Missed this earlier. This season, except for two trips out with sxs 12 and 20, all hunts were with singles: either an NEF 20ga 26in mod, or a Win 370 12ga I had cut down and threaded. Used open cylinder and mod chokes, mostly o/c. My other singles are a 28in 20ga Hercules and a 30in 12ga Hercules--both F.
So, 30 or more hunts with singles, not all successful, but I'll be doing it again next year.
Mick and I had a good season for us, and WI's DNR increased the number of birds they put out this year. Not sure, but believe the hunter #s are down, at least out here away from population centers.
AND, the area I hunt is being managed as well as it has been in the 25 years I've hunted it. The crop lessee is doing very nice weed control on cockleburrs and burdock which had been kind of a nightmare in years past. Food crop this year was wheat, which is easier on me.
On the wild bird front, not nearly as rosy. The private land I have exclusive pheasant hunting permission, with crop lands around and slough cover inside, doesn't seem to have many birds. Mick and I walked it about 6 times, but I didn't shoot; just wanted to see how the population was. Overall, only moved four hens and two roosters in all 6 trips. I hope they made it for breeding stock, and that Mick and I missed a lot of others.
