# Tower shoot



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I've never been to one. But going to go watch and help out on one in the morning. Two hundred plus pheasants will be used. Hoping I get some good pictures.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex - have designed & built 2 tower shoots 4 2 clubs - a great fund raiser 4 the clubs - #1 rule is saftey - club supplys the shells - 71/2 11/8 low brass - the course is designed with the ballistics of that shell - course rangers - saftey talk before & at half time - this list goes on - this may not V wild birds but you get a bunch of birds 4 the freezer - meet great people & pups - one thing we always do is have a club pup at each station if the shooter does not have a pup - enjoy - if the club let's shooters provide their own shells - this could V-come a disaster !!! do not want the station next 2me shooting 31/2 high brass #2's


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I kinda have an idea from REM's post, but what's a tower shoot?


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Ein - tower shoot - 10 stations with 2 guns around a armored tower where the birds are throwen from - if 200 birds you move 2 next station after 20 birds - I have done several at Elk Creek & they do have a 150ft high tower - my designs R cheap - high point on property armored with round bails - PVC stations with shells - waste bin & dead bird bin & a water bin 4 pups - mow the fields between stations & from each station 2 the tower - does give you shooting lanes


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Never seemed real sporting to me...


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

The PLUS side of Tower Shoot
1 majority of our shooters have never shot a bird
2 majority have never seen a pup retrieve a bird in the field
3 have 2 buy a hunting license
4 give a gun saftey course before and at half time with rangers in the field all day to help out
5 get 2 take home cleaned birds with recipes
6 raises money for the club
7 several people will get into pups and birds that would not have
8 parents get to hunt with child 4 first time
9 the most fun the volenteers get 2 do a after hunt the next morning !
10 not everyones cup of tea - but it is a start for some on becoming a hunter


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex - hope all went well @ the tower shoot - pics soon ? another + 4 tower shoots - great place 2 get free wings 4 dead bird drills


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Everything went great.
I didn't get in until late last night, and was dog tired.
Headed back out at 5 this morning to have breakfast, and then move duck blinds from the field. Had to let the dogs do some running in the fields. It June's birthday today. Hard to believe she's 4 now.
Just got home 30 minutes ago, and haven't downloaded the pictures yet.
It was a mix of adults and kids as shooters. Some were excellent shots, and some weren't on their game that day. Two hundred and thirty birds were used, and one hundred and seventy seven were shot and retrieved by the dogs.
Had a safety meeting before the shoot, and one hundred and twenty birds where used. A break for lunch, followed by a refresher safety meeting. Then the remaining one hundred and ten birds for the second shoot.
There were a few money birds with a ribbon on the leg.
I got to see some outstanding dog work.
I worked Cash on one of the shoots, and worked a friends lab George on the other one. George is a sweetie but I had forgotten how much labs slobber compared to vizsla.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Not to happy with myself.
I had my camera when I was running George, and my husband had the video camera when I was running Cash.
Out of all the video he took, not one of Cash's retrieves is on the video. He said he would watch him run out and get the bird, and then think Oh crap I didn't video it. I can't be mad at him, I've done the same thing myself.
It was a pretty nice set up. The tower is surrounded by a small wooded area. It gives you the impression that the birds are flying out of the woods.

One of the safety meetings.


This is George bringing me a bird.


A chocolate lab on a retrieve.


New toy came in handy.


This bird decided it was safer to stay in the woods.


A couple of dogs with their owners and the birds taken from the first shoot.


Lining up the birds from the second shoot for photos.


Most of the dogs out there belong to outfitters, and the dogs experience/drive showed. Three of the labs stood out above the rest. They didn't know the meaning of giving up on a bird, and retrieved some that were never shot. They would run a 250 yards out, hot on the trail of the flying bird. Once in went down it was theirs. Even if it took flight again, they didn't give up unless called in.
There was a pretty little weimaraner out there, that kept Cash from being the only non lab. He didn't have the distance yet on the retrieves, but did a excellent job on the 50 yard ones. He was only a little over a year old, and showed great promise. I bet his range will increase with age.
I guess you can tell I enjoyed seeing the dogs work.

Hopefully I can get my husband to get started editing all the video footage, and create a short video out of it. I never bother to learn how that camera works.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex ? where did the birds come from - our source in KY is 2-Tom's - they do ship over 15K birds 2 Texas - if they did come from here - eating the best of the Blue Grass State - LOL !!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

They came from Top Flight out of Columbus Texas.
They have their own preserve, and supply most of the outfitters and dog clubs in the area.
If anyone around Houston is looking for a place to work on their dogs hunting skills, they have a nice place.
http://www.topflighthunting.com/index.htm


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Wow, they are expensive! Is that the norm? 6 pheasants for 230?
My experience with preserves is pretty limited.
15 quail for 230.... I just bought ten for forty bucks.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

What to do with pheasant. Going to try these this week with the four we got last Sunday.

Always ask folks for ways to make a meal around pheasant.

*Pheasant piccata*
Piccata is a very easy dish to make, except for one point: To make the sauce properly, it must be finished with sweet (unsalted) butter off the heat. Skip this and the sauce will break. Have everything ready to go before you start cooking because this dish comes together quickly.
Chicken and veal cutlets are classic here, but I use pounded pheasant breasts. You can buy pheasant breasts online from MacFarlane Pheasants. Slices of a turkey breast would be good here, too, as would a cutlet made from wild boar or bear loin. You could also do it with grouse or partridge breasts.
Serve with wild rice, mashed potatoes or just a really good piece of bread. An austere white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin blanc or a Pinot Grigio, 
Serves 4. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes 
•	Breasts from 2-3 pheasants, skinless and boneless
•	Salt and black pepper
•	1/2 cup flour (any kind: I use rye flour for pheasant)
•	2 tablespoons olive oil
•	1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
•	1/2 cup white wine
•	2 tablespoons lemon juice
•	2 tablespoons small capers
•	2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1.	Put each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them flat with a rubber mallet, empty wine bottle or meat mallet. You want them about 1/4 inch thin if you can. Better to err on being too thick than thin. Salt and pepper the cutlets well and dust with the flour. White flour is traditional here, but I like to pair darker flours with game, so I use whole wheat, rye or spelt flour.
2.	Get the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter hot over medium high heat, and saute to the floured breasts for 3 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other. You may need to do this in batches. Move to a plate and tent with foil.
3.	Pour in the lemon juice and white wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the capers and boil this down by half over high heat, maybe 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and put the pheasant breasts on serving plates. Put the remaining butter in the sauté pan and swirl it around until it melts. The sauce should be emulsified and smooth. Pour over the pheasant and garnish with the parsley. Eat at once.



*Pheasant Parmesan*
Serves 4
4.	4 pheasant breasts, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup vegetable oil or pure olive oil
Spaghetti Sauce
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, parsley leaves, and oregano leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Season pheasant on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off excess, then dip in the egg and let excess drip off, then dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs.
Divide the oil between 2 large sauté pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a glass baking dish, don’t forget to spray the dish with Pam, and top each breast with some spaghetti sauce, a few slices of the mozzarella, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

V-J - it is 4 profit - LOL - a major fund raiser 4 the gun dog clubs I belong 2 - 200 bird shoot puts 1.8 - 2K back 2 the club - only because everyone working it is a Volunteers - from that we get the money 2 improve r fields and keep the cost down if they want 2 join - a WIN _ WIN 4 all of us - on the commercial side - they want a profit 2 - just a matter where U want 2 shoot - GO 2 GUNDOG CLUBS !


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Its about the norm for nice places, some are even higher.
People that do it often buy memberships.
You got to know someone to get a better deal.
The reason I go do clean up with the dogs after someone else's hunt, its free. I'd go broke if I was paying every weekend. I ran the dogs after the tower shoot in a area that has good cover. We brought home 4 more free birds that way.
REM is right, my time and dog were volunteers.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

I asked as the prices for their "normal hunts" seemed high. But again, my experience with clubs like that are pretty limited. 
I understand fundraising, and also understand "profits".
Just seemed like a lot for PR birds.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm sure a lot has to do with location and the size of the property, just the price of doing business.
Its not cheap, but cheaper than hunting wild if you day hunt on a private ranch. A one day wild quail hunt can run you $500 per person, plus lodging. Its the reason a lot of people hunt public land.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

TexasRed said:


> I'm sure a lot has to do with location and the size of the property, just the price of doing business.
> Its not cheap, but cheaper than hunting wild if you day hunt on a private ranch. A one day wild quail hunt can run you $500 per person, plus lodging. Its the reason a lot of people hunt public land.


I didnt mean to hijack your thread. It also helps makes me realize that we have it pretty good here in Kansas.
500 per gun seems more then what I could afford. 
Kudos to you for doing what you can to get your dogs into birds.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Don't worry about the hijack.
It gets information out to people.
Yes, you do have it good in Kansas.
Plenty of Texans hit the state every year during the hunting season.
I do get to run my dogs on wild quail, and take a couple of them. Its taken years of having a willing heart, and lending a helping hand, to get permission to hunt those fields.
Maybe one day I will be a high roller and get to shoot limits on private ranches. If not, I'm happy with the privileges I have now.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

It aint about shooting limits but rather getting your dogs on birds. We rarely shoot more then one or two birds really. Wild birds are worth more alive, then in the bag. Wish more people would understand that.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If the birds had a big enough come back, I would do it.
We have had better numbers in some parts of Texas , than we have had in years. Still no where near the population we had 30 years ago.
I show restraint every time my dogs point a wild covey.
If its a large enough covey, we may take one or two birds.
Any small covey gets a pass. I also redirect the dogs in a different direction, than where the covey landed.
Many of us long time hunters, have all but given up on shooting wild limits. 
What are the chances of someone that has already retired becoming a high roller? I would figure they are about the same as quail making a big enough come back to shoot limits. Neither is probably going to ever happen, but I can still dream.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Yeah, we also don't hunt after three oclock or so to let them covey back up.... Especially if it's cold or wet.


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