Weather Too Nasty To Hunt

C

cyclonenation10

Active member
It’s going to take everything I have not to go chasing the birds around the next day or two given the current storm and -40 degree wind chills here in Iowa. The extreme cold really doesn’t bother me or the pups, but I think the guilt of pushing hens out of their winter cover with the weather this bad will keep me at home. What’s everyone else’s thoughts? is it really that hard on the birds to push them around in a blizzard like this? I just can’t see much good coming from hunting the next couple days. Selfishly, I really want to go as our office is very slow the around the holidays and it’s quite easy to get out. Anyone else contemplating the same thing?
 
cyclonenation10 said:
It’s going to take everything I have not to go chasing the birds around the next day or two given the current storm and -40 degree wind chills here in Iowa. The extreme cold really doesn’t bother me or the pups, but I think the guilt of pushing hens out of their winter cover with the weather this bad will keep me at home. What’s everyone else’s thoughts? is it really that hard on the birds to push them around in a blizzard like this? I just can’t see much good coming from hunting the next couple days. Selfishly, I really want to go as our office is very slow the around the holidays and it’s quite easy to get out. Anyone else contemplating the same thing?
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That is very good thinking. I don't know what it is like where you are but nobody should hunt here the rest of the season.
 
NW IA we don't have a lot of snow to fill the cover and drift over them, I am not going to hunt this weekend, maybe not even next Saturday (might go to a gun auction that day), but unless the weather turns to crap again, we should be out the final 3 weekend days of season. If there was a bunch of snow with the cover blown in, my season would be over....like haymaker says...they just don't need the pressure when trying to survive those tough conditions. If you think you MUST, hunt early, so they have a chance to get back/find a good roosting spot to ride out the night from...not the time to hunt the golden hour.
 
My wife is tired of me bitching about all the snow, cold, and wind ... because I always tell her this is Minnesota ... Just not in December - PLEASE.

Most years 2nd half of December is pheasant hunting, possibly a grouse hunt and then transition to ice fishing about New Years day.

This year everything is ... well ... not good.

This weather (around here) is not good for wild turkeys either. I thought the wind would be blowing this light snow all over the place ... off the fields and lakes ... my drive this afternoon is not showing (yet) that this is the case.
 
I'm in southern! Minnesota. With the blizzard like conditions I'm going to give the birds a break for the rest of the season. It's been a good season with a new gsp pup
 
Short answer is that I think the present conditions are really hard on the birds and they need to keep all the calories they can. Pushing them hard in bad weather is hard on them. Having the dogs finding dead birds is hard on me. If it warms up and melts off so they can easily get to feed is another thing,but not with the present conditions.
 
cyclonenation10 said:
It’s going to take everything I have not to go chasing the birds around the next day or two given the current storm and -40 degree wind chills here in Iowa. The extreme cold really doesn’t bother me or the pups, but I think the guilt of pushing hens out of their winter cover with the weather this bad will keep me at home. What’s everyone else’s thoughts? is it really that hard on the birds to push them around in a blizzard like this? I just can’t see much good coming from hunting the next couple days. Selfishly, I really want to go as our office is very slow the around the holidays and it’s quite easy to get out. Anyone else contemplating the same thing?
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If it's-20 I don't hunt. Sometimes I feel guilty about disturbing them, but I think they pile back in there at dusk.I don't think they parish. But generally, I don't hunt below 0.
 
remy3424 said:
NW IA we don't have a lot of snow to fill the cover and drift over them, I am not going to hunt this weekend, maybe not even next Saturday (might go to a gun auction that day), but unless the weather turns to crap again, we should be out the final 3 weekend days of season. If there was a bunch of snow with the cover blown in, my season would be over....like haymaker says...they just don't need the pressure when trying to survive those tough conditions. If you think you MUST, hunt early, so they have a chance to get back/find a good roosting spot to ride out the night from...not the time to hunt the golden hour.
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Good point.We don't hunt yhe golden hour generally.
 
BRITTMAN said:
My wife is tired of me bitching about all the snow, cold, and wind ... because I always tell her this is Minnesota ... Just not in December - PLEASE.

Most years 2nd half of December is pheasant hunting, possibly a grouse hunt and then transition to ice fishing about New Years day.

This year everything is ... well ... not good.

This weather (around here) is not good for wild turkeys either. I thought the wind would be blowing this light snow all over the place ... off the fields and lakes ... my drive this afternoon is not showing (yet) that this is the case.
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I saw a big flock on the Missouri the other day.They were on state land, but close to a big private ranch.Im going to send my cousin out to scout.
 
There’s no way to prove this one, I don’t believe it could be anymore of a stressor than guys running dogs on birds for half the summer, roosters will push hens off of limited food sources, I’d say keep shooting roosters as long as you can. Carry over hens are key to the next years bird numbers.
 
Next week itll warm up nicely. Ill be out at least 4 more times.
With the real cold weather, I have wondered how their heart and lungs react to being blown out of an oven made of snow. Sucking -20 air and heart starts going a million miles an hour after being real calm for a long time. Cant be good.
 
Cattail birds may be toast after last night. Hell , there's people in SE SD that were trapped inside their own home asking for assistance to at least be able to exit their home if need be. I've been seeing birds earlier this week feeding (or trying to) well before sunrise. That alone tells me they're hungry and stressed. I was planning another trip west, but been busy with the new house and traveling back to Okoboji to work.
 
BRITTMAN said:
My wife is tired of me bitching about all the snow, cold, and wind ... because I always tell her this is Minnesota ... Just not in December - PLEASE.

Most years 2nd half of December is pheasant hunting, possibly a grouse hunt and then transition to ice fishing about New Years day.

This year everything is ... well ... not good.

This weather (around here) is not good for wild turkeys either. I thought the wind would be blowing this light snow all over the place ... off the fields and lakes ... my drive this afternoon is not showing (yet) that this is the case.
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I know I wouldn't want to spend the night sitting on a tree limb at 20 below!!
 
Most east-west roads were closed in Lake County, MT due to drifts.MinesingerTrail.jpg

We live 2 miles away and minimal drifting due to pine forestsAshleyLane.JPG

Quite the variation in temperature across the valley with lows from -15 to -28F.
 
I'm in Watertown and we received about 8" total over the past week. I'm going to take a drive this morning and see what I can see. I might walk a ditch. I might not. We'll see when I get out there. I agree with not busting them out of their roost at sunset. Next week is going to be a heat wave. Then we'll be able to get an idea of whether or not the bulk of pheasants made it through. I've got to believe that in the right places, they're doing just fine. I could be wrong.
 
Follow up. Just got back from a drive around the country. Saw a good number of pheasants out and about. That was good. A couple hens I saw looked pretty bedraggled, feathers askew, etc. Hunted on little cattail spot, but didn't flush anything. Which wasn't totally surprising given the time of day, sunshine and relative warmth. Feeding is going to be a big priority the next few days, and from here on out.

Wednesday is going to be 30 degrees or warmer. Going to meet up with some buddies and hunt an hour or so south west of here. Will continue to give reports. Where we are isn't nearly as dire as things up by Aberdeen or out in the southwestern part of the state. I actually think culling a few roosters might serve the population as a whole quite well.
 
I think that chasing pheasants when the WC is -45* is a bad idea but when it gets up to 0* WC it’s probably ok, especially in a state like Iowa which makes you quit at 430 instead of allowing hunting until sundown. That extra time allows them time to find a roost and a few roosters will take care of a bunch of hens and when food is scarce, roosters will push hens out and eat the food, not sharing. Less roosters usually means more pheasants next year.
 
airmedic1 said:
I think that chasing pheasants when the WC is -45* is a bad idea but when it gets up to 0* WC it’s probably ok, especially in a state like Iowa which makes you quit at 430 instead of allowing hunting until sundown. That extra time allows them time to find a roost and a few roosters will take care of a bunch of hens and when food is scarce, roosters will push hens out and eat the food, not sharing. Less roosters usually means more pheasants next year.
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It seems like roosters manage to find the prime real estate to roost when riding out a storm which compromises the hens survival rate. I saw many examples off this the pas the few weeks.
 
airmedic1 said:
I think that chasing pheasants when the WC is -45* is a bad idea but when it gets up to 0* WC it’s probably ok, especially in a state like Iowa which makes you quit at 430 instead of allowing hunting until sundown. That extra time allows them time to find a roost and a few roosters will take care of a bunch of hens and when food is scarce, roosters will push hens out and eat the food, not sharing. Less roosters usually means more pheasants next year.
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I have hunted below we zero at times,but in Montana that is a regular event. We used to duck and goose hunt in below zero temps. I don't know how cold weather hunting effects pheasant. I don't do a lot of it.I got a turkey recently near Hilger, and the temp was -5 degrees in the bright sunshine.
 
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