Looking for guided pheasant hunts in Washington state ?
Pheasant hunting is a great way to get introduced to upland bird hunting for beginners. You don’t need a lot of equipment and although the finer points may take years to learn, it doesn’t take much to grasp a basic understanding of how to hunt pheasants.
If you’re thinking about getting started in pheasant hunting or just need a refresher, hiring a professional pheasant hunting guide is the way to go !
In this post we'll share our own personal experience going pheasant hunting with a guide in Eastern Washington...
The ring-neck pheasant is one of the largest and certainly the most brightly colored of Washington’s upland birds.
The ring-neck isn’t native to Washington, or even to North America. The first pheasants were brought from China, and successfully introduced into several areas of Eastern Washington later in 1890's...
But for beginner hunters, on a guided trip on a private property you are assured of a high quality experience.
Here are a few tips you need to know before you book your first guided pheasant hunt in Washington state :
Learn to shoot !
While most outfitters/guides don't require any previous hunting experience, they expect you to know how to shoot a shotgun...
If you've ever shot anything with any gun, you know you need some experience to hit a target...
You can only imagine that shooting a moving target could be much harder...
That's why, before going on a guided pheasant hunt ( or any upland bird hunt for that matter ), I recommend you take at least one clay shooting class.
Don't worry about shotguns/ammo/hunting license
Shotguns/ammo/license needed for upland hunting is diffrent from big game hunting... But you don't have to worry about it b/c most outfitters/guides will provide their own guns/ammo/hunting license ( if you're hunting on private property ).
TIP: Make sure all the gear ( shotgun/ammo/orange vest/hunting license ) is included in the price !
How many pheasants will you be hunting ?
Depending on whether you'll be hunting wild or tamed pheasants, most outfitters/guides will guarantee a certain number of bird per trip...
Just keep in mind, even though it's a guided hunt with a guaranteed number of birds being released, it's still your job to shoot those birds... In other words, if you don't shoot a single bird, don't blame your guide for "an unsuccessful hunt".
Bring a cooler for your trophy !
If you're lucky to shoot a bird or two ( or more ! ), your guide will clean the birds for you ( and you'll have a great hands-on experience learning how to do that ! )... Just make sure you bring a cooler to keep the meat fresh.
Be prepared to walk a lot
Depending on the area you'll be hunting on, you might have to walk a lot on harsh terrain while carrying a shotgun...
Make sure you're physically fit for this adventure ! Your guide is NOT your servant/porter, and he won't carry you, your gun, or your designer bags...
Also, make sure you're dressed accordingly... Pheasant hunting in Eastern Washington runs from early September till late March... And even though the weather in Eastern Washington is much better ( comparing to Central/Western Washington ), there is still a chance you might be hunting in rain, sun or/and snow !
Create great memories/experiences while learning something new !
B/c it's a guided hunt, many people treat it literally like a walk in the park ( expecting their guide to do everything for them ! ).
By all means have a great time, and take a lot of pictures, but also listen to your guide, and try to learn something new ! Even if you're not really into hunting, most local guides are very knowledgeable not only about hunting, but also about the local area, history, geography, and nature...
For us, pheasant hunting was a great father-son experience ( check out the video below ), and if you're looking for our recommendations for a guide, check out our new website "Best Hunting & Fishing Guides"
