Redfish and Flounder to Pheasant

[McGeeOJ]

Hello gentlemen. My name is McGee and I currently live in Charleston, South Carolina. My wife has been offered a kingpin job in Northern Utah and we will soon be moving out west. As an avid hunter and huge inshore fisherman I am excited to move out your way to shoot long range and start pheasant hunting, even though I have never lived anywhere less than 500 yards from the water. I've got an L.C. Smith SXS 16 gauge F/F and wondering if this is what you guys advise for bird hunting? I am also interested in meeting up with some people out there who have some land and want a new hunting buddy. Even willing to work/help out on the farm to gain trust/respect. I am 33 and, hopefully, going to find a Principal/Assistant Principal job in Utah/Southwest Wyoming. I'm also into fly fishing and, believe it or not, we get down on some tailing redfish on flood tides here with fly gear. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and I am looking forward to reading some of your posts and getting into some serious bird hunting around your way.

McGee

[Dakotazeb]

Welcome to the UPH site. This is the place to be when it comes to pheasant hunting and a few other things.

You asked about your 16 ga. Elsie being an okay gun for pheasant/upland bird hunting. The 16 ga. is perfect. It's all I've been shooting for the past 3 years. You will also find several 16 ga. lovers on this site. As far as it being choked F/F, that could be an issue. Most would recommend that you shoot IC/Mod in a two barrel gun. Full is just way more constriction than you need. Plus it takes steel shot out of the equation for those areas it's required. There are non-tox alternatives to steel, but they are expensive. Not sure if you could have your Elsie bored out or better yet have choke tubes installed. Then again you may not want to do that either. Maybe a new shotgun is what you need???

[BritChaser]

Originally Posted by McGeeOJ

Hello gentlemen. My name is McGee and I currently live in Charleston, South Carolina. My wife has been offered a kingpin job in Northern Utah and we will soon be moving out west. As an avid hunter and huge inshore fisherman I am excited to move out your way to shoot long range and start pheasant hunting, even though I have never lived anywhere less than 500 yards from the water. I've got an L.C. Smith SXS 16 gauge F/F and wondering if this is what you guys advise for bird hunting? I am also interested in meeting up with some people out there who have some land and want a new hunting buddy. Even willing to work/help out on the farm to gain trust/respect. I am 33 and, hopefully, going to find a Principal/Assistant Principal job in Utah/Southwest Wyoming. I'm also into fly fishing and, believe it or not, we get down on some tailing redfish on flood tides here with fly gear. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and I am looking forward to reading some of your posts and getting into some serious bird hunting around your way.

McGee

Your gun will be just fine, sport. You'll have wild ruffed grouse and chukar partridge there in Utah and nearby. E.g, three hours to Elko and you're in prime chukar country and loads of BLM land. For trout you've got the Green below Flaming Gorge reservoir, the Provo, and others. Enjoy and thanks for checking in with us.

[McGeeOJ]

Thank you both very much for your prompt and informative replies. Brit, I guess I could hunt on public land if that is my only option. However, two issues arise with this and one being an actual issue and the other is my being a private land brat here. First, I am spoiled and have over 4,500 private acres of prime hog/deer hunting land here and it's going to be tough to have to go back to fighting for space, but such is life. 2.) I really want to go with people who know what they're doing and gain some insight on habitat, bird hunting etiquette and basically make some friends who have similar interests. We duck hunt a fair amount here but it's from boats in the Santee River just south of Georgetown. The pickings are slim but it's nice to cook breakfast over a coleman in a boat on the side of the river with some buddies. Thanks for the info on the shotgun. I too read that full chokes may be an issue but also heard from some of my more knowledgeable friends that some guys swear by it. Looking forward to heading out that way and I appreciate your time.

McGee

[FCSpringer]

Welcome aboard. And good luck out there. Yep your 16 should do the job. I only have a 12 just because I need it for everything. But some day I will most likely add a utility gun for just certain things. I had to trade everything else in to afford the one I bought for now, LOL

[quail hound]

I think after you get settled in you should be able to find some private land to hunt. As to "fighting" crowds on public land in Utah and chukar country, I don't think that wil be much of an issue.

[McGeeOJ]

Awesome, and thanks guys. FCSpringer beautiful dogs. Quail hound, I hope that is true. Hope all is well.

[quail hound]

Trust me chukar country is where its at for a person who likes solitude. Here are my chukar hills, some 20,000+ acres all to myself whenever I so please to haunt it. Beware though chukar hunting is tough and extremely addictive.

[BritChaser]

Originally Posted by McGeeOJ

Thank you both very much for your prompt and informative replies. Brit, I guess I could hunt on public land if that is my only option. However, two issues arise with this and one being an actual issue and the other is my being a private land brat here. First, I am spoiled and have over 4,500 private acres of prime hog/deer hunting land here and it's going to be tough to have to go back to fighting for space, but such is life. 2.) I really want to go with people who know what they're doing and gain some insight on habitat, bird hunting etiquette and basically make some friends who have similar interests. We duck hunt a fair amount here but it's from boats in the Santee River just south of Georgetown. The pickings are slim but it's nice to cook breakfast over a coleman in a boat on the side of the river with some buddies. Thanks for the info on the shotgun. I too read that full chokes may be an issue but also heard from some of my more knowledgeable friends that some guys swear by it. Looking forward to heading out that way and I appreciate your time.

McGee

It'll take you some time to get your mind wrapped around the vastness of BLM land in the west. There is no such thing as "fighting for space" on the BLM lands of the west. 4,500 acres of private land is nothing compared to where you're going.

[McGeeOJ]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I am looking forward to heading out that way and will leave the shotgun be for the time being. Probably going to do some shooting with it and if it sucks (or better yet if I suck) I'll just buy another one. Been investigation BLM land and the recommended dogs you guys have suggested. Also been youtubing some Chukar, pheasant and other bird hunting out west. Getting pretty riled up about it. If anyone has any pictures or other suggestions please feel free to post. Also, Quailhound, do you have any suggested public land that is great for hunting and not as pressured?