Search results

Outstanding! Glad you were able to get out with your pup again. It was 34 where I was hunting. 4-5 inches of snow other than where it's drifted. Cattail ice still sucks.

Interesting. Ked flies are pretty common on grouse in MN but I haven't heard or seen them on pheasants.

Yeah, you would think. Long story, but he paid a small fine and that was it. Karma caught up with him later, but not in a way that restored my hunting permission.

I've dealt with a variety of trespassers on land where I was given exclusive permission to hunt. It almost never ends well. In the worst case example, I lost permission on an incredible deer property because I called the CO on a guy who poached a deer in front of me (with a rifle in a shotgun...

Agreed, but the snow has consolidated quite a bit in the southwest. It was easier walking on Wednesday than it was on Sunday. The grass hasn't fully lodged yet, and we'll have a few days above freezing next week after the cold snap. I wouldn't be surprised if the birds will move back to the...

Went back today...and found 'em! Tuesday night's storm was not as impactful as I feared it might be. In terms of habitat conditions, the snow still isn't crusty, despite the rain yesterday. Only got about 1/2 inch of new snow. It's going to be a cold weekend, but next week looks awfully nice...

This was a particularly memorable hunt for my older dog. He wanted nothing to do with the tailgate photo though. Yes, MN. No, I won't tell you where. But if you find a pair of Smith sunglasses in the snow out there...that's the spot.

Muzzleloader season orange requirement is in effect from 11/29 - 12/14. Don't shoot the messenger :).

I hope you get the send off and closure you're looking for. My older dog is in his 10th season and I never take any day for granted with him.

Reminder that youth deer season (statewide, today though Sunday) means FULL BLAZE for pheasant hunting, per below. Shirt/jacket + hat (if wearing one). A hat alone isn't enough. Never a bad idea to throw some blaze on your dog too. • All hunters and trappers in the field during the open...

One of the nicest opening days in recent memory, in terms of weather. Our group of 7 shot 2 roosters at the first spot this morning, and had a few other missed opportunities. Went out for a solo hunt to finish the day, and got multiple points on birds returning from the surrounding corn. Scared...

I hunt WPAs 50% or more of the time, so I always shoot non-toxic. 12 ga Federal Black Cloud #4s are my go to, though an IC choke for most of the season. I haven't patterned them in a while but they were lights out last year on actual birds.

Beans have been coming off in a hurry over the past couple of days. Looks like a full week of upper-80 highs ahead, with nary a sprinkle forecasted until next weekend. Wouldn't surprise me if the vast majority of the beans get harvested over the next few days. Good amount of green in the corn...

Pheasant numbers in the 2025 Minnesota August Roadside Survey were up nearly 50% from 2024 and 21% above the 10-year average, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “The increase in pheasant numbers across the state and all regions is great news,” said Steven Woodley...

One positive this season - no emergency haying/grazing on anything! A lot of the ditches around me still haven't been cut, either because of rain timing or because the cattle guys already have more grass than they know what to do with. There are some positives to season-long growing rains.

If I'm traveling and actually shooting birds--I'd much rather eat them in camp than stick them in a cooler and cart them home. Not to mention-- possession limits start to kick in if you're real lucky. Getting comfortable cooking wild birds with some basic seasoning and a little bit of butter or...

100% worth it. I also use my Instinct to track steps/exercise/sleep, as a GPS tracker for myself, read txt messages when I don't want to pull out my phone, as a timer for the grill/smoker/stove, alarm clock, and...to tell time! I've never loved wearing a watch, but I do kinda love this one.

Let the dogs out in the dark this morning, and they came back soaking wet from the dew. Figured the birds would flock to the gravel at sunrise, and I was right--I saw 26 hens with broods in the local stretch in an hour of driving. Only 7 hens without broods. Really good average brood size, with...