2016-2017 Hunting Reports and Photos

People are going to stay pretty quiet if they find an area, township, county that is huntable.

Much of MN pheasant range is tough going right now. Wet, if not flooded. Grassy area cover knocked down.
 
I should clarify - I'm not looking for a good spot to hunt, I have my own secret gardens :) just curious if anybody has had success in dry cover lately or if I should expect to get wet this weekend?
 
Me too TBear!!! Although, my wife still freaks out when I bust the cattails after I fell through last year - she's worried about the dog, not me.
 
After yesterday I am done until we get freeze up!!! I got wet again, for one bird. There is water everywhere. It has been brutal the last several weeks, for the most part I am getting my birds but really busting a sweat to get it done!!!
 
Was out 12/6/2016 had day off planned for a few weeks no changing so went out anyways. Word of the day was BRUTAL.... We found birds had opportunities but the shooting was not easy gust of 40+ all day and a avg. of 35mph all day long. Lots of wet spots with only a small film of ice fell in up to knees going after a downed bird on the "edge" of cats not even in them:eek:. Willows held birds as well, once a bird got up and took flight in the wind they were like little rockets id guess they hit speeds of 60mph. All in all beats work ended up with 3 for two guys, one was a Big ole boy didn't realize it until I got home 3/4 spur and 24.5" tail shot him last 20 minutes of legal shoot. Plenty of birds to be had yet I also hope stuff freezes and we get a little snow on ground.

:cheers:
 
Hey guys I am just getting back into Pheasants after a 10 year break. Have you guys heard anything good about the Princeton/Bradford areas? It kind of sucks having to find new spots all over again...
 
DNR says population of pheasants is good in Isanti and other EC MN counties. There maybe one or two guys on this site that admit to hunting up there.

I hunt north of the metro for turkeys and see / hear roosters all the time. Never hunted up there. Habitat seems tricky (most public land is either woods or huge swamps). Access - who knows.
 
BRITTMAN said:
DNR says population of pheasants is good in Isanti and other EC MN counties. There maybe one or two guys on this site that admit to hunting up there.

I hunt north of the metro for turkeys and see / hear roosters all the time. Never hunted up there. Habitat seems tricky (most public land is either woods or huge swamps). Access - who knows.
Click to expand...

I don't really see much truth to the DNR count in Isanti County. There are definitely roosters around, but I've never really gotten into a large number of them in that area.
 
Any word on the cattail freeze yet? Not looking for your spot or location, just the condition of the freeze in general, but preferably SW MN. Huntable, non-huntable, etc.
 
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I do not believe there are many members (posters) on the MN forum that live on in W & SW MN.

Weather has been pretty nasty for pheasant hunting and in looks like temp wise will only get worse. Not sure many are driving 2-3 hours for that ...

I plan to get out 2 - 5 more times before season end. Do not mind the cold if the wind lays down. I have hunted in 0 to -10F temps with my dogs without much issue except the snow balls in the pads. They ride in the cab with me so hypothermia is not an issue ... they stay warm running or resting in a warmer cab.
 
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Thanks guys, ynneb9 I'll be headed down this weekend as well but I'd still be open to hear what you ran into bird and terrain wise. Matter of fact maybe we'll even run into ya ;)

Cold temps dont bother me none, like ya said as long as wind is somewhat calm I enjoy those hunts. Some of those walks will actually have you peeling layers off by the time you get back to the truck. Amazes me how warm you can get while walking with layers on.

Good luck guys, dont forget pics :cheers:
 
West central man the cat tails are froze the deeper drainage ditches are still running. The Chippewa river had big cakes of ice floating so that looks close to freezes get. It was windy today but I still saw 15 or so birds and lost one.
 
I was out on Tuesday. Like a previous poster said...brutal. Saw birds but no shots. Called it after 4 hours. Short cover knocked down and thick cover too wet.

Cattails should hopefully be walkable next week. That's my bread and butter...separates the men from the boys. I'll be lucky to get another half dozen hunts in this year...God that's depressing.
 
Hunted around Lake Benton December 1-3. This was my first time hunting in MN. I had a great time. Weather was perfect, the dog worked almost perfectly but my shooting stunk! Thursday - 0 for 4, Friday - 2 for 5, Saturday - 1 for 4. Saw approximately 100 birds. The birds were on the edges of the cattails in the morning and weedy crp fields in the afternoon. I definitely did best when there was either a standing corn field or combined corn field nearby. Had a couple 20 plus bird flushes. Hunted WMAs, WPAs and WIAs. Thanks for the hospitality! The local people were incredibly friendly. I was done with a field and had a good half mile walk and a guy and his kids offered me a ride in the bed of his truck. Here in WI everyone would have blown past me. I'll definitely be back next year.
 
Hunted Minn. yesterday, had not been out since my adventure on Tuesday, that I reported earlier, so here is my report from yesterday: Hunted a private piece of family property with a 2 acre corn food plot surrounded by CPR and red willow and a cattail area of approx. 10 acres near by. Saw approx. 75 birds in a 2.5 hour period, but never pulled the trigger, just the dog and I yet we sounded like a marching band trying to work our way through stuff, only had three or four hens that held for quality flushes, everything else flushed really early!!! Now for the real adventure, Ice is thick enough for the birds to travel on, almost thick enough for the dog the travel, broke through several time still( got cut up wrists and pads), but definitely not thick enough for me!!!! ended up getting really wet when I broke through and sunk in the water and mud up to mid thigh, man what an idiot!!!!! I knew better but that's where the pheasants were, hopefully with the upcoming cold weather this will firm up and we will have a fighting chance!!!!
 
That sounds rough rooster. This snow is NOT going to help the ice. I'll be hoofing it in my waders this week until I am certain I can keep dry. Cattails suck anyway...why not make them a little suckier with lug-boot late season duck waders on lol.
 
Just make darn sure the water under the Ice is not deep. Alot of duck hunters get drowned this way. Done preachin Good luck!
 
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