Rooster guy
Member
Thought I'd open this up now that we are in prime time. How'd everyone do over opener and this past week? Seeing many reports that the corn is coming out pretty steadily the last week or so. Lets see some pics of everyone's bag!
2015 Season
- Thread starter Rooster guy
- Start date
pheasanthunt
Member
we kinda busted opening weekend. Saturday 1 rooster 3 huns. Saturday 8 roosters. Monday 3 roosters. Tuesday perfect weather only hunted till 11:00am 6 roosters. 4-5 guys each day.
weather was crazy very hot and very windy. We golfed in Bismark Monday afternoon. 35-45 MPH winds.
Jim
weather was crazy very hot and very windy. We golfed in Bismark Monday afternoon. 35-45 MPH winds.
Jim
Rooster guy
Member
Good to hear, what part of the state were you in? Corn coming down as fast as others say?
Just got back home today from hunting east central ND. Was tough going. Cover is really down from past years. Every pheasant we encountered was in or very near cattail sloughs.
We killed 3 , missed a couple. # grouse , moved a covey of huns. Was very hot , dry and windy. Lots of out normal places had been either grazed or mowed for hay. Most other bird hunters I have seen in the last 9 years. Still enjoyed it!
We killed 3 , missed a couple. # grouse , moved a covey of huns. Was very hot , dry and windy. Lots of out normal places had been either grazed or mowed for hay. Most other bird hunters I have seen in the last 9 years. Still enjoyed it!
Headin west
Member
With CRP practically gone in that part of the state it probably could be called marginal pheasant range.
Agreed , it is a sad situation there. Saw a lot of PLOTS in the area that was literally a mowed hay field.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Hunted from near the MO to the Red in So ND.
I would say birds are not plentiful. We shot enough birds and had fun, but the birds were far between. Few hens.
Early and Late when we were moving around between places and out and about ... saw almost no birds moving.
In ND, when bird populations are good - you always see birds in ditches, on posted land, near farmsteads, and occasionally flying over the road to who knows where. Just did not see this and the weather was prime.
Three flocks of sharptails. One group of grouse lead us to our best (and new) pheasant spot. No huns seen, but I heard them "chirping" (eeeick) early one morning.
I would say birds are not plentiful. We shot enough birds and had fun, but the birds were far between. Few hens.
Early and Late when we were moving around between places and out and about ... saw almost no birds moving.
In ND, when bird populations are good - you always see birds in ditches, on posted land, near farmsteads, and occasionally flying over the road to who knows where. Just did not see this and the weather was prime.
Three flocks of sharptails. One group of grouse lead us to our best (and new) pheasant spot. No huns seen, but I heard them "chirping" (eeeick) early one morning.
I can understand the plots land being mowed or plowed that's someone's farm land. BUT when I enter a wildlife management land with ND signs on it and its mowed like a golf course it really makes me wonder if the people and DNR want my out of state money!
I hunted Monday until Thursday some public some private non-posted land. I shot 12 roosters 2 sharptail and 2 Huns. I was in North Central part of the state.
Not many hens at all!! Hunted where I hunt in Sept. I usually see plenty of young pheasants.
Saw about 60 grouse and only 2 coveys of Huns. I had 8 dogs with me and really put some ground under my boots.
Hope Kansas Wiha lands treat me better over Thanksgiving.
I hunted Monday until Thursday some public some private non-posted land. I shot 12 roosters 2 sharptail and 2 Huns. I was in North Central part of the state.
Not many hens at all!! Hunted where I hunt in Sept. I usually see plenty of young pheasants.
Saw about 60 grouse and only 2 coveys of Huns. I had 8 dogs with me and really put some ground under my boots.
Hope Kansas Wiha lands treat me better over Thanksgiving.
pheasanthunt
Member
I am heading out this weekend to hunt central and south central ND. we didn't have a ton of luck opening weekend and the next week, but weather was tuff and all the corn was up. It should be much better conditions this weekend, I will give you a report when I get back.
I don't understand what's up with ND PLOTS land, I went to a field last year and it was all black, disc up. I know its private land but either the PLOTS program has to do a better job screening land or this was just an anomaly. I have see some other sub par PLOTS land so I lean towards the first.
I don't understand what's up with ND PLOTS land, I went to a field last year and it was all black, disc up. I know its private land but either the PLOTS program has to do a better job screening land or this was just an anomaly. I have see some other sub par PLOTS land so I lean towards the first.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Currently only 1/3 or ND PLOT land is currently CRP. The remaining land is farmland typically with some type of cover ...
I have noticed that PLOT land often starts as CRP, but can change if the CRP contract expires. The CRP is first mowed / hayed and then turned over to black dirt. The following spring it is planted into corn or beans. I have had success on these parcels, but the number of successful nests must decrease with the loss of grassland.
I have noticed that USF&W WPAs are being grazed and farmed heavily this year in ND. Some WPAs have the entire grassland area in crop rotation. I assume this is a 1-2 year deal and grass will return. It certainly reduces available grassland cover during nesting season, when CRP acres are already at a low. Not good timing on this Federal Government strategy.
I have noticed that PLOT land often starts as CRP, but can change if the CRP contract expires. The CRP is first mowed / hayed and then turned over to black dirt. The following spring it is planted into corn or beans. I have had success on these parcels, but the number of successful nests must decrease with the loss of grassland.
I have noticed that USF&W WPAs are being grazed and farmed heavily this year in ND. Some WPAs have the entire grassland area in crop rotation. I assume this is a 1-2 year deal and grass will return. It certainly reduces available grassland cover during nesting season, when CRP acres are already at a low. Not good timing on this Federal Government strategy.
I can understand the plots land being mowed or plowed that's someone's farm land. BUT when I enter a wildlife management land with ND signs on it and its mowed like a golf course it really makes me wonder if the people and DNR want my out of state money!
I hunted Monday until Thursday some public some private non-posted land. I shot 12 roosters 2 sharptail and 2 Huns. I was in North Central part of the state.
Not many hens at all!! Hunted where I hunt in Sept. I usually see plenty of young pheasants.
Saw about 60 grouse and only 2 coveys of Huns. I had 8 dogs with me and really put some ground under my boots.
Hope Kansas Wiha lands treat me better over Thanksgiving.
So do I! You sound a lot like me with this post. I have a friend from college that is a private lands Biologist in a state that has a walk in access program. He said that a lot of times some of the best lands they lease from a farmer , they get because they lease a lot of land from that farmer. They wouldn't normally lease some of the mowed or plowed fields but that same guy owns some good CRP tracts. Give and take I suppose. I see the same thing in western Kansas. Literally a harvested wheat field from road side to road side???
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
CRP is NOT really winter habitat unless there is a cattail slough or creek in there. CRP grass fills with snow rather quickly. Most pheasants winter in thick tree belts and larger cattail sloughs. Pheasants are also wise to winter in farm yards that have active cattle operations.
Then again, CRP is fine in a mild winter (by NoDak standards).
Pheasant congregate in winter and disperse widely in the Spring.
CRP is best at providing nesting cover for pheasants and ducks. Much better than strips of grass such as road ditches. When in comes to predators finding nests and nesting hens ... CRP fields provide the needle in the haystack scenario.
Agree with the above said. I was not only referring to CRP but also the sloughs that I saw being burned and plowed this year. I have seen tons of old fence rows and shelter belts dozed up and burned as well over the last 3 years.Im not trying to get into an intelligence contest with you. I doubt this impresses anyone but I have a bachelors degree in wildlife management. I do not fault the farmers for doing what is most profitable for their operations at all. Just merely stating my observations.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Burning sloughs is common in NoDak in dry years. Legally they cannot drain tile them and while you do lose winter habitat, the slough (when they refill with water) are refreshed and re-energized. Still smaller cattail slough provide adequate winter cover in mild NoDak winters and are fun to hunt ... Some may actually be farmed during drought years.
The single row shelter belts appear to be falling fast, but I suppose really do not offer much in the way of shelter to pheasants - actually some believe it enables avian predators a perch. Many are cleared because the trees have aged out and are dying.
The landscape has certainly changed in middle NoDak. It is a hit or miss pheasant area depending on prior winters (two consecutive bad ones set you back years). In the late 1980s and early 1990s we hunted pheasants in slough beds that are now under 6 - 20 feet of water.
In 1991 - you would drive an average of 5 - 10 miles in some areas per flock of huns.
There was NO CORN in this region and very few beans. It was primarily wheat and sunflower country which makes for some good upland edges.
I blame corn for a lot. Corn is satan in the eyes of a NoDak upland bird hunter. Head up to far NW ND or eastern MT and you can see pheasants do not need corn.
The single row shelter belts appear to be falling fast, but I suppose really do not offer much in the way of shelter to pheasants - actually some believe it enables avian predators a perch. Many are cleared because the trees have aged out and are dying.
The landscape has certainly changed in middle NoDak. It is a hit or miss pheasant area depending on prior winters (two consecutive bad ones set you back years). In the late 1980s and early 1990s we hunted pheasants in slough beds that are now under 6 - 20 feet of water.
In 1991 - you would drive an average of 5 - 10 miles in some areas per flock of huns.
There was NO CORN in this region and very few beans. It was primarily wheat and sunflower country which makes for some good upland edges.
I blame corn for a lot. Corn is satan in the eyes of a NoDak upland bird hunter. Head up to far NW ND or eastern MT and you can see pheasants do not need corn.
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BRITTMAN Thanks for the insight. The pheasants we found this year were near the wheat we found. The farmers I have gotten to know say the same thing about how they never thought there would be corn and beans in that area. It is mostly beans in the area of Stutsman / Kidder counties that we hunt. One of the best fields I had was at the edge of Sunflowers and A WPA. That WPA has now been grazed down to carpet and the field was in beans. I was devastated.Do you think a late trip (November) would be worth it? I have always contemplated it. We usually hunt the first week that non residents can be on PLOTS. I do appreciate and respect your obvious years of experience.
Hunted Fri-Sun in SC-SE ND. It was good, but not a great year. I've been hunting the same two farmers for about 20 years now. Took two guys with me and the end of one field on Friday accounted for 6 of our nine birds that day. Flock of 50 flushed staggerd enough to reload. Saturday was a perfect day, saw lots of birds and had good scenting conditions after the rain, which I was told was lacking before. The birds were very grouped up for this time of year due to the water shortage, but made for some fun hunting. Most birds we killed were either older birds or so young their breasts had not filled in yet. I saw several people out hunting Sat and Sun, frankly a lot for ND. The northern ducks were just starting to show up Sun. and it'll be awhile before they get here if the weather stays mild. It was worth the drive this year, but I had access to the best cover in the area and if a guy had to freelance, it would be tough. We really had to work for our birds considering the corn was 90% out and these were birds with little pressure.