If you find a likely spot and it's private, make it a point to stop at several farmsteads in the area and meet the farmers.

If you hunt with a dog, let them know that. Be pleasant. Don't be discouraged if the farmer says no.

At the risk of wearing out your welcome, visit a while longer even if he does say no. Make small talk. Ask about his land. Let him sense that you are a responsible hunter. If you stay polite and don't rush off, the farmer may change his mind

Try hunkering. That's when you and the landowner both kneel down and start drawing maps and outlines in the dirt. Once the landowner starts drawing maps of his property in the dust, you are almost home. Chances are that if you get this far, permission to hunt will soon follow.

YOUR DOG
Second only to your gun, your dog is an important tool in the field. Think of your pup as an athlete. You cannot suddenly take a dog out hunting after he's been in the kennel or yard during the off-season. Exercise him daily, and give the dog plenty of water.

Have your vet give pup a check up in the off-season. Make sure all his shots are up-to-date.

If you plan on hunting in ice and snow, fit your dog with a good set of boots. This will help him hunt on frozen ground and prevent frostbite.

I use vet wrap on pup's legs, then the boots. And then I tape the boots to the vet wrap. The tape doesn't pull off hair when removed and also avoids lost boots.

If there are rattlesnakes where you hunt, ask your vet about the new shots that reduce the effects of a snakebite.

In addition to exercising your dog, always include some training as you go along. Re-enforce "Here," and "Whoa" commands. But don't spend the whole time on training. Keep it fun for both you and the dog.

If your pup can find and point at wild birds in the exercise field, all the better. Before the season opener, some hunters book a day or two at a shooting resort and work their dogs on pen birds. Others find that trapped and planted pigeons will give their dogs an edge.

One of the most common mistakes that hunters make is not paying attention to the wind and making the dog hunt backward. For best scenting, hunt and run your pup with the wind in your face. This will help the dog find the birds and prevent those flushes from behind you.

If you'll be hunting large row-crop fields, a swift pace will make even an old pheasant nervous and take to the air. The key is to slow down, with complete stops quite often.

Here again, a good dog will prevent many walk-bys and assist with the cripples. It's a rare hunter who can run down a broken-wing pheasant on a plowed field.

During periods of bad weather, double-check brushy draws, waterways and heavy cover like overgrown hillsides. Some hunters should surround the area to spot for obvious escape routes.

Then one or two of you should walk slowly down the draw with at least one dog, to work all the heavy cover and hiding places. Let your dog root out any birds hugging the cover.

Hunting pheasants is a worthwhile and enjoyable upland hunt. Now that you know where pheasants live, eat and spend their days, all you'll need to do is hit these one of these fast-flying game birds.

Easy, huh? Well, maybe not. But it sure beats a day in the office!