So now that you know where to find the birds, how do you cope with the weather's effects on you and your stuff? If it's raining, you're going to get at least slightly damp no matter what you wear. Even today's breathable rainwear, great for sitting on stand, is going to make you overheat once you start tromping through the uplands.

The best advice where rain is concerned are light, nonslip neoprene gloves that won't interfere with your shooting and the highest quality boot your wallet will allow. To the pheasant hunter who walks constantly, a light rain can be easily ignored. Wet feet can't. There's no shortage of good boots on the market today, so it shouldn't be a problem to find a pair that's both waterproof and comfortable.

Hunters tend to overdress for cold weather. Don't. Concentrate on keeping head and neck, hands and feet warm. My extreme weather pheasant ensemble consists of a blaze orange wool toque (watch cap) and a fleece neck gaiter. A military wool sniper's mitten goes on my left hand and a fingerless rag-wool glove goes on my right (shooting) hand. On my feet, I opt for a lighter uninsulated Cordura nylon boot, and I wear wool socks paired with thin polypropylene liner socks. My system is not overkill, and it works well even in the harshest weather.

Guns need special attention if you're going to use them in extreme weather. After a wet day afield, break down your shotgun and dry it thoroughly before cleaning it. In the case of pump guns and autoloaders, you'll want to remove the trigger group and the magazine cap and spring, in addition to the traditional parts such as the barrel, gas pistons and bolt. A hair dryer works wonders for forcing water out of the tiny nooks and crannies common on most semi-autos and pumps.

Extreme cold calls for some pre-hunt shotgun prep, and while this advice mostly concerns semi-automatics, there are elements that apply to all guns. Disassemble the gun, down to the trigger group and major operating parts. Use a degreaser to remove all the lubricating oil because at low temperatures, oils often become gummy--causing actions to stick or slow. Apply a Teflon or graphite friction-reducer in place of the oil, then reassemble.

BREEZE AND BIRDS IN NORTH DAKOTA

We walked in a line across a wide field of brown CRP grass, the wind pushing and tearing at us as if it were a living thing. The sun shone brightly in a broad, blue sky as we eased through the field, guns at port arms. Minutes into the push, a cockbird flushed in front of one of the dogs and was snatched away by the gale before I could even raise my Ruger side-by-side. Minutes later, eight to 10 more roosters took to the air about 100 yards away and sailed out of sight over a ridge to the east, but we caught a few that chose to sit tight, and as we started to climb the hill that marked the end of our push, a few game bags bulged. We doubled back and worked the rest of the field, gesturing with hand signals to regroup. We didn't want the birds any wiser to our presence than they already were and, besides, you couldn't hear your hunting partner over the wind unless he was screaming in your ear. So this is North Dakota, I thought. We finished that field, my few meager shots having failed to draw a feather, and crossed the road into a brushy, twisting slough. Out of the wind we hunted in a different world, one of glorious warm sun where it was quiet enough to hear yourself think. I was in the bottom of the slough, crisscrossing through the thick yellow grass. Phil's dog was right under my foot when he booted the first cockbird, which rose cackling to the sky--but only briefly as Ken, hunting on my right, made a lightning fast shot. I was too slow on the next few as well, but other guys were now starting to limit out, giving a subpar wingshooter like myself the chance to shine. We rounded a bend in the slough, and up ahead, where the cover of the creek bed thinned considerably, I saw pheasants--literally dozens of them--sprinting, jogging, flying and half-flying toward a dense stream bottom lined with tall trees and bordered by a half cut cornfield. The sight was so spectacular that I was rooted to the ground with awe, but someone hollered at me to get moving, and 10 minutes later I bagged two ringnecks--bang, bang, just minutes apart. So this is North Dakota, I thought. Its neighbor to the south gets a lot of the glory, but North Dakota stands on its own as a top-notch pheasant hunters' destination. Last year was a down year by all reports, but you couldn't have told that by the action we enjoyed for three days. We made our base camp in Bismarck, a lovely city famous as Lewis and Clark's 1804-05 winter camp and the place where they met the Indian woman who was to become their invaluable guide: Sakakawea. It's a great jumping off point for chasing pheasants. Like everywhere else, the best private land pheasant hunting is already spoken for, and as a nonresident you'll be best served by finding a pheasant guide or outfitter because he'll have the access and knowledge of local flocks that you need. But the state also contains millions of acres of state and federal land where freelancing hunters can find some birds. Don't overlook North Dakota's PLOTS program, which opens private lands to public hunting. Each September the state publishes a guide to enrolled lands. Here are the contacts for more information: Accommodations, general info: North Dakota Tourism, 800/HELLO-ND, www.ndtourism.com. Bismarck–Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800/767-3555, www.bismarckmandancvb.com Game and Fish: 710/328-6300, www.discovernd.com/gnf Guides: North Dakota Professional Guides and Outfitters Association, www.ndpgoa.com. Kelly Krough, 701/290-0290. I started hunting at the tail end of the ringneck boom in the East, and I'd listened to my dad and grandfather speak in hushed tones of the days when they'd put up dozens of wild ringnecks. That hunting is gone forever. If you're not fortunate to live in one of the great Midwestern pheasant states, you owe it to yourself to experience one of the best spectacles in hunting: long-tailed ringneck roosters climbing with a cackle into a big blue sky.--J. Scott Rupp

Rotten weather pheasant hunting isn't for everybody, but if you love chasing roosters, there's no point in sitting at home when you could be afield--matching wits with these wily birds as you laugh at the cold, rain and snow.