EUROPEAN PHEASANT HUNTSHere at Ringneck Haven, we have begun offering European Pheasant hunts as an additional option to our upland game bird hunters. Our European Hunting Course features a 30 ft. tall release tower surrounded by 10 shooting stations. Each station consists of two hunter stands separated by straw bales for safety. A hunt requires a minimum of 10 hunters (one for each station), up to a maximum of 20 hunters (one for each stand). Through the year, we keep a list of interested hunters and use that list to fill in any scheduled hunts that have only been partially filled. If you have a group of 10 or more, you will have the option of naming the date of your hunt and first option at booking the clean-up hunt the next day.
If you have never been on a European Pheasant Hunt, it is hard to imagine the fun and excitement such a hunt provides. Please come with a clean gun and several boxes of shells. A pump action or semi-auto gun is highly recommended, and don’t be afraid to take out the plug. You will have many opportunities to shoot 4 or 5 times at a passing bird. Loaner guns are available if you only own a double barrel. If you are thinking that this type of shooting will be like shooting ducks in a barrel, you will be in for a surprise. Remember, the birds are released from a tower and are over 30 ft. high when they start. Then they fly about 30 yards before they get into range, so they are generally higher yet and flying at full speed. Many times, a bird will shoot the gap between stations, and each of the 4 hunters will unload his gun at a high flying rooster, only to see it softly land several hundred yards away in the grass.
Our Hunt is a 15 bird per hunter smorgasbord of fun, and is priced at only $285 per hunter including tax. The day begins at 11:15 with check in. If you would like to shoot some trap to get warmed up prior to check in, call in advance to schedule at no extra charge. We will have a short safety talk and orientation at 11:45, followed by lunch. At 1:00, we will load up and drive to the hunting area, where we will board the Ringneck Haven War Wagon to go to the Course. The hunters will be assigned stations during orientation, and the hunt will begin. We will release 10% of the birds at a leisurely pace, and rotate stations. This will be repeated during the afternoon, with a break after the 5th rotation. The hunt will normally end about 4:00, and we will adjourn back to the clubhouse for snacks and stories while our staff cleans and packs the birds.
We mentioned above the Clean-up hunt on the day after each European hunt. Normally, a good shooting percentage for a European Hunt is between 60-70%. Therefore, if we have a full hunt, we would be releasing 300 pheasants over the course of an afternoon, and about 100 of them would be left to hunt the next day. Our clean up hunt consists of a regular field hunt at our regular price, but with NO BAG LIMIT. Imagine the fun and excitement being able to go after that many birds on the following day. First option to book the clean up hunt will be given to the largest group attending the European Hunt. Call for additional details.
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