by Phil W. Johnston
Handgun Editor

It was obvious that Max was on a bird. The long chocolate-colored tail was working overtime as he worked forward with his nose to the ground. The bright rooster blasted into the air with Max hot on his tail but the trip was cut short by a couple loads of #6 shot.

Neither of us realized that the other hunter had fired, and the way the rooster folded, it was quite possible that both of us connected. At any rate, the second bird of the day was solidly anchored and Max punctuated the experience with a picture perfect retrieve. Ah, yes, this is what it's all about.

Each fall we tend to put many miles on our Tahoe, running out west to hunt pheasants. In fact, it might save us a bunch of dollars if we just moved 350 miles southwest, but then that might cut into our fishing time on Lake of the Woods. What is one to do?

Great Farm
This was the second time we'd been hunting on the great farm of Ken and Dorothy Kibbel (RR 1, Dept. GWK, Mott, ND 58646) this year. This time our son, Paul, and I were in the third day of a 4-day hunt the last weekend of October. The Kibbels are gracious hosts and their farm near Mott, ND, is a modern day legend to be sure.

Typically, when one is visiting the Kibbel farmyard, roosters can be heard cackling in the background. It's quite probable that you'll see other hunters checking in there as you do, too, with license plates from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even Kentucky, as well as North Dakota (ND), often in abundance.

Kibbel has hundreds of acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land waiting for the hunters each year. Most of his customers consist of repeat customers, too. Typical of the area and the times, Kibbel's farm is open to hunters willing to pay a per gun/per day fee. Untypical is his $40 daily fee, although several landowners in the area tend to charge the same for a day of classic wild pheasant hunting.

While it remains controversial here in ND, paying to hunt is a reality almost everywhere else. Made a free elk hunt lately? How about a free movie or a free meal at the local eatery? What does a day of golf cost? How about a day of skiing?

We've long felt that there are no free rides and little that's free is worth having, anyhow. In this case, while the pheasant count was down from 30-50% this year-depending on who we talked with-it remains quite possible that one will "limit out" on Kibbel's place if the shooting is good and the hunt includes at least one good dog.

No Dog, No Bet
Try it without a good dog and all bets are off. We tend to feel that hunting pheasants without a dog should be illegal, but let's leave it by describing it as unethical instead of passing new laws. Taking birds consistently here in southwest North Dakota requires no small effort. Typically, birds are found in tangled cover that often approaches one's waist and is capable of shredding regular denim in an afternoon. Likewise, dense cover like this can reduce a dog to a panting, bleeding partner in short order, as well.

There are as many ways to hunt these wild ND roosters as there are hunters. It's common to see up to a dozen hunters arranged in a straight line with dogs running ahead of them, moving slowly along through the cover. Seldom does much time go by without hearing a bunch of shots. It's always smart to put a blocker or two at the end of the run to catch birds that blast out ahead of the main line. Most often, however, we tend to hunt with a small number of friends or family.

Mike Schlins, Lones Wigger and I made the early hunt this fall, arranging to start on the Monday (Oct. 15) after opening weekend. Schlins is an old submarine buddy of mine and we've been hunting together for the last three years, while Wig and I have messed around in these parts for 10 years or so. The three of us tend to split up, working from three directions toward the middle, so to speak. Wigger's real hunting partner is Bronco, a 10-year-old golden Labrador. Schlins was breaking in a new 16-month-old black Labrador named Belle.

Fond Memories
I had a new hunting partner as well. Last year Cindy and I had to put Ranger down-the one responsible for instilling this pheasant fever in me in the first place. The anticipation of hunting with a new, self-trained youngster was bittersweet to be sure. I longed for Ranger's expertise and cool attitude that always resulted in a bird in the bag-regardless of the condition of the bird after the shot. We found Ranger in the local paper, listed as "give away to a good home-fully trained German Shorthair." He blessed us with six good years before time took its toll.

We tried another giveaway last year after Ranger was gone but the Weimaraner female was a disappointment right off the bat. She showed no interest in downed birds and even less in live birds. She turned quickly into a 70-pound eating machine that would make a perfect pet and little more. She went to another home late in October 2000, and we called pheasant hunting off for the rest of the year.

As much as we hated to, it looked like the only hope was to get a puppy, once more. Anyone who has gone through puppyhood knows why we didn't look forward to it. We treat our dogs as part of the family and this requires house training, putting up with chewing-with damage often running into the thousands. (Schlins estimates the damages at slightly in excess of two grand in Belle's case.) Puppyhood would be great if one could snap his or her fingers and wish away the first 12-18 months or so.

Indeed there is a reason they're so cute. Regardless, we started looking for a pup. Schlins spent quite some time as a trainer prior to his time on our submarine, and he said that the only dog that would work for me under our conditions would be a Labrador, so we limited the search thusly.

New Lab
My taxidermist, Jim Benson suggested that the best Labs that he'd heard about come from Masada Labrador Kennels (1697 80th St., Dept. GWK, Balsam Lake, WI 54810-2434; phone: 715-268-7123). I gave Frank Miller a call early last October and learned that one should call him about a year before one wants a pup. Still, because of a severe storm, he did indeed have one pup that was ready.

Cindy and I headed to Balsam Lake on a Friday and returned with a bundle of______ (fill in the blank). Before departing, I asked Miller if there was any chance that Max wouldn't hunt and he replied "in a year he'll be teaching you how to hunt or you can bring him back." This is a good place to point out that Miller doesn't believe in shipping his pups-you'll drive to western Wisconsin to get your white, chocolate, or black pup from him, assuming that you arranged it early.

Miller said that his pups currently range in price from $300 (black) to $500 (white). Last weekend when Max brought back a rooster that dropped in cover that was three feet deep-I'll put it in writing that there isn't enough money around to buy him now. He's stuck with us for the duration.

Recently I read a piece authored by one of the dog experts in the business suggesting that the first year, a new dog is a liability. The second year one "breaks even" with hopes of gaining ground the third year. Max isn't aware of this "rule." On to hunting pheasants here.

License Fees
Since we don't have many people in North Dakota, it goes without saying that few copies of The New Gun Week show up here. Therefore, I'll assume that you'll need a non-resident hunting license to hunt here. To hunt upland game in ND, a non-resident needs to purchase a Non-Resident Fishing, Hunting, and Furbearer Certificate-$2; a Small Game License-$75; and a General Game Habitat Certificate-$8. These licenses entitle a non-resident to hunt pheasants the entire season, which runs from October 13 through January 6, 2002.

Anyone familiar with ND weather realizes that October is the prime month for such antics, with the weather really making things interesting from early November on. Our weather can get downright brutal in December and January. The current bag limit is three roosters per day, with a possession limit of 12, suggesting a 4-day hunt is the maximum. There's also a good chance that you'll run into Hungarian partridge and Sharptail grouse while you're here and the bag and possession limits are the same for these bonus birds. We'd like to see the bag limits reduced to two and eight, but that's just our opinion.

Eighty-eight percent of ND is privately owned, so there's a good chance that you'll want to hunt on private land, sooner or later. Where there are abundant pheasants, you'll find things most often tightly posted "No Hunting," or something similar, with access either denied or obtained only after a fee is paid up front. While we've heard of exorbitant fees, we've yet to hit them in ND.

Thus far we've hit prices ranging from $25 to $40 per day, and we consider this a bargain. By the same token, we've got to admit that fee hunting will indeed knock some folks out of the game simply because they can no longer afford to hunt. Losing a hunter for any reason is indeed a tragedy and one that we can't afford either. The hunters who drop out might also drop out of the pro-gun, pro-hunting camp. Food for thought.

Public Land
One alternative to fee hunting is hunting on private land opened up to sportsmen by the Game & Fish Department under several great programs. The state DFG publishes a great book, entitled simply, The Plots Guide, which details every patch of "Private Land Open to Sportsman" as well as other public land within the state. Open to walking access only, many of these plots comprise ideal habitat, but bear in mind that hunting pressure may be high, as well.

Regardless of where or when you decide to hunt roosters here in ND, you'll quickly find that the birds are indeed wild birds and that you'll earn every one of them. Cover is typically tough with the terrain to match. We find that we're often sweating in sub-freezing temperatures, and the first couple of hunts result in aching muscles and joints. Regardless of your age, pheasant hunting requires that one is in good shape and this includes the canine partner. One of the worst mistakes one can make is working cover too fast, anyhow. Take it slow and pace yourself-teach your dog to pace it, too.

One more cautionary note is necessary. If you plan on staying in rural ND during your hunt, you're well advised to arrange housing well in advance of your arrival. Hunting here is no secret and the local motels are often booked solid-well into November.

Boots Recommended
We also recommend that you bring well worn, waterproof boots. We like the Danner Lassen for our adventures on the wild side. We also wear Wrangler brush pants and layer things on the top so we can adjust things as it warms up or cools off.

The shotgun and ammunition is simply a personal choice unless hunting on federal lands where steel shot is required. Lead shot is approved on all state and private land. While the 12-gauge is by far the most popular, we tend to use a delightful Ruger Red Label 28-gauge equipped with IC and Modified chokes, stuffed with Winchester Western's great 1-ounce load of #6 shot early on. Later, we switch to a Beretta Urika 391 equipped with a modified choke and load it with heavier loads of #4 or #5 shot. In the 12-gauge, we especially like Winchester's great new high velocity 1-ounce load stuffed with #4 or #6 shot.

For more information about pheasant hunting here in North Dakota, contact the state Game & Fish Department, 100 North Bismarck Expressway, Dept. GWK, Bismarck, ND 58505, or you can look 'em up on the Internet at: www.state.nd.us/gnf. You can call them at: 800-406-6409 for instant licensing and information as well. If you're interested in a guided/outfitted upland hunt, the Game & Fish Department can steer you in that direction as well. Some outfitters offer full services that include lodging, food, dog(s), guide, and cleaning facility. You can have it any way you like.

That about does it. Indeed, if we were forced to limit our hunting to but one area, we'd choose this one in southwestern North Dakota. Typically, we're with good friends or family and always, we're with our very best partner-Max. Usually the weather is passable to great. Always-it's as good as it gets.