1 Let's say you're chasing pheasants on a crowded public hunting area in the morning, but all the roosters have escaped to the safety of private lands. Try revisiting the hunting area in the ­evening, when pheasants will be returning to their usual grassy cover.

2 Hunt hard and hunt smart when pheasant populations are low. Look for spots other hunters might be passing by.

3 Think of pheasant ­hunting like fishing. You wouldn't cast your lure randomly over the entire lake. You concentrate your efforts on "structure" such as rock piles and weed patches. The same rule applies with pheasant hunting. Hunt "structure" such as patches of willow or other vegetation.

4 Somewhere out there in an expansive sea of grass is a rooster hiding. The more ground you cover, the greater your chances of finding that bird.