To be successful, search for strip cover next to plowed or harvested fields, restricting escape routes each side of the cover. This means the birds have nowhere to go but forward. After pushing ahead 50 to 100 yards, back out and move outside of the main cover, then quietly dash ahead 200 to 300 yards. Once ahead of the birds, jump back into the cover and quickly push back toward where you quit earlier. The confused birds often think they are being pinched from both sides and stop to evaluate the danger, causing them to hold tight and then flush within shotgun range.

Another tactic involves the repeat of a hunt. Why waste the time and effort? Birds on the fringe may have seen hunting pressure from orange-clad nimrods and four-legged predators alike; they know that holding tight means survival. But if you work the cover twice, it'll be almost too much to take for even a pheasant with nerves of steel. Hunt the field into the wind first to give your dog an advantage in smelling birds. Instead of leaving when you reach the end, turn around and hunt it back, again taking your time. You won't be flushing swarms of pheasants, but you stand a good chance of finishing out your limit with a tight-sitting rooster.

Flushing dogs are the species of choice in the main pheasant belt, but when you're hunting fringe areas, pointers provide an effective adversary against tight-sitting roosters. It's also not as frustrating for pointing dogs that can go schizophrenic in hotspots loaded with hundreds of birds. Instead of trying to pinpoint one rooster in dozens of scent trails, pointers find fringe areas with low densities more suited to their style. Just be sure to work with your pointer during pre-season training so it will stay close and hunt smart. Rushing through cover in fringe areas means missing tight-sitting pheasants.

Don't get me wrong: Hunting the best pheasant country is a unique experience, but one that may be beyond your budget limitations. Sidestep the hotspots and hunt the fringe. You may not experience the pleasure of being awed by the sight of hundreds or thousands of birds, but you're sure to be awed by some of the best hunts at the right price.