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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...

Sounds like the winter cover is there, and the best thing you can probably do is focus on establishing high quality CRP for nesting/brood rearing. I would also look at cutting any trees that could serve as potential perch sites for hawks/owls. That 100 acres of CRP nearby is a blessing, and...

Any experience succesfully getting rid of canary grass, or atleast turning it into more productive upland habitat for a few years? For example, I've heard of the IA DNR mowing/burning, spraying (after the grass starts to come back in), then running a disc through the ground to promote the growth...

Also, on really cold days, it looks ridiculous, but I'lll get out of the truck and start doing jumping jacks or moving around a bunch for 5-10 minutes to really get the blood flowing before starting to hunt.

Tape a couple of hand warmers over the top of your hand on your knuckles or just drop them in the gloves, that really seems to make a difference. I also try and start each hunt with very warm gloves - I'll throw them up on the dash and crank the defrost for 5 minutes before starting to hunt...

Agreed. I've also had cases where it's owned by a local county conservation board, and it's technically open to the public. Best to check with the local CO to confirm. Sometimes if you drive and check out the property, you can tell as well and it may be posted.

Local county websites often have information about all areas, whereas DNR atlas information for the state doesn't necesarilly include everything. I've found a few "off the beaten path" spots this way.

Boots on the ground is great scouting. It's also quite a bit easier to get permission to "run" your dogs on a piece of ground than to hunt it. However, I've had times where having permission to run/train dogs has turned into hunting permission down the road as you build up a relationship with...

Year-round barbell/strength training really helps. Once the season gets closer, time spent running the dogs is as good of conditioning for pheasant hunting as possible.

Yes, this has been my general philosophy. The good news is that generally by the time pheasant hunting rolls around in Iowa, we've had a handful of freezing nights and cooler weather, so I'm not quite so worried about things like blue green algae or other heat-loving bacteria.

Have you had issues with your dog getting sick from stagnant water? I've never run into the issue, and I don't think I could ever completely avoid my dogs drinking from stagnant water. Often times we are hunting in marshes where they are literally running through several inches of water. How...

Been spending alot of time at our farm trying to cut down and kill as many of the crap soft maple trees as I can along our fencelines bordering our CRP and everywher else. Lots of work to do, but slowly putting a dent in them. Does anyone have any evidence or studies they've read that have shown...

I've hunted mine close to 20 days straight before. Not all day hunts or anything, but the first week of the season, we hit it pretty hard each day. They are tired, but as long as they hop up and ready to go the next day, they always come along. I was worried about this for a while as well, but...

Agreed. Lots of variables. Several friends I know in the DNR throughout the State said that what they were seeing in the fields day to day was quite different than what ultimately showed up in the data, for whatever that's worth. Looking forward to another good season!

For example, there is about a 10 square mile area that I've killed more birds than anywhere else in the state, and that is entirely in the "white" on this map.

I think those little "blurbs" of poor hunting are more a product of the routes and other variables than the numbers themselves. For example, I can say with certainty that that area of the state is exponentially better in aggregate than the eastern 1/3 of the state. With that being said, if the...

I think this is probably the case, however, going on year 2 i was able to wear a hole in my crispi's leather, so they are leaking now.

I am a big fan of my crispi boots for bird hunting here in Iowa (have used the Guide GTX the last couple of years). They are not cheap, but I believe you get what you pay for, and with hundreds of miles each Fall, they are well worth it IMO. However, after a year or so, despite constant...

Be prepared to fight a LOT of pressure if targeting public ground. There are birds, but you will really have to work and put in lots of miles in difficult terrain (think lots of marshes, knee deep water, cattails, etc.). If you have the luxury of hunting private, then sit back, relax, and enjoy...

I used to switch them up here and there but the last two years I've used strictly modified and have been very pleased. This is for 100% pheasant hunting in Iowa over flushers.