2023 Season

December has been a challenging month to say the least. Last three 'day trips' we have only moved a few birds each time. All public land. Most of the birds have been on the edge of cattails with walkable ice. Guessing most of that ice is gone after the recent rains. Hoping to get out one more time before the end. This season sure went fast......
 
Not seeing that many birds, but enough to put (on average) one rooster in the vest each day when I am hunting myself. Most days are half day hunts or less. Birds are spread back out pretty much wherever they want to be.

Most birds will have plenty of "reserves" if/when the weather flips.

For being the last week of December ... it simply amazing to watch most ponds and most all lakes go from iced over to ice free ... well I suppose some may be water covered ice, but I am not looking to verify or confirm.
 
BRITTMAN said:
For being the last week of December ... it simply amazing to watch most ponds and most all lakes go from iced over to ice free
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I think most of them are ice free! Its stunning to see that in late December.

There is basically nothing in the forecast for snow or cold snaps either, as far as I can see. There does appear to be more "seasonable" temps for January but certainly nothing resembling arctic air.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Not seeing that many birds, but enough to put (on average) one rooster in the vest each day when I am hunting myself. Most days are half day hunts or less. Birds are spread back out pretty much wherever they want to be.

Most birds will have plenty of "reserves" if/when the weather flips.

For being the last week of December ... it simply amazing to watch most ponds and most all lakes go from iced over to ice free ... well I suppose some may be water covered ice, but I am not looking to verify or confirm.
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You're in MN?
 
Yes - most often south of I-94 and/or Hwy 12 or much further south. I have not gone too far north of the Twin Cities during Christmas-New Years.

I have been hitting some spots that used to be in my "core spots" areas that I have not visited for many, many years. All are easy day trips and it has been fun. Some spots have changed little, others are almost not recognizable (from what I remember). So, with that said, I do not have much to compare (number of pheasants) from earlier this year or even the past few years. No one wants to go far west ... I suppose including me at this point. Not sure I would kill more birds out in western MN at this point anyways (unless the weather turned a bit snowy - not likely).

Hard to tell if the ice is really gone, sure looks like it ... most of those observations are metro.
 
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I'm going for 4 days straight. Fingers crossed I can get a limit one day, but that might be a tall order. I will make at least one long drive. There's a few spots I need to hit before they "turn out the lights" on the season. Will I hop down to iowa? Maybe, but it's not a priority at this point. I don't see any difference in bird numbers between the two states at this point in the season.
 
Honestly any roosters in the bag this time of year is a success, much less a 3 bird limit. If you put one on the tally each day for 4 days straight, I would consider that a solid season-ending result. And for the first time in many years, there won't be a day of measurable snow on the ground to hunt in this season. I went in early December with a trace amount.

Hey Bob maybe you'll get your limit the first 3 days and then you'll have to quit. Wouldn't that be something, a 3 day possession limit to finish the season!
 
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Boy this am was a fun one.... ice build up on everything from recent storm. But once the birds flew back in from feeding they held tight tight... black dog gave me plenty of time to get the feet untangled from the cattails before I sent him... definetly not what I was expecting as I stepped out of the truck... gonna move 2 miles north tomorrow. Be back to this spot saturday or Sunday tho
 

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Glock said:
Went out this afternoon. Things are still a little wet but scenting conditions great. I hadn’t been out in a few days but felt good getting a limit!
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You old dog! Always sneaking out and mowing them down. Good job. I can't wait till tomorrow.
 
Bob Peters said:
You old dog! Always sneaking out and mowing them down. Good job. I can't wait till tomorrow.
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The spot I wanted to go to had a couple of bow hunters walking towards the woods in the backside so I had to figure out a plan B. All of the rain from last weekend made things still muddy and wet but I think it helped with scenting. It definitely made it so we weren’t making as much noise as when things were dry. Most flushes were around 20 yards and the three I got all went left to right which made it easy for this southpaw.
 
Went out today in far SW Minnesota for the last time for the season. We had 6 guys in our group and came away with 10 birds. Always should have had more, since our shooting was a bit questionable, and we really bombed one bit of strategy that would have gotten us some more shots! Either way, a great day to be out, and a lot of fun to bag some birds to finish the season.
 
I hunted today from 915 till sunset. Of course there is drive time between spots, and a 15 minute break to slice summer sausage and hard cheese on the tail gate. The first two spots were new to me although I had scouted them before season. The first one had average cover, the second one very good cover, nice and thick bluestem with a waterway running through and cattails at the end. The third spot I got two roosters two weeks ago. All had cut corn 🌽 adjacent fields. Never seen a single bird, never caught a scent. 4th spot dogs flushed two hens, then I look up and seen another group of hunters coming my way, I turned around back to vehicle. Minutes later I catch a funny form in my eye and two people in full camo are creeping down the field 20 yards from me! I wave as soon as I see them and go to talk. They're heading back for archery deer. Really friendly dudes, but you'd think they would wear orange hats while walking into public land with multiple groups of bird hunters. Last stop of the day I put on chest waders in attempt to reach unmolested public land. We made it and never saw a bird. I love pheasant hunting and I love bird dogs, but I'm gonna be blunt here, today really knocked my dick in the dirt. I leave you now to drown my sorrow with grainbelts and eat some Jack's frozen pizza 🍕. All day only saw 2 hens.
 
Bob Peters said:
I hunted today from 915 till sunset. Of course there is drive time between spots, and a 15 minute break to slice summer sausage and hard cheese on the tail gate. The first two spots were new to me although I had scouted them before season. The first one had average cover, the second one very good cover, nice and thick bluestem with a waterway running through and cattails at the end. The third spot I got two roosters two weeks ago. All had cut corn 🌽 adjacent fields. Never seen a single bird, never caught a scent. 4th spot dogs flushed two hens, then I look up and seen another group of hunters coming my way, I turned around back to vehicle. Minutes later I catch a funny form in my eye and two people in full camo are creeping down the field 20 yards from me! I wave as soon as I see them and go to talk. They're heading back for archery deer. Really friendly dudes, but you'd think they would wear orange hats while walking into public land with multiple groups of bird hunters. Last stop of the day I put on chest waders in attempt to reach unmolested public land. We made it and never saw a bird. I love pheasant hunting and I love bird dogs, but I'm gonna be blunt here, today really knocked my dick in the dirt. I leave you now to drown my sorrow with grainbelts and eat some Jack's frozen pizza 🍕. All day only saw 2 hens.
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You’re hard-core and provide inspiration! Some days are like that…relish your desire and drive…it’s what puts roosters in the vest…but yeah, some days are like that…🍻😡
 
Bob Peters said:
I hunted today from 915 till sunset. Of course there is drive time between spots, and a 15 minute break to slice summer sausage and hard cheese on the tail gate. The first two spots were new to me although I had scouted them before season. The first one had average cover, the second one very good cover, nice and thick bluestem with a waterway running through and cattails at the end. The third spot I got two roosters two weeks ago. All had cut corn 🌽 adjacent fields. Never seen a single bird, never caught a scent. 4th spot dogs flushed two hens, then I look up and seen another group of hunters coming my way, I turned around back to vehicle. Minutes later I catch a funny form in my eye and two people in full camo are creeping down the field 20 yards from me! I wave as soon as I see them and go to talk. They're heading back for archery deer. Really friendly dudes, but you'd think they would wear orange hats while walking into public land with multiple groups of bird hunters. Last stop of the day I put on chest waders in attempt to reach unmolested public land. We made it and never saw a bird. I love pheasant hunting and I love bird dogs, but I'm gonna be blunt here, today really knocked my dick in the dirt. I leave you now to drown my sorrow with grainbelts and eat some Jack's frozen pizza 🍕. All day only saw 2 hens.
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Keep on keeping on.. had a few of them blue grain belts myself this evening.
 
It's been a fun couple days for this guy.... from ice covered everything. Move 5 miles east to nothing covered. I'd give about anything for 6 inches of snow over night. .... although they do seem to be holding tight enough to get good shots off. 2 more mornings in mn this weekend then a couple weeks off and watch radar for the northern south dakota snow storm.
 

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Bob Peters said:
I hunted today from 915 till sunset. Of course there is drive time between spots, and a 15 minute break to slice summer sausage and hard cheese on the tail gate. The first two spots were new to me although I had scouted them before season. The first one had average cover, the second one very good cover, nice and thick bluestem with a waterway running through and cattails at the end. The third spot I got two roosters two weeks ago. All had cut corn 🌽 adjacent fields. Never seen a single bird, never caught a scent. 4th spot dogs flushed two hens, then I look up and seen another group of hunters coming my way, I turned around back to vehicle. Minutes later I catch a funny form in my eye and two people in full camo are creeping down the field 20 yards from me! I wave as soon as I see them and go to talk. They're heading back for archery deer. Really friendly dudes, but you'd think they would wear orange hats while walking into public land with multiple groups of bird hunters. Last stop of the day I put on chest waders in attempt to reach unmolested public land. We made it and never saw a bird. I love pheasant hunting and I love bird dogs, but I'm gonna be blunt here, today really knocked my dick in the dirt. I leave you now to drown my sorrow with grainbelts and eat some Jack's frozen pizza 🍕. All day only saw 2 hens.
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Bob: Assume Mn? West? SW? Prime areas or marginal, according to the DNR map? Thanks.
 
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