The Pheasant Hunter: Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson is addicted to pheasant hunting and has been since shooting his first bird as a gawky, 13-year-old kid over 30 years ago.

As a native South Dakotan, he has never taken for granted the fact he lives in the pheasant Mecca, taking advantage of every chance he gets to run his yellow Lab, Gauge, and chase birds on both public and private land. When time allows, he hunts grouse, waterfowl and deer, and he also fancies himself as a fisherman.

When he’s not carrying a gun or camera in the field, he’s writing, talking or thinking about pheasants and pheasant hunting. He is a frequent contributor to Pheasants Forever, MeatEater’s website and other well-known publications. Through his writing, he wants to empower fellow pheasant hunters and help them find success with relatable notes and know-how that he’s learned the hard way. To that end, he’s been lucky to be surrounded by people and dogs that are much smarter than him. Simply stated, he’s a regular, blue-collar guy that loves chasing birds, and he wants nothing more than to help others do the same.

For a day job, he works in communications for an energy company, and he and his wife stay busy trying to keep up with their four teenage children.