How has the pheasant hunting been this year?

[Qbn Hunter]

I haven't been able to go to Mexicali this year, but a friend of mine who goes down there almost everyweek says that the pheasant hunting is pretty dang good this year. How have you guys done down there?

[QALHNTR]

Well, I made my trip on the 17th and boy did I have fun. We stayed at Campo El Mayor at the 56km marker. The home was right on the Rio Hardy (?) back water. Can't believe all the birds. We usually headed back around the 35 - 45km markers to hunt.

My previous post was in error. These guys haven't been going for 15 years. Heck NO, the oldest guy has been going since '46!!!

Anyhoo, six hunters - 69,74,75,89, 44 (me) and 26. Needless to say, we didn't do any long quail hikes and for the most part didn't have to. They were EVERYWHERE! Dove were super plentiful and I had some of the best, easiest, non-splattered hunting in a long time. We grilled our game each night.

Pheasant were a different story. We saw 5 - 10 each day just gliding into the fields. We saw most in the milo-maze crops. On Saturday we finally did a few drives when we found some smallish (5 acre) plots. I wish we could have done it all week. Each drive ended with a burst of 5 - 20 birds. If the guys weren't so old, we could have done this forever.

I'm in denial - all the warnings about guides, federales etc. were way overblown. I'd never do it by myself, but these oldtimers knew all the ropes. We were questioned one day by another guide asking why we didn't have our own guide. Oh, old Chano is our guide and he is too drunk after our celebration last night to join us No problemo senor. I'll just chalk it up to luck of the Irish and shear ignorance on my end.

We were pulled over for a search on the way back in across the border. One of two DFG field agents for the border crossings (his words) did the very thorough search and filled us in on some of the yearly confusion.

PER MR. AGENT - when you come across the border and declare birds you forfeit your Mexican tag!!! If you have a 60 dove card and bring ONE back, that's all you get. You'll have to buy another tag/card if you come again. Same with quail and pheasant. HIS ADVICE - be lucky enough to have a home/trailer south of the border and just freeze your birds and leave them until you're ready for your last return of the season. That's exactly what we did.

MORE MR. AGENT ADVICE - if you've got a 60 dove card, you CAN bring 60 back to CA with a declaration form BUT,BUT, BUT, be sure to leave a wing on. It's his biggest citation offense. Of course the old-timers haven't been doing this but that just means we'll have to eat more dove kabobs next trip.

I hope everyone has as much fun as I did - stay safe.

[RoosterKiller]

We had an exellent year.Plenty of pheasants. You can go by fields and count 30 roosters easily.

In any given day you will see hundreds of birds.
Roosterkiller