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I was fortunate to take a friend out last weekend who is more interested in photography than hunting, so he was able to get some pretty awesome shots of the dogs for me. I am terrible with the camera!

It has been a good year so far. Seeing a ton of other hunters relative to past years, but have been able to find success on both public and private with enough walking. A quick photo dump..

I like the paths on public land.. gives me a good idea of where everyone else is hunting and where to avoid!

I agree. My dogs (goldens) are not cut out for long hunts in 60+ weather. However, they will go all day if it is below 45 or so all the way down to deep negative wind chills.

Eastern Iowa here. 4 guys, 4 dogs. Can't wait!

Birds are generally more predictable late in the year than early. Usually snow and weather has knocked down most of the marginal cover, road ditches, etc.,. Crops are out. It's easier to figure out where the birds will be, less places to hide out in picked fields, etc. In my experience late...

I don't think it is possible.

Finished the morning with 1 rooster in the bag, and one more (probably dead bird) but could never recover. The first kid shot his bird at about 8:15. First time he had ever shot at a pheasant, and the dogs put a rooster up about 10 yards in front of him, he shot twice and tilted it a bit, but...

Will anyone else be out for the youth hunt tomorrow in Iowa? My dad and I will be taking along two kids, one has a decent amount of prior hunting experience (not so much pheasants) and the other is pretty green. Looks like it's going to be a bit windier and warmer that I'd prefer, but hopefully...

The only trouble with ditch hunting is often the best ditches butt right up to someone’s CRP field. It can be awfully tough to keep a good dog solely in the ditch and not having them wander into the private property field. I’m not against walking ditches, but have avoided the ones where the dogs...

Similar habitat as described above in general. Will have to try and avoid the massive crowds, public will be packed.

Fingers crossed, but the weather for opening weekend looks to be promising.. Will be nice not fighting 70 degree temps by 11.

Had just over 4" since Wednesday in eastern Iowa.

I would argue that we as hunters often have a very skewed perception of what benefits the birds. For most hunters, we are really only out in the fields during the harsher months of the year (November - January), when much of the cover may be knocked down or under snow, etc. Hence, we tend to see...

I hope it rains like heck the next few days, we could use every inch. Farmers way ahead of schedule as is, so a week or two delay shouldn't hurt anything from there standpoint. Selfishly, I always like to see more crops left standing the first week or two of the season, generally means less...

Switch is a warm season grass, and I have contemplated doing that (but in the fall instead of spring). After a couple good frosts, the warm season grasses should go dormant while the cool season grasses are still growing. Can achieve a better kill in the fall as well compared to Spring. The...

As I was checking it out yesterday there were a few hens flushed from the corn food plot next to it - so it would appear they are starting to use it. I don't like the idea of creating a monoculture of anything, whether it be switchgrass or what not, but in this case, I do not believe there was...

Pic below

Here is an early fall update on the project. After about 4 mowings this year (last in eaelt August), the switch is starting to show itself among the weeds.

In the state of Iowa, I think the popularity of deer hunting (leased ground, recreation properties, etc.) has actually benefited pheasants as a whole while subsequently making it harder to get hunting permission. There seem to be a lot more recreational properties purchased and managed strictly...