Opener Friday

Matt D

Well-known member
Been pretty dead here in the OH forum. Who all is heading out Friday? I will be with a couple of buddies at Killdeer like we have done for the last few years. Some years we do great some we don't. Just the way it goes.

Good luck to all that get out.

Matt
 
Good luck and I hope you get your Springer into some birds! Does Ohio have a good stocking program?
 
Thanks. NO, Ohio has a next to nothing stocking program. They release a total of 15K birds for the entire state and that includes what they release for the youth weekends also. If I had to travel far I would not participate but where we go is just 5 minutes from the house so very close by. While your DNR guys obviously get the upland bird thing ours know nothing except deer and turkeys. Everything else as far as hunting goes is a distant last place in their eyes.

Looks like we have good weather coming for Friday and Saturday so should be good.

Matt D
 
It appears no one else from OH is on here very often anymore. Understandable given the current state of pheasant hunting in our state in general.

Had a great opener for us this morning. Me and a buddy enjoyed 5 flushes to get our limit of 2 each. Copper did well and the only complaint was it was over a little too quick but won't complain. Back out tomorrow am and see what we can find. Heard no other shooting besides ours. I apologize for the not so good picture.

293uaf8.jpg


Matt D
 
Nice job, Cooper! You made your humans look good! :)

Did he have to go in water? He looks like he did some swimming.


I share the State Property hunting necessity up here in Wisconsin. But it beats the heck out of not going at all.

I hope you have a memorable season.

:thumbsup:
 
Did he have to go in water? He looks like he did some swimming.



:thumbsup:

He will not stand on shore and get a drink. He has to walk in and stand in the water for some reason. Thus why he looks wet as he did that twice today.
 
Hey that's a great opener in any State!:thumbsup: Cooper looks pretty proud of himself, as well he should!
I've never known a Springer that could resist a good swim.:)

Let us know how you did Saturday!
 
It appears no one else from OH is on here very often anymore. Understandable given the current state of pheasant hunting in our state in general.

Had a great opener for us this morning. Me and a buddy enjoyed 5 flushes to get our limit of 2 each. Copper did well and the only complaint was it was over a little too quick but won't complain. Back out tomorrow am and see what we can find. Heard no other shooting besides ours. I apologize for the not so good picture.

293uaf8.jpg


Matt D
:coolpics:

Great job Cooper!
 
Well as good as Friday was today was the exact opposite. Copper hunted his heart out and probably worked better overall today then yesterday just nothing to show for it at either of our first two spots.

Got to out third stop and after working some crazy thick grass cover we got to the end of the field and Copper instantly went to overdrive mode and a quick look into the trees/briars showed mr rooster trying to escape by running. If there is one area I would like for the dog to be better at it would be working runners. He usually just doesn't do too good on them. Today was his day I guess as he worked it like a champ through some nasty briars and after about 100 yards up came the bird. I watched it all unfold and was in perfect placement for the shot but unfortunately that is where the story goes from great to bad. A clean whiff with both barrels and watch the rooster glide through the trees not to be seen again. Amazing how you can make shots you shouldn't sometimes and then look like you couldn't hit a barn other days! Guess thats what keeps it exciting.

On the way back to the truck got to witness the ugly of OH released bird hunting. Mini van goes past us and about 1/4 mile pulls off to the right side of the road. Driver gets out and walks across the road and takes one step off the road and bang. Shot a rooster just sitting along the ditch. Walks up 20 yards and picks up his bird and gets in his van and leaves. Probably nothing illegal but so unsporting it just bugs me. Oh well, guess he got his bird.

Did see one more rooster right on the edge of the state/private property line which is a little bit of a funny story. I got out and just walked up to flush it so someone didn't shoot it in the ditch and because I just love watching birds flush and fly, and rooster took off and flew about 30 yards and landed just across the ditch and about 2 seconds later flushed again from there And ended up flying in to the people's garden. Though it was weird that it would re flush so quick from landing. Got in my truck and drive down to where it landed the first time and there sat a cat. It must of landed right next to the cat and quickly decided not a good place to be. Got a good laugh out of that.

Didn't have the success today for sure but still a great day to be out and the dog is whipped. Just had him in the basement while I was getting clothes ready to head to SD and he couldnt keep his eyes open.

Matt D
 
It appears no one else from OH is on here very often anymore. Understandable given the current state of pheasant hunting in our state in general.

Had a great opener for us this morning. Me and a buddy enjoyed 5 flushes to get our limit of 2 each. Copper did well and the only complaint was it was over a little too quick but won't complain. Back out tomorrow am and see what we can find. Heard no other shooting besides ours. I apologize for the not so good picture.

293uaf8.jpg


Matt D

Nice Job, down here in SW Ohio there are few releases close but I don't take my Brit out until midweek. Down here the releases are WARZONES, very unsafe. I have been hunting woodcock since the opener and we got our limit this past wednesday out of 9 flushes. Now all the bunny chasers are out so all the wildlife is scattered.
 
Matt,

Nice report,still sounds like a nice day to be out with your pup, and Cooper did his part :rolleyes: . I love it when they run down those runners!

Good luck in SD?
 
Matt,

Nice report,still sounds like a nice day to be out with your pup, and Cooper did his part :rolleyes: . I love it when they run down those runners!

Good luck in SD?

Any day with Copper is a good one. Especially when you know there are fewer days in the future then in the past. Makes every bird put up something special. I gave him today off to rest and recover although I know he would have gladly been ready this morning had I asked him to. Plus dad slept in this morning after watching the Buckeyes game last night.

Yes I leave Tuesday for SD. Not a "real" hunt per say as it is at a flull service lodge and not taking the dog. Fly out Tuesday and get back Friday so pretty quick but a company we do business with is picking up the tab so tough to say no to it. Haven't been out there for 8-9 years so looking forward to it but it is a different type of hunt for sure.

Matt D
 
Ive been out twice and took one bird both times. Both public land birds (WPA), was suprised how well the rooster and hens sat the other day. My dog looked mad i didnt shot the hens
 
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