Last season, I found myself on a weedy point near a small river, following my young and inexperienced German wirehair pointer.

Author Jim Foster and Chip, an English setter, show a brace of Rocky Mountain ringnecks. Photo courtesy of Jim Foster.

The pup went on alert and doubled back along the river. Turning, she stuck her nose into the weeds and stopped. I pushed the safety forward and was about to take a step when two birds cackled into the air. The left barrel of my L.C. Smith tumbled the first bird, while its right barrel punched little holes in the sky.

That lucky rooster reached its height and sailed into a stand of cattails several hundred yards away.

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If you're looking for information about chasing pheasants in the Rocky Mountain States, where to find wild pheasants and where the shooting may be good, keep reading.

Note that prices for preserve hunts will vary, depending on the services and game they offer. It's wise to give them a call.

ARIZONA
The Grand Canyon State has decent pheasant hunting. It's just that there's no substantial population of wild pheasants.

The problem is a lack of suitable habitat. Hardcore pheasant nimrods must either travel out of state or else hunt one of the shooting resorts with pen-raised birds.

Many of these resorts offer only quail and chukars, so be sure to ask before you make the trip.

Two I can recommend are:

• Desert Pheasant Recreation in Coolidge. Call them at (520) 723-7234, or check out their Web site at http://pheasantrec.com/index.html.
• YMCA'S High Desert Hunt Club in Mayer. You can visit them at www.ymcahighdeserthuntclub.org, or call (928) 632-7226.

COLORADO
Offering more than 160,000 acres of walk-in access property, Colorado can easily be called a pheasant state.

However, success on public land when the season opens is the direct result of time spent planning and burning shoe leather.

The most popular areas, located in northeast Colorado, can be found in Phillips, Logan and the top county, Yuma. Of course, you also can expect to find other hunters enjoying these same popular areas.

I, for one, would rather drive a bit farther and avoid the crowds.

Denver upland hunter Wallis DeBoult said he drives into the southeast part of the state to unleash his dogs.

"You won't find places in the southeast written up in those large sporting magazines," said DeBoult, "but three days hunting there gets results. During my last three-day hunt, I believe I encountered only one other hunter, and we got up plenty of pheasants."

In many parts of Colorado, a pointing or flushing dog that will "hunt dead" can retrieve its worth of every kibble poured in its dish.

Don't forget to bring along plenty of water for the pup.

A word of caution: Before you hunt, check the state game regulations. In some areas, Colorado has different opening days and varying regulations. Seasons east of Interstate 25 are different than the seasons west of it. A pheasant permit is required of anyone hunting pheasants in the state.

For state information, log on to http://wildlife.state.co.us.