Pheasant arrow.....

[Tajue17]

I only shoot them on the ground here when they are running and I use whatever I use on deer except a dull broadhead.  I'll bring a flu flu or two just in case but for me I'm after stocked birds that won't fly,,,

strategy--> after all the birdgunners leave I show up around  12 to 1 and I use my binos to search the edges of the roads and trails,, when I see a bird I stalk up the side just inside the woods for a good shot same as hunting hogs on corned roads I would think..

if I hit them they usually don't go too far and if I miss I usually can find the arrow and the bird will run in and hide and in an hour be back out at the edge...

then at 3-4 I have an afternoon deer stand 1/2 mile down the road,, its all good..

[LookMomNoSights]

Sounds like a blast....I cant wait to get after them!!!

With a heavy longbow the old hard plastic bludgeons worked pretty well. With lighter bows, HTMs are not really suitable, but 160 steel blunts have always worked, so far, but most of my pheasants are shot while I am deer hunting. No dog then, so I use broadheads. The cocker that I had, my best buddy for 12 years, died this year. When I would shoot a pheasant, the first thing he would do is rip all of the feathers off the arrow, one at a time, every time.  He would then bring the arrow back to me and leave the pheasant, until I took the arrow from him. Cocker spaniels are crazy, now I have one that is scared of loud noises and has fleas.

[Tajue17]

Pavan sorry about the cocker passing away that is the worse feeling,, I actually gave up pheasant hunting when my dog died and took up bowhunting.

now going for birds is just to kill some time and get some walking exercise, or spend some time with the blackpowder double.

[bowzonly]

Been hunting pheas with a bow for about 14 years and have taken at least 70 in flight. The absolute hands down number one head for birds in flight is the SGH from montec.  I should have a story coming out in TBM's next small game issue that also shows a homemade launcher and homemade "pheas" that is unlike any practice target I have ever seen and is so realistic I gaurantee if you can hit this target you can hit a pheas in flight.

[Gdpolk]

RFA's talons are awesome on small game.  If I were running dogs though, I'd want to use rubber blunts.  The talons are brutal and would certainly hurt your dog.

[Razorbak]

I used to use a modified field point that had a flange type at the base if the point. They were cut 1/4" at the bottom and then pulled out ant twisted in a spiral pattern. I sharpen edge with small file. They are very similar to a game nabber they sell now. I pulled the fins up a little more to get more of a cutting surface. I shoot the bird or small animal and it goes in and stays in and when animal moves it cuts. Never lost a bird or small animal when I made a good hit. I also use dull bodkins with 1/2" cut off   Blunt and cutting edge in one. I also got cheap rubber blunts and put a exacto blade in center it hits with a blade and normally falls off when the blunt section impacts it. Put down grouse and pheasants for me. I used 3 or 4 fletch flu flus and also a 3 inch feather and then added either a spiral wrapped or 2" full length glued up behind the feathers. Your mileage will vary. Gonna have to play and see what works for you

My new cocker spaniel, was used as a breader, she is just under 5 years old and is terrified of guns. She is scared of them just looking at them in the house. No matter, I gave my shotgun away.   She is not sacred of bows and arrows and the other day when out for a walk, she got birdy started zig-zgging through the weeds and locked up on point, 12 yards from four pheasants. There is hunt in my dog. I will be using blunts, because when I shot a pigeon at a farm to see what she would do for a retrieve, she ran up to the bird and held it down with her mouth until I got to it. I will take a long point, and that search and hold down any day over a retrieve and no point. This little girl is real shy, that is why I think she points.