Flushing in Norfolk County

Norfolk County is one of Ontario's finest pheasant hunts

There is little more exciting than the flush of a cock bird from the natural cover of southern Ontario’s Norfolk County.

By Jeff Helsdon Jeff is an avid turkey hunter who lives in Southwestern Ontario

April 12, 2023

The flush of a cock pheasant is something that continues to make my heart skip a beat, even though I’ve experienced it hundreds of times.

Outside of game farms, pheasant hunting in Ontario means visiting Pelee Island or one of the townships with a pheasant release program. Of these programs, Norfolk County ’s is one of the finest. It sees a total of 750 birds released on eight different sites. While many programs release birds only prior to the season, Norfolk’s releases are staggered throughout for a hunt that is well worth the County licence fee.

Norfolk County is unique in Southwestern Ontario in the amount of natural cover remaining. Friend Archer Downey and I set out with our dogs in early November, enjoying the rolling landscape along with the anticipation of Norfolk pheasant. It’s a warm day for November and I am wearing only a blaze orange sweat jacket.

man hunting pheasant — Southern Ontario’s Norfolk County releases pheasant in eight different areas, staggered throughout the season. (Photo credit: Jeff Helsdon)

We are about five minutes from the parking lot when the dogs get birdy. My springer spaniel Hank flushes a cock bird about 30 yards in front of me. It rises almost vertically before I connect with my second shot.

Archer and I separate, he working the edge of the gully and I the higher land. He flushes one bird but I can’t get a shot off, as I’m not sure where he is. Soon he yells to warn there is a bird on the move and heading toward the woods. I head in that direction and spot the bird. It runs back into the grass and flushes, hits a maximum altitude of four feet, and heads down again. I manage to get a shot off, but can’t get under the bird.

It's not long before we hear another cock bird calling and close in. Just as I realize Hank is on the bird and pushing the edge of range, he flushes it. Archer and I both fire but don’t connect. Hank redeems himself, following the bird and flushing it again. It lands in a wooded section next to us. Archer and his wirehair pointer, Eicken, work along the grass while I am on the inside of the woods. Eicken flushes the bird and presents a crossing shot in front of me. I swing and hit it at 25 yards.

We work our way back to the vehicles and flush two birds along the way, but neither is a good shot due to heavy cover between us and the birds. All told we flushed nine birds in two hours – good pheasant hunting in just about anybody’s books.

Click here for Norfolk County Hunting Opportunities

Norfolk County Map

Norfolk County Tourism Website

Ontario Waterfowl Hunting Trips

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About Jeff Helsdon

Jeff Helsdon calls the turkey-rich woods of southwestern Ontario home. He's hunted turkeys in two Canadian provinces and in the United States. He's completed a Canadian slam of turkey hunting, bagging Eastern birds and a Merriam's in western Canada. When he's not turkey hunting, Jeff enjoys fishing with his family, especially on Lake Erie, and hunting for upland game, waterfowl, and deer.