Nebraskaland

54 Nebraskaland • January-February 2022 Growing up in northwestern Iowa during the '70s and '80s, chasing pheasants was almost a religion if you loved to hunt. Before the days of set aside acres and conglomerate farm operations, just a simple knock on a farmer's door would most likely lead you to hunting permission success. My brother was the master at fooling even the wiliest of late-season roosters. The colder the better, and if you were lucky enough to have fresh snow on the ground, well that was an added bonus. More than once he'd roust me out of bed, demanding that I get dressed and ready to chase. "Good day to trick them, brother" would usually be the first words spoken. From those days came tactics that I still use today when pursuing January ringnecks. Temperature Fluctuations Any change in weather can greatly enhance your ability to get birds to sit tight. Look for days when humidity is high and moisture is on the way. Something about these conditions makes birds want to sit and not run as much. You want to find deep cover that allows them to escape the elements, and wait until midday to allow them to feed early and get back in the cover. Some of my best pheasant hunts have been after 10 a.m., as they've settled in after putting on the food bag. Work the cover slowly and don't be afraid to search even the unlikeliest of places. Change Your Tactics if Needed When hunting large stretches of cover, the more traditional forms of pushing them usually won't work late season. If they are running and flying out ahead of you, don't be afraid to send a couple of hunters ahead to block. Hunting large, winding river beds when I was younger taught me to abandon a plan early if it's not working. If you have large stretches of CRP, you can zigzag and hopefully confuse them into sitting and not flying out ahead. Blockers can also work effectively, but make sure they are somewhat hidden as birds will spot them when flying out and change directions. Trust Your Dog If your dog has been properly trained, chances are they know way better than you what the birds are doing. So many times, I've hunted with guys who try to control what their dog is doing, constantly trying to make their dog go in a different direction than where she wants to go. Big mistake here. My plan was always to stay on my dog's tail, even if it meant going away from what I thought the birds might be doing. Work your dog into the wind and don't force her to go in a certain direction, but instead follow your dog and keep her at a close distance. More times than not, this strategy has paid off in fooling a cagey rooster. LATE-SEASON RINGNECKS By Todd Mills MIXED BAG Trusting your dog's nose is a key to success against late-season pheasants. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND

• Cover