Pheasant Hunting

[abrams12]

Hey everyone, I've heard there is a place around Indy that you can pay to hunt Pheasant. I believe it is called Camp Atterbury. I have looked briefly online, but was unable to find any information regarding prices, dates and times. Does anyone have experience hunting there? Thanks.

 

[Noway Jose]

I was there a couple weeks ago. Just make sure you stop by the dnr office prior to going out. It's on the north side of the road if you pass the area entrance and keep going west. No fees or permits required beyond proper state hunting license.

Edit: sorry for the poor reading comprehension. I was eating lunch and checking my FF roster while posting. My post applies to other game though!

 

[sig shooter]

Camp Atterbury offers put and take pheasant hunting. The cost is 25.00 per person. You can register on line . You can take 2 birds male or female. Good luck. It closes the Sunday after Thanksgiving

 

[Giddaltti]

What is put and take?

 

[CountryBoy19]

What is put and take?

You pay for "pen raised" pheasant to be "put" into the field and then you go "take" them.

Don't be mislead by the name "pen raised". While these birds may sit a bit tighter than a true wild bird, they are still very much wild birds often raised in a pen that is kept distant from humans etc.

 

[remauto1187]

I miss the days of the 80's when I could goto any cornfield with a runoff ditch in central illinois and get my limit in less than 30mins....every day! Those were great times. The pheasant and quail population had been noticeably coming back the last 4 years now though.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Just an FYI I have hunted the Atterbury put and take several times and will never go again. Too many hunters, too close together, with too many gung ho attitudes. I have been peppered with shot more there than any other place. My dog even refuses to get out of the truck there. The last time I hunted there people actually ran into the fields scattering birds everywhere blasting away like the 4th of July. I waited about 10 minutes and walked in and kicked up 2 birds within 50 yards and was done. Not exactly sporting. Any of the other DNR put and takes are better than Atterbury.

 

[Zoub]

If you truly enjoy hunting, get up a little earlier and head South from Indy to Lost River Game Farm. My favorite field there is nicknamed Purgatory. It is a smaller field and has uneven terrain and a natural mix of field and woods. You will spend more on gas and birds but you will have a great day.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Just an FYI I have hunted the Atterbury put and take several times and will never go again. Too many hunters, too close together, with too many gung ho attitudes. I have been peppered with shot more there than any other place. My dog even refuses to get out of the truck there. The last time I hunted there people actually ran into the fields scattering birds everywhere blasting away like the 4th of July. I waited about 10 minutes and walked in and kicked up 2 birds within 50 yards and was done. Not exactly sporting. Any of the other DNR put and takes are better than Atterbury.

Does Atterbury not assign certain areas to certain hunters? I've always done Put-n-Take at Glendale FWA. They group you up with other hunters and then assign you to a certain area. It is typically in your best interest to hunt WITH those other hunters. But in some areas it makes sense to split the group up into 2 smaller groups.

 

[cdmiller]

Was deer hunting at Atterbury with son, Sunday 11/24/13, saw several cocks and hens north of Pisgah lake and several cocks in 12A-12C. ALOT!!! of bird hunters including many in areas with dogs outside of dog areas. Really throwing off deer hunting with so many bird hunters very loudly running all over the place firing at everything and anything. We had to leave the area we had set up in for our own safety. There is an additional $25 fee at Atterbury for the put and take, cocks only, from my understanding.

 

[tobi]

I Agree - I went to an Atterbury put & take once and will never go back. Some hunters were running down the field and some were getting out of their cars when the hunt began. I was somewhere in the middle. I kicked up a bird and the hunter running in front of me turned to shoot - pointing his gun directly at me

 

[Birdblastingbrad]

You can take hens as well at the p-n-t hunts. Yes, $25.00 gets two birds. You are assigned an area, along with about 378 other hunters!!! You NEED a dog, but keep him close.

List river is nice, as is Sugar Creek in Mitchell. My opinion is that lost river is a bit more like Roughing it, whereas Sugar Creek is a bit more "upscale". Don't take that the wrong way, Sugar Creek is just a bit friendlier to the hunters and more accommodating to new hunters and dogs.

 

[AtTheMurph]

I Agree - I went to an Atterbury put & take once and will never go back. Some hunters were running down the field and some were getting out of their cars when the hunt began. I was somewhere in the middle. I kicked up a bird and the hunter running in front of me turned to shoot - pointing his gun directly at me

+1000 don't do it.

if you want a good game farm go to Kickapoo Kennel > Hunting Kickapoo near Attica.

 

[Hookeye]

6 and 6B at Winamac this morning, they were a boomin' !

 

[Birdblastingbrad]

I Agree - I went to an Atterbury put & take once and will never go back. Some hunters were running down the field and some were getting out of their cars when the hunt began. I was somewhere in the middle. I kicked up a bird and the hunter running in front of me turned to shoot - pointing his gun directly at me

Well, I hunted Atterbury the last two days and can honestly say that I had no such bad experience. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it was one of the better public land bird hunting experiences I've had. Apparently, they have cut back on the number of hunters per area. Yesterday I went as part of a group of four in area N1 and that was all that was permitted for the area. Today, we hunted area Q and was again in a group of four, and only ran into one other fellow and his lab, though the area was open for up to 6 hunters. Birds flew great! I'll definitely return!

 

[Willob]

Has anyone on this site hunted the leftover birds after the put and take? Just wondering how crowded and how successful that is.

 

[Tnichols00]

We have been going to Thorn Bottom for many years now. Brad and Ann are great, you can bring your own dogs or rent their dogs. Plus they have many different fields to hunt and you will never feel crowded.
Welcome to Thorn Bottom! | Thorn bottom Hunting

We use to go out to Minnesota years ago and hunt wild birds but after hunting thorn bottom we havnt been back to Minnesota. B

 

[sig shooter]

Hunting clean up can be fun. Most times you will need a dog. The first couple days are the most crowded. also depends on the property that you hunt. I hunt Glendale not much pressure

 

[Huzrjim]

We have been going to Thorn Bottom for many years now. Brad and Ann are great, you can bring your own dogs or rent their dogs. Plus they have many different fields to hunt and you will never feel crowded.
Welcome to Thorn Bottom! | Thorn bottom Hunting

We use to go out to Minnesota years ago and hunt wild birds but after hunting thorn bottom we havnt been back to Minnesota. B

SPOT ON!! Going to Thorn Bottom next week - my fifth year in a row. Great hunting, guides, food for lunch and just plain good folk!!

 

[dnurk]

Tagging for future ideas on local preserves. 3 trips a year to South Dakota are no longer an option for me.