Is there anybody out there...

shorthairs4life

shorthairs4life

New member
No, I'm not reciting Pink Floyd lyrics. Wanted to see if we have anyone out there still hunting and see if anyone is having any luck. This December has been mild compared to most years and has provided great hunting weather.
The past two afternoons I spent pounding cattails and my legs are killing me this morning. For all those hard hours, I was rewarded with one rooster total (I did miss a difficult shot on another).
When my legs are this sore I always need a little extra motivation to get back out there. I hope everyone is experiencing some success or at least having fun.
 
Went ice fishing Saturday in Vilas Co. Caught one nice walleye and a couple northerns. Max helps me check my tipups. He has his nose right in there expecting a fish to be pulled from the hole. Haven't seen him point a fish yet, though.

Heading for home I had to stop the truck for a covey of 6 grouse in the middle of the road, picking grit. Snow's too deep now for me, so it's ice fishing time. The shotgun and deer rifle have been given a thorough cleaning and stored in the cabinet.
 
I've been fighting some health stuff, but went out late last week to the State property. Mick and I walked the loop of the land for about 2 hours with little success.

Headed back up to the parking area where my car was the only one there. About a hundred strides from the car, just about where the weeds and brush ended, a rooster flushed from slightly behind me and flew in front of me. Mick perked right up.

I'd just unloaded the shotgun, so I shook the shell at it. Scared it, I think.

:D
 
It's about to get serious for me, I can get onto some private land after deer season and normally shoot limits each time out.
Probably going to hit the cabin for grouse & pheasant this Sunday
 
I'll be out til close, regardless of weather. Hunted last weekend and poor dog work/poor shooting got the best of me. Saw birds though.

Heading out for a full day tomorrow. While it may be more difficult, I love hunting December.
 
It's good to hear people are still out there and seeing birds. The older I get the harder it is to hunt multiple days in a row in the cattails.

I'm heading out again tomorrow but I'm staying out of the cattails. Hopefully with the warmer temps I can find some that venture out to the edges. We will see.
 
Saw a bunch this morning, some wild flushes and some just no shots. Came home with nothing. Fun to be out though.
 
Dog pointed a triple this morning and watched them run out in front of his point and flush out of gun range. Very sad to watch.
Later the dog pointed a double and I only picked up one. That's all I came home with. Saw 5 birds and came home with one so not too bad.
Best part of the day was, I never set foot in the cattails and my legs feel better today.
Back at it in the morning for another half day hunt.
 
shorthairs4life said:
Dog pointed a triple this morning and watched them run out in front of his point and flush out of gun range. Very sad to watch.
Later the dog pointed a double and I only picked up one. That's all I came home with. Saw 5 birds and came home with one so not too bad.
Best part of the day was, I never set foot in the cattails and my legs feel better today.
Back at it in the morning for another half day hunt.
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Shorthairs, I'll make you feel better about "1 out of 5 birds":D. I got out this morning for a couple hours. The pooch flushed 5 roosters at once:thumbsup:. Something I haven't seen here in IL or WI in some time. Wild birds too. Looked like they were from the same brood. Anyway, there was a house a bit too close for comfort so I didn't take a shot:(

In the same field he flushed 3 more roosters:). Missed two easy shots and dropped one. It took three shots to bring that bird down though:eek:. Not my day for shooting. Still a very nice sight to see those roosters though.

wild ringneck pheasant from this morning.
 
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1pheas4 said:
Shorthairs, I'll make you feel better about "1 out of 5 birds":D. I got out this morning for a couple hours. The pooch flushed 5 roosters at once:thumbsup:. Something I haven't seen here in IL or WI in some time. Wild birds too. Looked like they were from the same brood. Anyway, there was a house a bit too close for comfort so I didn't take a shot:(

In the same field he flushed 3 more roosters:). Missed two easy shots and dropped one. It took three shots to bring that bird down though:eek:. Not my day for shooting. Still a very nice sight to see those roosters though.

wild ringneck pheasant from this morning.
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That does make me feel a little better. I agree it's nice to see the bird numbers. That rooster looks nice and healthy.
I went out today to hunt state birds and made up for my poor shooting and picked up 2 birds with 2 shells.
There was a ton of hunting pressure out there today with the warmer weather.
 
shorthairs4life said:
That does make me feel a little better. I agree it's nice to see the bird numbers. That rooster looks nice and healthy.
I went out today to hunt state birds and made up for my poor shooting and picked up 2 birds with 2 shells.
There was a ton of hunting pressure out there today with the warmer weather.
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Good for you. Redemption!:cheers:

I have a question for you and anyone else who what's to add some input/advice; I had a similar day (as today) down in Lee county on Friday. Miss after miss. A few difficult shots, but some easy one's too. Only put one bird in the bag.

Does anyone else ever get into a missing streak where switching guns is the cure? I don't know what it is but sometimes using a different gun get's my eye back on track:confused: I think I've reach that point now. Does anyone else go through this?
 
Solution

1pheas4 said:
Good for you. Redemption!:cheers:

I have a question for you and anyone else who what's to add some input/advice; I had a similar day (as today) down in Lee county on Friday. Miss after miss. A few difficult shots, but some easy one's too. Only put one bird in the bag.

Does anyone else ever get into a missing streak where switching guns is the cure? I don't know what it is but sometimes using a different gun get's my eye back on track:confused: I think I've reach that point now. Does anyone else go through this?
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Here's a great solution! Let's go out and hunt together and switch guns. If we still miss it has to be the guns :D

On a serious note, I've always been a streaky shooter. I miss a couple then hit 4 or 5 then miss a couple more. Or I miss the surprise birds that flush wild. I usually hit the pointed birds and do pretty good on the birds that flush while my dog is trailing. I've always struggled with the surprise flush (I think this is why I struggle with multiple bird flushes-the surprise factor throws me off).
Not sure what your situations have been and if this could be a factor.
 
Sure, but mostly, it wasn't the gun. Generally it was how I was bringing the gun up as the bird flushed. I sometimes make myself lift the gun up and out, then back to my shoulder. Takes no more time, just a muscle memory thing for me.

I did have a new to me SXS with which I could not even hit the air around a bird. I took off the rock-hard recoil pad, went out and shot a double...on Young Bert's first hunt, as I recall. Didn't feel any recoil. :)

In that case, it was probably LOP, but I can't really say. I never put a new pad on.

But in your case, I think you should go out and buy the highest grade, finest wood, most exquisite inlay shotgun you can find to solve your problem.

(Then let me know how that works out, will you? :))

Two (mostly) truths: 1, trust the dog; 2, it's not the gun.

have fun.
 
On Friday i limited out but my body paid for it lol. I plan on going out on Tuesday. I am going to start at out by Waupun then work my way back seeking as I have all day to hunt.
 
Kis, we'll she how that one goes over with my wife. lol

Anyway, I go through this in South Dakota each year too. Hunt 5 days, one day out of the 5 I can't hit a thing:eek: If I switch guns for the rest of the day my eye get's back on track:confused: Maybe I get too comfortable with my gun? Once I switch over to another one I start targeting the bird again.:confused: Sounds like this is a unique and strange issue that only I'm having.

Shorthairs, that sounds like a plan my friend. We won't have to switch guns though. I have a few others I can use. Thank you very much of the offer though:D

Okay, I guess we should get back to the subject of the thread. Sorry everyone for taking us on a slight detour.:eek:

Nick
 
I think everyone has good and bad shooting days but I'm way more consistent when I shoot a lot of clays throughout the year. I also don't switch guns during season. I shoot the same shotgun all fall for everything and I believe it helps.
 
Not really a streaky shooter, but I can still miss one once in a while I shouldn't. I have recently picked up an o/u that us similar to the pump I shot for years. Same English stock, Lop etc.... And it really seemed to help my shooting. I hope to hunt the next 3 mornings in SE wisconsin public land, but I think they have quit stocking. Hope it freezes tonight, because I want to get into some cattails tomorrow without getting soaked. From now until 1/1 it get challenging to chase the few birds that are left.
 
wisturkeyhunter said:
I think everyone has good and bad shooting days but I'm way more consistent when I shoot a lot of clays throughout the year. I also don't switch guns during season. I shoot the same shotgun all fall for everything and I believe it helps.
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I typically stick with one gun too, until I hit the point I'm at now. I bought a box 2 3/4 inch shell for my A5 this evening. I'll use that gun for a hunt or two then go back to my usual gun. I should be back on track with it after the A5. Strange I know, but it's always the cure for my issue.:confused:

Tilkut---good luck out there. Don't worry too much about the stocked birds. There's still some good wild bird numbers out there. Most of the birds seem to be bunched up at this point. Find those groups and you're good to go!

Let us know how you do.
 
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1pheas, unfortunately wild birds are non existent in my neck of the wood. WAUKESHA area. I don't know why, because we had wild birds in Minnesota when I lived there, with much less cover. With the lack of wild birds I have grown lazy, and pretty much just hunt the public grounds. I still have the urge though to try something different and unexplored.
 
Tilkut said:
1pheas, unfortunately wild birds are non existent in my neck of the wood. WAUKESHA area. I don't know why, because we had wild birds in Minnesota when I lived there, with much less cover. With the lack of wild birds I have grown lazy, and pretty much just hunt the public grounds. I still have the urge though to try something different and unexplored.
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Believe it or not they're out there:). The wild rooster in post #9 was taken not all too far from Waukesha.

Good luck in those cattails Tilkut:cheers:
Nick
 
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