Pheasant in Yuma (40B)

[Yuma Outdoorsman]

Just curious if anybody on this forum has ever been down to Yuma to pheasant hunt. They used to have this as a draw type hunt broken down into several different seasons throughout the fall. We always hoped for the later draws as the birds would color up better in October vs September. Now, it is an open hunt that follows the same dates as dove season. It has been an open hunt for a several seasons now and the pheasant are few and far between. Mix that in with the standing cotton we have left in September and it becomes really tough. We don't hunt them the "proper" way with a dog pointing them and flushing them. Instead, it becomes more of a spot and stalk or hope for them to be in an area where they think they are hidden. I am sure some people do use dogs and point them but we mostly hunt in or around the cotton fields and these pheasant won't flush easily; they usually just take off running and you can hear them on the dry leaves in the furrows. 

 

This season, we made it out several times but only managed 3 roosters. We saw 15 roosters and 3 hens total for the season. Most of the time, they run into the cotton and become almost impossible to find. We did trick a few though.

The first one, he was outside of a cotton field about 50 yards. I glassed him and walked from the opposite side of the field to where he was. He saw me and immediately hunkered down in the border and thought he was hidden. I marked him and came up from behind him and he flushed at 15 yards. When chasing pheasant in Yuma, I tend to have longer shots more often than not so I prefer #2 steel shot as the tighter pattern works great in the 30-50 yard range. Well, for this first one, I must have not put my duck loads back correctly last season and I ended up loading in BB shot and at 15 yards, I did some damage on this poor rooster. you will notice his tail feathers are completely blown off. Oops.

The 2nd one, the wind was blowing 20mph and you can see with my daughter's face holding the pheasant. It was dusty and it was getting in her eyes which is why she has the face she does in the photo. He ran across an open field in front of us and into a cut cotton field that still had the beds up but cotton was gone. I saw what bed he laid in and we walked to the spot and he ended up jumping up at about 50 yards and with that #2 shot, I was able to connect and get us the second rooster of the season. 

Last night, just before legal light was no more, I spotted this rooster in a disced cotton field. He saw us and flew to the other end of the field and just laid down. I couldn't tell exactly where he was from our location and looking back into the sun though. We drove to the other end of the field and got out and started walking to where we thought he could be. He ended up flushing up at about 60 yards and I took one shot and knocked him a little sideways but he kept going. We watched him glide across a couple fields to the south and to a ditch bank. With about 10 minutes of shooting light left, we hauled butt over there. I got out and walked the ditch bank and found him "hiding" in a tumbleweed. I got to 10 yards and he flushed up and I let him get to about 25 yards and dropped him. Rooster #3 of the season and it was the most colorful pheasant of the season for us. 

 

[jdown]

That's cool. I remember there used to be an archery season down there too (guys shot recurves at them). I had no idea it opened to the dove season. Very cool - congrats! 

[Yuma Outdoorsman]

1 hour ago, jdown said:

That's cool. I remember there used to be an archery season down there too (guys shot recurves at them). I had no idea it opened to the dove season. Very cool - congrats! 

There still is an archery only hunt for pheasant.

ARCHERY-ONLY PHEASANT Open Areas do not include areas within municipal parks, municipal preserves, county parks, county preserves, airports, golf courses, or posted water treatment facilities (except as specifically opened in this Commission Order) or areas closed to hunting under A.R.S. Sections 17-303 and 17-304 or Commission Rules R12-4-321, R12-4-801, R12-4-802 and R12-4-803. Season Dates Notes Open Areas Legal Wildlife Oct 17, 2025 - Feb 8, 2026 (3) Open areas Statewide (excluding National Wildlife Refuges) Any pheasant

[Crazymonkey]

Such cool birds. Did a hunt with my dad's gun club several  years ago . Farm raised planted birds on a private lodge . Lazy fat birds would  hardly  fly . Didn't  even know they were  a thing here. 

[PRDATR]

My son and I drew back in 2012 and went down and chased them as you described but in two days we were never close enough to get a shot off. The only other time I have seen them in AZ was back in the late 70's when one flew across the road into a citrus grove in Mesa.

[Chef]

I've flush hunted them several times around San Luis & Mexicali.

There are a lot more birds across the border than on the American side.

Great photos and thanks for sharing.  The best part is your daughter looks happy to be out there.  Awesome.