Question for Pheasant Bow Hunters.....

[Montauks]

I plan on bow hunting for pheasant in Oct. could you guys help me out with a choice for the most lethal non-broadhead that I could use? all opinons and tips appeciated.

Gene

[mike g]

Gene....
   A good set up is with a Broadhead with a scorpion behind it to keep ya from having a pass thru....
   Pheasant are tough, I think most will tell ya to use a Broadhead.

[LBR]

Ace Hex-Head, without a doubt.  My guess is you are worried about dogs being cut?  No worries with the Ace blunt.  

I've never had a chance to shoot a pheasant, but what they do to grouse is almost obscene.  On the only grouse hunt I've been on, we lost birds to rubber blunts, regular steel blunts, and judo's.  Every bird that was hit with an Ace, even marginal hits, went down.  I had my birds mounted, and the taxidermist pitched a fit--the Ace blunt does a lot of damage.

Other than that, you might consider a Muzzy with practice blades installed--big hole in the bird, but no sharp edges to worry about.

On a side note, could someone direct me to a place to pheasant hunt that's within driving distance of Northeast Mississippi?  I don't mean 2 or 3 days driving!  Or is that wishful thinking?

Chad

[Montauks]

Mike, there will dogs involved so the BH's are not an option.

Chad, that's good I have about a doz. hex heads.

Thanks guys,

Gene

[Brad_Gentry]

Gene,
I understand your concerns, and I love Hexheads, but I agree with Mike. I've pheasant hunted (with a bow) before, using dogs, and know several other guys that have also, and everybody I've ever talked with about it has always recommended broadheads. Pheasants are tougher than you think.

Brad

[ks_stickbow]

about 5 years ago we went on a guided deal, and the guy said no BH's cause of the dogs and tractor tires....we used flu flu's with field points on wood arrows and they did great...they went about half way through...we were all shooting about 55-60lb bows....I would not use a judo or those snair points

[AkDan]

Chad,

You fail to mention of the "wrecking ball".  As little of a difference as it seems, a rubber blunt with the addition of a 357 case with the rim ground off under the blunt takes a regular large htm blunt to a hole different league!  I've only tried it on grouse, but like the hex blunts, the results were nothing short of awesome.

I also agree, pheasants are much tougher then grouse and wouldn't use a wrecking ball on them.

[Snakeeater]

Use a hex head if you can't use a broadhead, BUT if you can go with the broadhead. The guide can hold the dog once it points and they you can walk up and flush the pheasant. That is how I knocked down the ones in my avatar.

BTW, if you are the one who kicks up the bird then you will have a going away shot, at least for the first few seconds it takes to get off your instinctive shot. Now you know my secret to success!

Larry

[Shawn Leonard]

I have done this and brodheads are a big no-no!! I do not know of any dog handler that would allow it. I used judos and hex heads, the arrow stays with the bird most of the time and a broadhead can do damage on a retrieve. One guy I hunted with used wingnuts that were slightly sharpened and after the handler looked at them said they would be fine with the dogs as well! Shawn

[Montauks]

Thanks for all the replies guys, my only experience with the hex heads have been for stump shooting and sending one through Shawns plywood backstop at last years memorial bunny hunt, I know there a tough head, I think I might try to modify a hex and see what I can come up with....I'll keep you all posted when the time comes and hopefully I'll get one.

Gene

[Steve O]

I have had Ace Hexs and Judos bounce off phesants.  I have tried a lot of stuff, but there is no way I am using a broadhead with dogs around.  The best I have found is just a field point with a zwickey scorpio to keep the arrow in the bird.

[AkDan]

nice pic there Steve!!!  That is what I found with grouse, up until we found the wrecking ball, a field point or field point and scorpio. worked the best.  With pheasants if I couldn't use bh's I'd have to go back to FP's.

[Dan Worden]

Dan,

Can you gimme a pic of the wrecking ball? Sounds interesting.

[Montauks]

Well it seems like a field point and a scorpio will do the trick,
thanks all for yer input.

Gene

[AkDan]

Dan,

I can, give me a few to dig one up and do the photo deal.   Though it's nothing more then a 357 case mounted on a shaft, with a large HTM rubber blunt slid over the top.   Grind or file the rim off to keep the rubber blunt from splitting on impact.

I bet, though we havent tried it yet, that you can do this with a steel blunt and the large htm rubber blunt slid over this.