While quail hunting today up in beaver river Oklahoma I jumped a rooster. Afterwards I got thinking about how little I know about pheasant. I know quail very well. My questions. How do pheasants act vs quail? I know that when I jump quail there are typically more within the area. Does the same apply for pheasant? If I jump one lone rooster does that mean more are in the area? What do they eat? What about cover? That was the first pheasant I've ever jumped and would like to optimize my chances for the remainder of the weekend. Thanks for any help or tips.

never can tell if it will be only one or more, colder weather usually they will group, grain is there food, early mornings they will be seen out in wheat fields, also they will be found on county roads early & late, they do like heavy cover.

Well articulated.

How heavy is heavy? The stuff I was in today was chest high or higher. Could barley get through it at some points.

Let me ask this. A lot of the land out here is wide open prairie. Lots of sage, waist high grasses, plum thickets and some fence rows. Is any of that conducive to pheasant? I honestly wasn't expecting to find anything where I was hunting due to the heavy cover.

I have experienced in the past where Pheasant will run in high cover never revealing themselves.

If I am correct in assuming where exactly you are hunting, there are crops just to the northwest side of that place. I've found pheasant in that area in the past as well. They'll take cover in those thick plum thickets, not much food that they care for in the sage brush. I would expect to find them in the thicker grassy areas that get closer to the crops.

And if I am also correct in assuming where you are hunting, that area is not conductive to pheasant hunting. I was told there could be an occasional pheasant, but it is not the kind of area you are normally going to find one. But if you find where crops are nearby, pheasants could come and go between roost and feed. Hunt that side very early and late for your best shot at them.

Is this the kind of stuff your hunting?

Yup.they don’t hold like quail in cover unless it’s very cold and wet. Especially if you and using a whistle or talking to your dog a lot.

You could be hunting a decent Pheasent area and never even know cause they’ll be gone.

I admit, I was pretty shocked when my dog went on point and 5 or 6 pheasant exploded all around us. Then I drove the north side later that week and saw all the crops, that explained it. They were roosting in the thickets and thick grass, and then going to feed in the crops. That place could use a good burn off though, it's extremely thick on most of it.

Quail and pheasant love wild plum thickets and fence rows. Once pheasant get shot at, they just about have to be stepped on before they fly. Lot of 'em just run. Skillet shots are fine with me

It’s not ideal habitat but offers great security from aerial predators.

I was hunting antelope this year on 2 sections of CRP/native in panhandle and it held a bunch of pheasants. Problem with that country is you will get maybe one hunt before they stop holding. After that you can even cut them off or block.

Best part is birds are finally making a come back, hope to see the limit back to three soon.

Becareful you are also in Lessor Prairie chicken habitat