2015 Season

AtTheMurph

Well-known member
Didn't get out for IN pheasants but gave some SE Indiana quail a chance last Sunday.

Hunted three spots and kicked up one covey. One of our perennial hot spots has been bush hogged to nothing with no grain fields nearby.... Nothing but a deer bed now.:(

Heading out to pheasant hunt next Wed in Newton and Benton counties. Hoping for good weather and good luck.
 
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The first three Indiana cocks ever posted here! A 4th was bagged shortly after this photo was taken.

Hunted in 30-40mph sustained winds. Couldn't hear but we were able to get close enough to bag 4 birds. I suspected the total would be zero. Usually where we hunt if it is that windy the birds flush wild and are out of range in .2 seconds.

3 birds were from 1 ditch in Newton County (pictured) and 1 came from 2nd place we hunted in Benton Co. The one in the center was a mature cock with 20 inch tail feather.
 
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Thanks for sharing..we have been waiting a long time for a picture of a Indiana rooster! Sounds like you earned them the hard way!
 
Murph (or whoever is doing it for you) is getting dangerous with posting photos. lol

Nice birds:thumbsup:. Your right too. This is the first posted wild Indy birds---I think on the web. I remember google/imaging wild pheasants/Indiana a couple years back and nothing came up. Maybe that's changed since.:confused:

Nick
 
Good looking birds, when I was at Purdue we ventured up to Fowler and had really good luck, but that was back in the late 80's.
 
The last spot we hunted was 7 miles from Fowler close to the state line.

I have people tell me all the time that there aren't any birds left. I always wonder if they are comparing the present to the past or if they don't know what a bird looks like any longer?

We always find birds. The hard part is finding cover. One of my favorite ditches has almost no cover left. But driving around the area I see plenty of places that I know will hold plenty of birds, but I don't have permission to hunt and it's very hard to get.

But I think that means far fewer hunters. The only other guys I have seen in three days was one group opening morning in IL, NE of Milford, IL. That might have been Hudgens.
 
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When I left Indiana the population was pretty good in the northern tier of the state, I hunted alot of private in NE Indiana as well as pigeon river and we always did well. That was back in the early 90's. Haven't been back since to hunt birds. Hoping to get my dad and so out this December for a 3 generation hunt, may be one of the last times my dad is able to get out.
 
I have people tell me all the time that there aren't any birds left.

Me too Murph. I think it's due to seldom, to never seeing the buggers crossing roads anymore, or cackling out in the open during the spring time mating seasons. The birds we have today are ghosts. To see them they need to be flushed.

Obviously bird numbers are way down from what they were, but you are correct, they are out there. Proof is in your photos;)

Nick
 
When I left Indiana the population was pretty good in the northern tier of the state, I hunted alot of private in NE Indiana as well as pigeon river and we always did well. That was back in the early 90's. Haven't been back since to hunt birds. Hoping to get my dad and so out this December for a 3 generation hunt, may be one of the last times my dad is able to get out.

I have heard that there are a number o birds in NE Indiana. I've even seen two dead cocks on the side of I69 north of Fort Wayne in the last couple of years.

I have never seen even one on the side of I65 in NW Indiana, nor have I ever seen a flying pheasant in that area, and I know there are birds there. (but maybe they are all chopped up by the windmills?)
 
Today was the last day of the Indiana pheasant season.

Got a chance to get out with 3 guys in Benton County. Didn't kill any birds but saw about 25. Badly missed one cock that should have been a gimme but was taking off my gloves when POW, off he goes. :eek:

Saw three deer, a coyote and surprise surprise, 2 quail! Yes only 2 but in Benton Co I haven't seen any quail in years. Nice to see and hope there were more around that we didn't bump.

And my dog chased down a running hen, pinned it and held a frozen point while we walked 200yds to him. (should have had a camera.)

A few more weeks to hunt IL then the season will be over far too fast.
 
I was able to make it back to Indiana this past weekend to hunt with my dad and son. Weather was way to nice, pushing 70. We hunted 3 hours Saturday and 2 hours Sunday at pigeon river. Never saw a single bird. Deer hunted evening and morning in good bird habitat but never heard any cackle either. However, birds would have been nice but it was about being in the fields with 3 generations of bird hunters.
 
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