Vicki chose to use her Beretta Silver Pigeon II with interchangeable chokes and a 30-inch barrel and Gil opted for his Browning Superposed choked Mod and Full with 30-inch barrels. Both were light and easy to point, and the Rio1 oz 6’s Bob provided proved to be plenty for us to bag our share of the track stars of the cornrows.
Hunting this tough game bird, we did realize that by shooting a 20 instead of a 12, we would have to be aware of distance and take only ethical shots that were in range. Although a 12 might be a better choice, when you turn the page on 60, you begin to think of things in a little different way. The idea of both a lighter gun and being discriminating in our shots sounded good to both of us.
Looking at the forecast had both of us looking for our Under Armor warm-up suits and GoreTex outer shells. Temperatures were in the single digits and there was snow upon arrival. And our last day of hunting would put not only our shooting abilities to the test but our endurance.
Bob met us at the airport and our journey began in light snow. We both were excited to be shooters and not teachers on this hunt. We arrived at the lodge in time to relax a little and watch thousands upon thousands of snow geese riding the north wind at about 10,000 feet on their migration south. Their migration was late this year due to mild conditions. But it just so happened that it had changed dramatically the day we arrived. Some people have all the luck.
Our first day of hunting would bring some exciting flushes and a few birds killed, but almost all of the ethical shots were on Gil’s side of the drive. As much as Gil and our guide Brian tried to outsmart the birds and get them to fly toward Vicki, it just didn’t work. We ended up with nine roosters, two of which were taken by Vicki with only three shots. Gil did the balance of the shooting, and although he shot more birds, his hunting ratio of birds to shots was not as good as Vicki’s.
It was a great first day and we were looking forward to the evening meal that Brian and his wife Anita would prepare. Let’s just say that what pounds we lost from walking the miles each day we put back on by having to eat the great food. It was a dirty, nasty job, but somebody had to do it.
Bob arrived early the next day and accompanied us on our hunt along with another guide, Nick. We were looking forward to the weather, which was going to warm up above freezing. After breakfast, we left the lodge and got ready for the first drive. Nick and his dogs were working off Gil’s right shoulder and Brian and his dogs were working off Vicki’s left shoulder.
In the first couple of drives, Gil shot almost every bird that got up on his side. But Vicki was having a tough morning of shooting. She was being too careful and trying to be perfect before pulling the trigger. She was second-guessing herself, which just doesn’t work when shooting a shotgun at clays or game birds. At the end of the third drive when the air filled with roosters, Vicki finally let it go and killed three in a row.
What was the difference? Well at the break while the dogs were picking the birds up, Vicki explained to our host Bob that even though we tell people each day to just look at the head of the bird and shoot at it and trust it, for whatever reason she just fell into the trap of trying to aim the gun ahead of the bird.
This is something that happens to all shotgunners, regardless of experience. And it just doesn’t work. The important thing is that if you know what is happening, you can usually get it back, which is what we train people to do.
If, however, you are one of the millions who are still trying to aim the shotgun ahead of the bird, or mounting the gun feet behind the bird and slashing the muzzles through the bird and pulling the trigger as it passes the bird, you will find that you will either have a great day or a really bad day. It’ll usually be one good day out of every ten, and nine bad for every good one. And when it goes bad you can’t correct it. That is a lonely place to be.
As the guides came up, Gil asked Vicki out loud what happened, which opened the door for Vicki to explain the difference in what she was doing. They all saw the difference but didn’t know what caused it or what she had done to correct it.
Vicki began by telling us all that she had gotten tentative. She was looking at the whole bird and trying to aim the gun ahead of the bird and checking the lead. Brian asked her what she meant by looking at the whole bird. She explained that when you look at the whole bird your eyes will go to the middle of everything that is moving, which is the butt of the bird. Then they typically slide toward the middle or end of the tail because of the forward movement of the bird and the movement of the tail. This puts your eyes on the butt of the bird or behind the butt if you end up looking at the tail! When that happens, whatever lead your brain puts on the bird as you mount in front of the bird is based on where on the bird you are focused.
“Let’s say when the pheasant flushes you end up looking at the whole bird,” Vicki said. “This puts your focus just behind the butt of the bird and your brain puts two feet of lead on the bird as you insert the muzzles ahead of it. That two feet of lead BEGINS just behind the butt because that is where you are focused!”
“Said another way, this means that instead of the muzzles being inserted two feet ahead of the bird, they are inserted two feet ahead of just behind the bird! If the bird is hit, it will be hit with the leading edge of the shot cloud, and more than likely in the butt behind or toward the rear of all the vital organs, resulting in a wounded, and in many instances a non-retrievable bird.”
“Do you still wonder why so many birds are missed behind?” Vicki asked. “Now, let’s take the same scenario, but this time instead of focusing on the whole bird, let’s focus on the red around the rooster’s eye or the white ring around its neck. Same bird, same shot, but this time when the brain inserts the muzzles two feet ahead of the bird, they are two feet in front of the head and all of the vitals. This bird is getting ready to go down, provided the eyes stay on the head as the muzzles insert in front and the shot is taken.”
Brian shared that he sure saw a difference in the way Vicki moved and mounted the gun. It was so much smoother, and when the gun got to her face she took the shot and folded the bird. All were amazed at what a difference it had made just by looking at the head. It seemed like such a small thing, but it makes a big difference to not just Vicki, but Gil and all their students.
This lead to a discussion of the things that the Emmicks would most like their hunters to do before they come on a hunt. The first thing everyone said (guides, dog handlers, and owner Bob) was, “learn to shoot!” Knowing the answer, Gil asked what they meant. Well, the stories flowed about customers who show up not having touched their guns since last year when they left the lodge. There were even stories of people who have shown up with a new gun in the box and needed help putting it together!
Bob made the comment that if they would get the “Perfecting Your Gun Mount” DVD and do the flashlight drill, they would all shoot better, and fewer of them would get bruises on their shoulders and arms.
We did a little research and found that the average shots per bird at all the pheasant farms we contacted (including E Circle E) was about seven to eight shots per harvested bird. A 7:1 ratio (14.3%) is not very impressive. And when the shooting is that sloppy, you end up with a lot of wounded birds that are lost. These birds don’t go to waste because the coyotes and hawks and other predators have to eat, too. But eventually, it is a loss to the operation.
If you decide to go chase pheasants, there are a few things we would suggest. Don’t buy new boots and wear them for the first time when you go hunting. You will walk a lot, and good footwear is a must, along with good, thick socks. We would recommend walking in the boots you will be wearing at least two miles a day six to eight times, just to make sure after two miles cooped up in a boot that all of your toes are still compatible and there are no blisters on your feet. We would recommend walking at least three days in a row just to see how things feel the second and third day. Better to find out at home that the boots hurt your feet than at the lodge at lunch on the first day.
Layered clothing with a GoreTex outer shell is great for repelling rain or snow during the day or dew in the morning walking through knee-high grass. Take more than one pair of gloves. Toastie Toes are a must if the weather is as cold as it was in South Dakota in December. They’re hand-warmers for your feet, packaged in pairs with an adhesive strip that affixes them to your socks. And they do work. We also found you can use them in the palm of your gloves. They are thin and they stay put because of the adhesive backing and are a great way to keep your hands warm. A few large hand warmers in your coat pockets are never a bad thing to have.
And speaking of, your pockets can double as a gun boot. Just put the gun butt in the pocket and keep your hand on the forearm to keep the muzzles pointing up and in a safe direction, but the weight of the gun is resting in the pocket of your coat.
Although were not able to do what we tell everyone else to do with respect to practice at the range, we did do the flashlight drill. We continue to be amazed at what that one little drill can do to increase your proficiency and optimize your time in the field if it’s done every day for two weeks before you go hunting.
So our formula for success in the pheasant field is to do the flashlight drill 14 days prior to arrival and shoot some trap at a local trap range. Focus on the bird’s head, the red around the eye, or the white around the neck BEFORE you move to mount the gun. And when the gun touches your face take the shot.
If you are looking for a place to test our formula for success, call the Emmicks at E Circle E and get ready for a great time.
