Photo by T.C. Flanigan

This is what we upland bird hunters live for: the cool, crisp and clean air of autumn, Creation's landscape splashed with fall colors, the cackle of roosters, the thump of scatterguns -- and that satisfying heft in the game bag that puts a smile on a hunter's weary face.

While those may indeed be the pheasant hunting dreams that have kept us going through another long, hot, and dry summer, none of those autumn visions of hunting grandeur guarantees us a successful hunt this fall as we trudge through upland cover once more.

So how can you tip the pheasant hunting odds in your favor and give the chef back home the prime ingredients for a favored ringneck recipe? Simple -- employ these tips and tactics from pheasant hunting's "Sizzling Seven" hottest tips for better hunting.

GET IN SHAPE
While this time-honored piece of advice might seem more appropriate for a flatlander who's heading out West to hunt high country mule deer or elk this fall, it certainly applies to pheasant hunters as well.

First, pheasant hunting generally involves plenty of walking, sometimes up and down hills, always through thick cover, and often for miles on end. Trust me, as I get older, I'm learning the value of staying in shape, even for upland bird hunting. The better shape I'm in, the longer and stronger -- and, I hope, better -- I can chase roosters.

But keeping yourself in shape is only half the battle -- especially if you hunt with a canine companion.

"Pay attention to your dog in two respects," said Bob St. Pierre, public relations manager for the conservation organization Pheasants Forever. "First, keep them hydrated and second, keep them in good condition."

By getting yourself and Fido in shape for the rigors of upland bird hunting, you'll be increasing the odds of having more successful hunts with a limit of long tailfeathers sticking out of your game vest. If not, you and your hunting dog may run out of steam many miles from the truck with a few birds still left to go toward that daily limit.

SHARPEN SHOOTING SKILLS
Keep in mind that if the goal is to increase the heft in your game bag, it pays to spend some time knocking clay pigeons from the sky before heading out to chase roosters.

Buy a box of targets, grab your favorite shotgun and shells, and head out to the shooting range or back forty to practice the same kind of shots you'll get when Mr. Ringneck cackles and erupts from cover.

"If you'll sharpen your shooting skills before you ever step foot into the field, you will cripple less birds," St. Pierre said. "By knocking off some of that rust before you set out into the field, which is obviously very important, you'll be able to make good, clean kills and not leave them out there."

But clay pigeon practice can only carry your scattergun technique so far. It also pays to give close attention to what you're actually shooting through that shotgun. "I use the same stuff all season long: open chokes and 7 1/2 shot," said Rick Young, vice-president of field operations for Pheasants Forever.

Why does this veteran pheasant hunter who has chased ringnecks for more than 30 years across a dozen states stick with the same stuff again and again? In a word, velocity.

"Most people tend to miss when they shoot shells at different velocities," he continued. "People go to trap loads (for pre-season practice) and shoot those loads with one velocity. When they go pheasant hunting, they'll switch to magnum loads that are traveling 20 percent slower, so they'll miss by shooting behind the bird or they'll cripple the bird.