Best Way To Hunt Pheasant With An Air Rifle For Pest Control On Crops

[Craig Fosse 286]

Hi guys, need as much advice as possible. I currently reside in jersey in the channel island after moving over from leaving the royal marines. Just gained a load of permission over here but whatever rifle you have you need an FAC I have an aa s200 which I use to hunt. The land which I hunt on is mainly all covered in seeded jersey royal potatoes. I saw the farmers today who rent the land off the land owner who i have gained the permission from (family friend) and they have given me permission and are setting me up with the licence to hunt pheasant on their land to help them out in April when the covers are off (pheasant is a protected bird in jersey unless its pest controlled...don't ask haha) anyway I have only ever hunted pheasant in England with a shotgun rough shooting at my gun club. I have no money to buy another rifle and I want to do it with my s200 if I can, the problem is I have no skill on pheasants, their feeding habits how best to tackle, when to hunt them... I was thinking setting up on a side of the field in a pop up hide and catching them walking into the crop? I have a bit of time to work out a scenario, I'll get some pictures of the field if it helps, but any information on the bird, how best to tackle it etc etc would be much appreciated....I'm looking forward to the challenge...also do pheasant calls work??

[tegater 789]

Start feeding them with corn.

[Craig Fosse 286]

?

[tegater 789]

Start feeding them with corn to bait them to an area. You only need a few hand fulls every few days and they will soon come in to where you want them.

[Lab 10,979]

How many pheasants are there?

[Craig Fosse 286]

Lol your talking about a whole island that introduced a game bird then they made it illegal to hunt so it's wild, there's no fixes on the island. That many..... Do I just put the corn on the ground? Or how?

[Lab 10,979]

Lol your talking about a whole island that introduced a game bird then they made it illegal to hunt so it's wild, there's no fixes on the island. That many..... Do I just put the corn on the ground? Or how?

Oh i see....well if something is being a pest then it has to be causing damage somewhere. So watch where they are and shoot them.

[tegater 789]

I was more thinking if you we're going to put a hide somewhere or you were going to try and ambush them, then at least baiting an area will make it easier. Other than that stalk them.

[Craig Fosse 286]

Yer I'm keen on the baiting side if I can draw them to an area, any particular place or just somewhere suitable for a hide? I take it thy will fid the corn, do callers work?

[gnipper 6,543]

Walk through the woods at night time

[Lewis Ste 245]

If you have any woodland on your permission put a feeder up and go out about an before dark and wait for them to come into roost. They are likely to roost somewhere they no there is food

[Craig Fosse 286]

What's the best way to make a feeder? Drum with spring at the bottom?

[Lab 10,979]

Your ment to be shooting them not drawing them... Lol. Shoot the ones that are doing the damage.

[Craig Fosse 286]

That's easier said than done in a potatoe field with no line of sight lol! So a feeder is out the question then?

[Craig Fosse 286]

And unfortunately no night time shooting , not allowed in jersey, only sunset to sundown I'm afraid, stupid rules for the island, it's not a very hunter friendly place