Thread: Pheasant callers etc

Going to get out chasing a few roosters in the next couple of weeks in a pine forest down the road from home, but my dog is useless and would rather run around than catch a scent and flush. Therefore I'm on my own, seen plenty of birds around but always without a gun.
My question to those more experienced - are the pheasant callers that work like a duck call worth the bother, or should I just do the old walk and stalk? Any other tips or tricks for a young gun? Cheers

I've never seen anyone use a caller for pheasants, but one day I was shooting parries in a paddock with an electronic caller and called in two cock pheasants. It was very odd!

Do you eat them? I was told they're too tough to bother with..

Originally Posted by 3Ballers

Do you eat them? I was told they're too tough to bother with..

Are you joking? They're great eating.

Originally Posted by 3Ballers

Do you eat them? I was told they're too tough to bother with..

Your mate told you that so he could keep them all for himself

Yes callers do work.
I haven't called birds in with them, but have had birds respond so you can get an idea on where to start looking.

For what its worth calling actually alerts cocks to danger. Pressure on the ground is what you want. Walk in all the dirty tight stuff if you dont have a dog.

Originally Posted by TeRei

For what its worth calling actually alerts cocks to danger. Pressure on the ground is what you want. Walk in all the dirty tight stuff if you dont have a dog.

Using the same reasoning, roaring at stags alerts them to danger too.
Calling cock birds stirs them up and gets them active, which aids finding them with a dog also.

I had a BOP lifestyle block for 17 years – it was intensively pest controlled and hence a haven for birdlife. Surrounded by bush, orchards and farmland. I wasted a lot of time taking pictures of pheasants – thousands of pictures of fabulous pheasants and quail. The roosters crowed most of the day in the bush above the rear of the property – they would often respond to my pheasant call and occasionally fly down to where I could see them. The cunning roosters would send the hens out from the bush onto the grass and then follow them out a few minutes later. They spent months scratching around in patches of willow weed – until there was nothing left. Willow weed will be
your friend if you can find some – for both pheasants and ducks. The ducks often flew up from the estuary to feed in the farm stream beds where there was willow weed.
I never shot one so never ate one – but poachers left empty cases around.
The caller that I had was a Haydels P-90 – you can mimic a rooster. https://www.haydels.com/collections/...fdce6d29&_ss=r

Thanks all, I'll go for a mosey and report back how things went

I have the same Haydels one as mentioned above and have used it to either pinpoint distant birds, or stand on the edge of tight cover and the noise has a couple of times flushed the bird

But for the most part it just hangs around my neck and doesnt get used