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Sidestepping The Hotspots

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Avoiding the very hottest pheasant habitat to bag birds may sound crazy, but it works. We bring you sage advice from an expert at avoiding the crowds by hunting the fringe for ringnecks.

It's human nature to try to be the best, to desire the best, to visit the best locations. But when you plan your next pheasant hunt, visiting the top location may not be in your best interest. For once, aim a bit lower.

Regardless of where you hunt pheasants, it's likely the prime property has been leased or bought. Access requires a checkbook. If you own your own company or a corporate jet, writing a check for a pheasant hunt won't hurt. But for the majority of the hunting population, high-cost hunts are out of the question. So sidestep the hotspots and hunt pheasants on the outside edges.

According to most state regulations, you're allowed only a few cock birds daily. You don't need to be in the midst of 1,000 pheasants flushing; 20 or 30 birds a day will do just fine. Zones less acclaimed for pheasant densities also offer more opportunities for access without paying high fees. Landowners there haven't been exposed to the intense commercialization of hunting, and haven't seen the flashing dollar signs -- not yet, anyway. Not only are landowners more willing to grant access, but the public areas also have less pressure, meaning less competition for you.

To make the most of a hunt that sidesteps the hottest of hotspots, do your research. It's easy to locate the hotspots in any given state. State conservation agencies publish pheasant densities and pheasant release sites prior to the season, but they don't hype the fringe areas, where hunting may be more difficult, but less competitive and less expensive. Here's how to find your own honeyhole on the edge of a pheasant hotspot.