2022 season photos IOWA

Well, the temps weren't terrible this morning, close to 20, but the wind was 20 plus! We tried 3 farms we hadn't hunted yet this year to start. The first one had the usual wild flushing birds that gave long crossing shots, we got one there that sat a bit too long. Saw a coyote, let him be. The second place on held a hen. The third one had a few birds, I got no shots, my buddy shot at one with no luck. Saw 2 coyotes, let them be. So we went to our CRP with the crazy wind. It took a bit of walking, they weren't in the food plots, but once we found them it was a bit frustrating. Shot at one, feathers, but he flew strong, but I watched and he fell as about out of sight, maybe 300 yards out, I had nothing to mark the line and do way to really gauge the distance, virtually no decent way to gauge where it might have fell. I then dropped one that we recovered. Shot another, thought it was hit hard, had a good mark, 10 minutes later neither of us or the dogs could locate it. Then I did what I never do there just because the cover is so dense, shot a double. We looked for 20 minutes for these 2 and again nothing! I was about ready to stop shooting at this point. As I was getting to the end one flushed and got in the wind above me, I shot and the wind brought it right back to me, I might have been able to have caught it if I moved a bit faster, but I was on him as he fell. My buddy let loose on one that drew feathers and kept going but fluttered back down into the cover. We scoured the area where I saw it land and nothing. As we headed back for the trucks, my young dog was lagging behind. I hit the locate and headed back to find him. After a couple more locates on the collars, he emerged out of the cover with a still live, busted winged bird for me. That made me feel a bit better about the losses, but those just real suck. My shooting was off as it seemed by the birds which must have been just winged today. I am not sure, but maybe the high winds were making the recovers by the dogs a lot more difficult also. No pics today, too cold, windy and didn't feel like we deserved any. Tomorrow should be a much better day for shooting conditions and hopefully for the dogs in their recovery efforts.
 
GX020137_1668458954382.jpgThis was last Sunday. My shooting was off but he took a few bbs #2 steel and we found him about 200 yards away? Hell maybe 300 I'm not sure it was a long ways. Made a mark and brought the dogs there and they did the rest🥇. I honestly didn't think we'd find him but knew we had to make the effort. He was stone dead.
 
Today, Sunday, the conditions were much better, temp around 20 and winds 12ish mph with clear skies. My hunting buddy took several stems of big blue grass into the eyes yesterday here, so he was taking the today off. I am about 3 inches taller and wear glasses, so that is a big benefit to me hunting this parcel of crp. We started off and flushed a group of 10 or so, into the sun, so shots at those. We walked a half mile to the back corner with with several hen points along the way. Once in the back of the parcel had a rooster flush and it took my 3rd shot to fold him, found him just past where I marked his fall with my hat. Lots of wild flushing ahead of me to the north, the direction I was now heading. After a couple hundred yards a young rooster flushed and headed out into corn stocks, I dropped him and I could see he was a runner. The dog couldn't get through the fence so I corralled him myself. I was now heading parallel to a hedgerow and with a food plot. In about another 100 yards or so, a rooster flushed and I dropped him and recovered him myself. With so many flushes and birds the young dog struggled with concentrating on the downed bird and the cover is so thick and tall, marking the area they drop, has to be about impossible for the dog. It was a great morning, nice walk, no lost birds and was taking pics by 8:45. I saw tons of birds on way out, that was almost as fun as shooting a few. Two of the birds were quite young and the other was a big old bugger, even his head seems bigger! With the number of young birds I am seeing, the hatch and survival must have better than I was thinking it may have been....resilient birds these pheasants are. Another great weekend in the books!
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Looks like a great morning. Had a few of those done by 9am hunting in Iowa back in the late 80’s. It has been a long time since I hunted there. Might have to look into it again as it is closer than SD or western Kansas. Good job I enjoy the stories.
 
Went out for a quick morning hunt with my buddy. He had a spot for us this morning, a thick 80ish acres of crp, with a wooded creek that runs through it (this creek has water!). We started along the creek and after a couple hundred yards, a covey of quail flushed beside me, it was great to see them, I haven't seen a covey like that around here for decades! I would have been happy with just that experience this morning. I have hunted this parcel before (first time for me this season), but the pheasants were just where I thought they would be. Had 2 popcorn flushes about 40 yards ahead of us, that spread the birds throughout the parcel. It took a little time but we tracked-down a few roosters, I shot 3 shells, had 3 down, one only winged, which escaped us. My buddy was 1 for 1, with a very nice shot. Got back on the road heading for home at 10:00, took the turkey and myself to my daughter & son-law's home and had a great meal with my wife, kids, grandkids and father, a great Thankgiving day! My first day pheasant hunting this season, that I didn't bring home a limit, but this is Iowa after all...few birds here!!! A pic of my buddy, the dogs and our Thanksgiving Day birds.
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After a bit of black Friday shopping for mostly "dog and hunting stuff", we were out at 8:00 this morning on a piece of CRP that we hadn't been on this season. The birds were just singles throughout, I had my 3 at about 9:00. Put my buddy got out on our cpr to get him some birds, I tried to help, without carrying a gun there, with my dog. After a healthy walk through most of it, he anchored one and this was the end of the day for us. No lost birds, I took one long shot, but 3 birds in 4 shots, the dogs did well too, I was/am happy.
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I had planned to head to Nebraska this morning, but decided to stay closer to home and hit some new public spots. I took my youngest dog to the first field. He worked really well, but we only kicked up one hen. I had planned to drop him off at home, and pick up the older two, but he definitely was not ready to call it a day. I stopped at home and decided to take all three to the next couple spots.

Our next stop was a spot that doesn't look like much from the road, but I always thought it might hold a few birds. I think my female was a little bitter over being left behind this morning. She was ignoring my commands and busted a nice group of birds about 60 yards out. After that, she worked well, but we kicked up nothing but hens on that walk.

On the way home I stopped at a small IHAP piece I had never hunted. The dogs worked well, and I dumped the only rooster we had in range all day. Cash, my youngest dog, made a 60 yard retrieve and put the bird right in my hand...but he had to be coerced into letting go.
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I gave the birds a break yesterday, today was another perfect day to pheasant hunt and I took a friend and his son out. We started at a family farm that they want to hunt and the son got one there, they were disappointed with only sees 2 roosters there, so I took them to our crp, where they both got shooting in, the son got another and I got my 3. No lost birds. Back to town, I cleaned the birds and sent them off with a pile of fresh pheasant fillets to enjoy. A fun morning. Here they are with the birds and my dog.
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Nice work, Remy! The dogs and I had a memorable hunt in Nebraska this morning. I was hoping to get out on some private ground in IA tomorrow, but one of my boys is running a fever. I might be done with the birds until next weekend.
 
Hunted around NW Iowa November 19-22. First trip to Iowa and my pups first wild pheasant hunt. Iowa did not disappoint! We were able to get into birds every day and managed to kill 3 for the 4 days of hunting. He pointed his first wild bird and I flushed and he retrieved to hand. Not to shabby for being 6 months old.Benny_Iowa_2022.jpg
 
A good report Howard, a great photo, love the look for your dog! 6 months old, that is awesome! Great cover you found there too, just not sure about laying shotguns in the snow. I see it done often, just can't understand why, let's not make that a "thing" to do.
 
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Gim, that is my friend's son, they are die-hard Hawkeye fans, I guess it was the Husker's turn....it was a nice run beating them up for a few years! Those were matching Hawkeye "Rugby Team" hoodies they were also sporting now that I think about it. You have to been able to withstand some disappointment being a Hawkeye and/or Vikings fan...you know it is coming, just not sure when.
 
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New member here from Central Iowa. I thought I'd share a pic of my 2 dogs and a few birds from last weekend. The lab is 4 years and has proven to be a solid pheasant dog. The Springer is almost 2 and she's still learning the game. It's been a good season so far and looking forward to getting out again this weekend.
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gimruis said:
I'm surprised your son was willing to wear those Hawkeye gloves after that debacle against the lowly Huskers the day before.
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remy3424 said:
A good report Howard, a great photo, love the look for your dog! 6 months old, that is awesome! Great cover you found there too, just not sure about laying shotguns in the snow. I see it done often, just can't understand why, let's not make that a "thing" to do.
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@ remy3424 - Yeah, I was so excited that I unloaded the last shell and dropped in right there.
 
Jawilor said:
New member here from Central Iowa. I thought I'd share a pic of my 2 dogs and a few birds from last weekend. The lab is 4 years and has proven to be a solid pheasant dog. The Springer is almost 2 and she's still learning the game. It's been a good season so far and looking forward to getting out again this weekend.
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Love the look on the springer's (I think) face. I love you to, can we do that again?
 
Yeah, she's a character for sure and would go all day if the lab and I could keep up...lol Honestly, they work well together in the field and I don't lose many birds between the 2 of them.
 
doffiehoward said:
Hunted around NW Iowa November 19-22. First trip to Iowa and my pups first wild pheasant hunt. Iowa did not disappoint! We were able to get into birds every day and managed to kill 3 for the 4 days of hunting. He pointed his first wild bird and I flushed and he retrieved to hand. Not to shabby for being 6 months old.
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Welcome to the forum and glad to hear you had a good hunt here! It has to be exciting to have a dog that young work so well!
 
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