Sherman Island Pheasant Hunt 11/15/09

This Sunday, Bad Ass Girls club got an opportunity to hunt on some newly acquired state land. Dept of Fish and Game hosted a womens only hunt in the Delta. They hosted 30-50 women and young lady hunters. It was so great to see so many female hunters in one spot! It made me feel like I was a part of something very special.
We arrived about shortly after 7:00 am. The area was bustling with activity. Dogs barking, Orange everywhere, target practice, ladies meeting new friends.
DFG had a gentleman with an automatic clay pigeon thrower out there so you could target practice before the real deal started.  Before the hunt the game warden held a safety talk. Safety was the topic of the day, and a great reminder to all hunters. One thing that was good to know...when your out in the field and a game warden comes up to chat with you....please unload your gun. Not only is it safer, but a good sign of respect too.
The local chapter of Pheasants Forever had many volunteer dog handlers. Women of all ages could hunt with an experienced hunter and his/her dog. We got to go out with Max and Trapper. Max was a SUPER cool guy. I am sure that he poses as Santa at christmas, cause his long white beard was fantastic! Max had so much knowledge and patience with us. He always stayed positive. Instead of saying..."Darn, you missed it", he would say "Right on, we found one...good job, lets keep trying." He also showed us what Stinging Nettle is and taught us to STAY AWAY from it. Apparently it causes major burns and pain to skin. It can even hurt a dog pretty good. If you have ever seen a marijuana plant..it kinda looks like that.
His pooch Trapper is a four year old German Wirehair Pointer. To see this dog work was amazing. He would go in anything. NO really, ANYTHING.....bushes, stickers, water, mud, trees, ditches, etc. What a nose too!! He was really good about pointing the birds. His only downfall was letting us have the bird back after retrieval. But hey...a dog has to have some bragging rights...right? especially after all that work. Renee brought her Weimaraner, Roxie. Roxie is in training still but has a great nose for pheasants.
The first bird of the day was shot by both me and trish. I called it mine cause I swear I saw that bird start to go down after my shot. Trisha nailed the next two birds...she did some great shooting. And looked very cute in her new hunting vest. The fourth bird flew up. Trisha shot and missed, and then I shot and hit. Then I looked over to realize that Trisha shot again at the same time I did. It felt like I shot it, So I am just going to say it was mine. Renee shot the 5th bird of the day...she was pretty proud of herself, and jumped up and down! Trisha got the whole thing on video too. I wont tell you about the number of birds we missed...becuase it was several. But one more important thing to remember...ALWAYS remember to take the safety off when the bird flushes right in front of you. Damn!
We saw every kind of terrain that day. We started out in the corn fields. It was okay to walk in, but be careful not to trip. Those stalks will jump out and get you. However,If you get hungry...just pick up a cob and nibble. J/K :)  Then we hunted in what we called "Snow Grass". First you think its nice soft grass..and you just want to lay down in it. But then you realize its really 1 1/2 ft deep, and a pain in the butt to walk in. Imagine walking in deep snow...thats what its like. Then there was the desert. Dont try to follow the pheasant tracks...those birds are confused, and walk in circles. Right after the desert was the marsh...thank goodness for dogs.
After several hours of hunting, Trish and I both had our limit and we were all hungry and tired. We hiked back to the trucks, had lunch and cleaned our birds. Poultry shears are a very handy device to have. I am so glad I picked some up. Much better than dulling your knife while cutting through wings. Max had several great bird cleaning tips and taught us a thing or two.
We went out again to try and get Renee her second bird....but after an hour or so...we all agreed it was time to go.
I posted pics and videos of everything.
Trish, Renee, and I had a great time. I am very thankful for these opportunities that the DFG has put on. Its my goal to get the information out there to as many interested women as possible. I cant wait until next weekend!