Does the early bird really get the bird?
A national survey indicates that hunters enjoy best success on the first day of hunting season, a finding that makes even more sense when you apply it to Colorado’s Walk-In Program for pheasant.
When Saturday’s opener begins a two-month run – several days longer than last year – hunters can choose among a record 220,000 acres of leased public-access under an arrangement begun in 2001 and expanded each year.
How this pans out for those who purchase the $20 stamp depends in large part on where they go and, more to the point, how quickly they get there. The Walk-In Program is a boon to anyone who otherwise struggles to find a place to hunt, but it is no panacea.
Participants will find lots of ground to walk, most of it either cropland or weedy cover. Whether they find pheasants depends on a number of nuances that, when digested, can greatly improve the prospects for success.
Fact No. 1: Pheasants may have a brain the size of a split shot, but they quickly become adaptable, nimble survivalists. It doesn’t take many opening-day footfalls or gunshots to chase them to sanctuaries where they don’t get bothered, usually inaccessible private land.
Fact No. 2: If that initial location is visited often by hunters, don’t expect them to come back. Thus we discover the weak link of the Walk-In system.
Fact No. 3: A vast majority of 2007 pheasants are young of the year. Happily it’ll take them a few more hours, maybe a couple days, to get these dance steps down. Make every effort to take advantage of that learning curve. This said, savvy public hunters can develop schemes that will go a long way toward putting a pheasant under glass.
Strategy No. 1: For opening day, select your absolute, drop-dead location for finding birds. Arrive early; skip the steak and eggs. Do whatever it takes to line up the spot before anyone else gets there.
Strategy No. 2: Always have a backup or two or three not far away. These also serve as your next options as the morning progresses. Again, don’t waste time. Move quickly and you might score another virgin area.
Strategy No. 3: Hunt hard until noon, then assess what you’ve seen of the territory before mapping a solid plan for the remainder of the day over lunch. Maybe there are some spots, perhaps a little ugly, where no other hunters have been.
Strategy No. 4: For the second day, avoid the obvious spots. Ed Gorman, Colorado’s small game chief, recommends areas far from the publicized hotspots. You won’t find as many birds, but the lack of hunter disturbance could more than make up for it.
Strategy No. 5: Avoid the weekend treadmill. Hunt Wednesday or Thursday, when birds may have filtered back into the public areas.
Strategy No. 6: Never miss a chance to hunt during or just after a snowfall. Everyone knows about birds holding tighter in a storm, but that may be a secondary consideration. The big deal here is you always can tell whether other hunters have been in the field before you.
This blueprint isn’t guaranteed to work, but it beats heck out of the alternative.
Help the pheasants
Looking for a lively way to spend the evening after the opening day of pheasant season?
The Yuma County Chapter of Pheasants Forever will host its 15th annual banquet, an event that features good food and fellowship, auction items and maybe a few tips on where to find some birds.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Yuma County Irrigation Research farm 2 1/2 miles north of the town of Yuma on Highway 59. Phone 970-848-3497
Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com
