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We hunt lots of drainage ditches in east central, IL. Extremely cold one day late in the season. There was a beaver damn on this particular ditch, so it was probably 6-8 feet wide. It had been below zero for several days so the ditch was iced over, and the temp that day was in the single...

Mainly hunt Edmonds County area on private ground. I'd say numbers were same as last year. A little hard to tell. It was so dry in 2022, anywhere I knew there was water I could go right to and find birds. They were definitely spread out more this fall. Hopefully conditions will be conducive...

I didn't lose any in Illinois this year. Lost a couple of SD. I think success depends on a couple of things. Obviously the dog is key and his/her willingness to hunt dead birds. I also think scenting conditions make a huge difference. Last year (2022) SD was soooo dry it was really hard...

Made it down to Milford again for the last trip of the year. Had my cousin from Springfield with me, which is the first time I haven't hunted solo all year. About 2 inches of real wet snow was on the ground We went to 4 spots, saw birds in every spot and killed our 4. We started at 8:30 and...

Sent you a PM with contact information.

Nice report, and glad you are getting into some birds.

First pic is my first Lewellin Setter Speck. Second is my last Lewellin Lewis. Both were fine dogs, and both are gone. I have a young EP now. Lewis was the best dog I have owned. Both were bought from Wilbur Williams in Lincoln, IL. He passed away a few years ago.

No. It's probably been 5 or 6 years since I've seen a covey of quails. For years and years I knew where 4 or 5 coveys were, and I could go back and find them every year and shoot a bird or two out of them. The last covey I saw was in a brushy CRP field over by Sheldon in 2017 or 2018. I...

Where there is good cover there are plenty of birds. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of plowed ground fence row to fence row. One nice thing is there certainly isn't any bird hunters anymore. Maybe a few opening weekend, but hardly any serious hunters around. I'm fortunate to have access...

My 1.5 year old pointer with a couple of wild roosters we got in East Central, IL.

I always wear an orange bandana (hankerchief) around my neck. I lay that or tie it to mark my down bird. Will use my hat to, but believe or not I lost one so stopped using my hat.

I had the same problem last year. I couldn't believe the amount of dust I had in the bed of my truck last year. My cover definitely let a lot of dust in. Hope someone has a solution, and it sounds like this year things won't be nearly as dry.

I'm fortunate to be able to hunt wild birds in Iroquois County around Milford, IL. Still good bird numbers down there where the habitat is right. My dad was absolutely obsessed with pheasant hunting, and he knew so many people. Fortunately I still have access to tons of private ground...

I think deer hunting changed everything. Grew up in east central IL. Never saw a deer until the early 80s. My dad and I were strictly bird hunters. All of a sudden, deer are everywhere and there is a stand or multiple stands in every piece of woods. We used to be able to hunt almost...

I'm 54 and have hunted my entire life in Illinois.. I've been checked twice. Once when I was 10 years old, my dad had dropped me off on a ditch and I was walking the section through to the next road. When I saw my dad and told him I got checked, I told him the game warden wasn't very smart...

Great pic and great memories. Look how happy everyone looks. Can't fake the true joy the great outdoors brings to us all. Thanks for sharing.

5 shot all year long, and I think my modified choke is rusted in on my pheasant gun.

Guys, I'm in the market for a 20 gauge semi automatic shotgun. I don't really want to spend over $1500 as I am pretty hard on my equipment. I prefer a walnut type stock and forearm vs synthetic. Just never liked the look of the synthetic although I know it's very practical. Will be using...

I couldn't agree more with this observation. I personally do not test my dogs. However, I have hunted extensively with guys who test and do extremely well in NAVHDA and NADKC. Both of my buddies are/were very involved in these organizations, and both were judges as well. It's really...

Birds, Buds and Booze - Tyler Webster from North Dakota. I enjoy listening to them in the car on road trips. Gotta get through the first few minutes where he plugs his sponsors, but I enjoy his thoughts and guests.