Having not hunted pheasant in the last ten years I was beginning to get the bug again when my friend Jay decided to take on a new dog. After a year of hard training and work with pigeons in the field Jay felt that his pup was ready for her first real hunt.
We had a few discussions about where to go and what to do and we came to the conclusion that a game farm would be the best situation for a new dog. We did a little research and found the little known Acme Hunting Club in Deming Washington. We called the owner Jim Lallas and told him that we were planning on breaking in a new dog.
Upon arrival to the Club we were greeted by a bunch of dogs, pheasants and the owner Jim. Jim took the time to explain to us the property boundaries and the rules of his farm. He then spent the rest of the morning guiding us through the property and putting us on birds.
Jim, a dog trainer as well, planted the first bird in a easy to find spot. By planting the first bird where we knew where to direct the young dog. Getting the dog on a quick bird was a great way to set the tone and get the dog working with confidence early. Having gotten things off on the right foot was great. The birds were hot, every time we got the dog onto one the roosters would pop right up for a good shot.
After about six birds we took a break for lunch and Jim turned us loose to find the last four birds. We chased em’ down for the next hour and connected on the easy ones. Towards the end of the day we headed into some timber for a couple of challenging birds.
I am not the greatest shot in the world but I like to think I can hit a pheasant at 20 yards. This was not the case once we entered the trees. The first timber bird popped up and I took two shots with nothing to show for it but a bunch of branches falling out of a tree.
At the end of the day we ended up with 7 of the 10 pheasants we bought and put the new pup through her paces. If you are looking for a close to Seattle pheasant spot this is a diamond in the rough. Jim was very helpful and made sure that we had a great experience.
For more information on the Acme Hunting Club call Jim Lallas at 360.595.0166.