Incredibly stupid question.

[MrBojangles]

Basically, how do you do it?

I live in southeastern Pennsylvania, and a house with land is incredibly expensive. I think private land is the best way to go bird hunting. You can manage your land as you please and also you control the extent of hunting pressure.

But, although I thought I would have solved this problem decades ago, I haven’t.

I live on a third of an acre.

What is the minimum amount of land I should be looking for, but again, it’s likely to be prohibitive in cost.

I really can’t move because my wife and I have to have something called a JOB. I would like a good hunting dog but I can’t work from home at all, despite this being supposedly widespread and my wife rarely can. I think it’s unfair to keep a dog cooped up in the house all day and, also, where can I work it?

How do I even find public land for bird hunting?

The best I can figure out is public land for deer and for fishing but the pressure is intense. I haven’t had a shot at a deer in years and fly fishing netted two trout last year, one too small to keep, and this year, none. Unlike last year, I haven’t even seen a trout. I don’t go out opening day for anything due to crowds, but this year so far I haven’t even seen one of the 3.2 million trout stocked by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania this year.

But I digress. Let’s stick to how to do the bird dog thing with the life happens part getting in the way and how to find a place to pheasant hunt? I think grouse, woodcock, and quail would be just about impossible.

And I apologize for this incredibly dumb question, especially considering how old I am.

[Victor Wasylyna]

Mr. Bojangles:

Start by adding an electric fence to your third of an acre and getting your name on a good breeder's list for a birddog. A setter would be a great choice! Then, when you get the call from the breeder, pull out the cash and go pick the cutest/prettiest puppy they have. My setter spends all day outside, contained by the electric fence. I keep the garage door cracked in the winter. After sunset is about the only time my setter is in (and wants to be in) the house.

Once you have that beautiful birddog, get in your truck and drive to the birds. Pen-raised, wild; hunt them all. Bird contacts make a great birddog.

Pennsylvania offers plenty of opportunities for grouse, woodcock and pheasant, possibly even released chukar and quail. And much more public hunting land than I have here in Ohio. Get yourself the Scout n Hunt map for Pennsylvania and, perhaps, Michigan and New York (https://mobilehuntingmaps.com/), and let that birddog run. He/she will teach you the rest.

-Victor

[Bill Murphy]

"State Game Lands" are all over Pennsylvania. Open to the public, free access, and stocked Pheasants. The map is available, again, free. I don't use them because I can't walk and lost my Wirehair a few years ago.

[mobirdhunter]

Victor and Bill have great advice. Mine is to also save hard for an early retirement, but hunt every chance you can until then. At first you'll be hunting for places to hunt (and it seems there are quite a few in PA). Once you find some covers and coverts, name them, love them, and treat them well with that new pup Victor just suggested you get.

[Chris Pope]

Networking. Find a local hunting dog club- there are many. Some clubs focus on one breed, some on type (pointers, retrievers, versatile etc). My preferred is the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) which has 90+ clubs in the US and Canada. I have been a member for a little over 10 years. Even if you do not own a dog attend local events which are almost always on weekends for working folks. Speak to a club officer and offer to volunteer to assist with a training day or test day. You will meet men and women who love dogs and a majority who hunt. Get to know them. Through this networking you will learn about different upland opportunities, how others manage a busy work life yet raise and train their own dogs. You will likely find breeders with some well bred dogs and proven track records. I have made some great friends over the years. And I've even had some sweet new coverts shared with me. It's just a thought...

[John Davis]

Ian, I can’t speak to Pennsylvania but down here if you want to set up a course with several very small food plots where you can put out quail, chukar or pheasants to train your bird dog, you’d need around 150 contiguous acres. The course can be laid out to be around 45 minutes on foot, 30 minutes off horseback, without finds.