An Outdoorsman’s Journal - Anything for a pheasant

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters sponsored by

Hello friends, Twenty years ago I met Mike Kindschi on the frozen waters of Lake Winnibigoshish. Last year I met him for the second time and was invited to hunt pheasants on his family farm that covers 2000 acres in Dane County, near Mazomanie. This week’s column covers four attempts at harvesting a pheasant and several muzzleloader hunts. The Kindschi farm is pure paradise and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it.

Wednesday, Nov. 1 High 50, Low 37

This column will sound like a ton of failure, but I enjoyed every bit of the 11 pheasant/muzzleloader hunts it covers. The Kindschi family farm is surrounded by public land, it is very close to the Wisconsin River and public land where pheasant are released. My plan was to potentially harvest a pheasant that possibly had wandered on to this beautiful property. Before I left home today, I had to practice with my crossbow as I was going to go on a 24-hour getaway with it the next day to Durand where I knew I would harvest a super huge buck.

This would be my first experience using my crossbow, which I inherited from a very good friend during the early bow season. This crossbow is top grade, in mint condition and stored properly. I let a bolt fly and was about 2 inches low at 25 yards. I let another bolt fly, and the string blew up on my vertical bow and about took my head off. I had to go to the bank on my ride to pheasant paradise and had a cut on my ear that was bleeding very bad. I did the drive-up window and the teller did not ask any questions.

My pheasant hunt went like my crossbow experience. There was a rooster that was cackling and that would be my only experience. Ruby and Red flushed him, and I had three extremely easy shots and missed.

Wednesday, Nov. 15 High 49, Low 29

I am back on the Kindschi farm and my pups Ruby and Red are trying very hard to flush me a bird. There is one problem and that is too much standing corn. This mother-daughter team is doing an excellent job of quartering in front of me in both grass and corn. They flushed one rooster, and I did not get a good shot but regardless, I failed. The drive from my home to the Kindshi farm is about 80 minutes. To be perfectly honest, when I miss or do not flush any birds I honestly do not care. Mike Kindschi calls it shoot and release. Here is how I define it. I am exploring, my pups are about as happy as they can be and the view and history of this farm that used to be worked by German prisoners of war, always has my mind working.

Friday, Dec. 1 High 39, Low 26

Today I would start out pheasant hunting and finish with a muzzleloader hunt. This would be my fourth muzzleloader hunt in five days. I hunted six times on my food plot during the 10-day season, and today I would be in a box blind. First, the pheasant hunt and the pups were on fire. They now know the game and today they flushed seven hens and one rooster, all separate experiences so it was a lot of fun. Once again, I had a very easy shot at the rooster and 100 percent blew it. I have to admit though that I was very pleased with the pups’ performance. I did have another very unique experience when Ruby brought me a present and dropped it at my feet. She caught an opossum. It was a good-sized one and she carried it with ease. It played possum and we left it unharmed.

The muzzleloader hunt was my first in a box blind. I have to admit, I realized for a fact that I am a tree stand or on the ground guy. Simply put, I have to be immersed in the hunt and my environment. I saw two deer, but both were out of range.

I returned for the last day of muzzleloader, did a quick pheasant hunt, with no flushes. I finished with a muzzleloader hunt while lying on the ground watching a harvested soybean field. I did not see a deer. I did not care a bit. The field work for this column covered 11 hunts, 30 days and I enjoyed every minute of all of them.

Enjoy your day! Sunset