Rooster Rodeo
Member
Thinking about heading down this weekend. Are you guys running into a lot of deer hunters on public with the second shotgun season still open?
2022 season photos IOWA
- Thread starter remy3424
- Start date
Lefty76
Well-known member
I have not seen any in the field, but I hunt mostly mid-week, and typically on bottom ground that probably isn't conducive to deer drives. I thought I would see some groups of hunters in the hills on Sunday when I hunted a private piece. I met a couple pickups that looked to be deer hunters, but I didn't see any groups out pushing.
Birdman2
Well-known member
Remy, You are having a great season !!!
remy3424
Well-known member
Gave the birds a break yesterday, the wind would have made the conditions a bit tough. Waited until noon to start today. Today we had similar temps but no wind, it was very nice, even with temps in the low teens by noon. This was our 3rd annual "rooster round-up", to take a bunch of roosters out, before the conditions get tough. Had my buddy plus two cousins on one of their kids out today, everyone had plenty of shooting and everyone left with a limit, a good outing for all. We probably had about equal numbers of old birds and this year hatched ones.
Already thinking about skipping next weekend, due to the temps they are call for.
Already thinking about skipping next weekend, due to the temps they are call for.
Wind River
Well-known member
Good habitat, friends and Merry Christmas
Rooster Rodeo
Member
Made it down for a morning hunt Sunday. Didn’t run into any deer hunters 
Had issues my my frozen hands and a not firing gun on my first flush. After a gun and glove swap, my dog and I were able to manage one. On a high long shot I hit the bird very hard. He went down and buried himself near where he landed. Pretty cool to see my dog dig him out after 10 minutes of searching. It amazes me how well they can burry themselves even after being walloped.
Had issues my my frozen hands and a not firing gun on my first flush. After a gun and glove swap, my dog and I were able to manage one. On a high long shot I hit the bird very hard. He went down and buried himself near where he landed. Pretty cool to see my dog dig him out after 10 minutes of searching. It amazes me how well they can burry themselves even after being walloped.
remy3424
Well-known member
The parcel we were hunting last weekend was a quarter section (160 acres), it is all out of crop production. The majority of the ground is in CP-38 which was designed to target pheasant restoration. We manage the entire property for pheasants. I also hunt other ground, but no parcels this big and none have bird numbers like the quarter section. If you have the right habitat, you will have pheasants (assuming you are in their range). I am really into pheasant hunting and habitat.
KSBrittman
Active member
Remy what year are you in your CRP contract ?
Seems like the first 5 years can be really good then it will loose its plant diversity, unless it’s managed which I net you are keeping a good eye on .
Your numbers speak well of what you are doing with your pheasant habitat .
Seems like the first 5 years can be really good then it will loose its plant diversity, unless it’s managed which I net you are keeping a good eye on .
Your numbers speak well of what you are doing with your pheasant habitat .
remy3424
Well-known member
The CPR part has been in for 6 years, we did a 15 year contract. The CRP program is CP-38, which requires the food plots, 5 acres of them. The plot are spread though out the parcel, we have done corn, sunflowers and sorghum, but this year they are all sorghum, due to the ground squirrels digging up the planted corn kernels as soon as they sprout. We have a hedgerow of shrubs, 4 rows that parallel a winding creek for about a quarter mile, made up of gray dogwood, arrow wood, wild plum, hazelnut and aronia berry. We have planted a couple shelter belts of eastern red cedar, Austrian pine, a few spruces, a row of white oak (for the deer) sandwiched in the belt, high brush cranberry, and others. One of the shelter belts is about 15 years old, so it is established enough to be blizzard escape cover, if needed. We have removed any deciduous trees, except the white oaks and a couple black walnuts. We have probably harvested 40 roosters in this parcel this season so far. Likely hunt it 2 more times so many a dozen more before the end of the season. There are more birds there than I ever imagined there would be. Pretty impressive to walk it.
KSBrittman
Active member
Impressive piece of habitat success , I will look into CP38 here in KS
remy3424
Well-known member
I am thinking this was a limited offering. I see in 2008 KS did offer a CP-38E. Here is a link to what KS had:
I would get to know the local USDA/FSA folks in your county and make sure they know you have interest in this type of program, if and when it is offered.
One thing is certain; without habitat, there will be no birds.
I would get to know the local USDA/FSA folks in your county and make sure they know you have interest in this type of program, if and when it is offered.
One thing is certain; without habitat, there will be no birds.
This was from a couple weeks ago but the little guy is really starting to figure out the whole pointing thing. He's been getting a lot of bird contacts and on average we're probably taking home a bird an outing. I really couldn't be much happier with how his first season has gone so far and the number of birds we've seen.
Thanks Remy, that is quite the property you have there and it sounds like you've put a lot of thought and work in to make it that way. I was asking because we have an 80 that we already have 25 acres in WPA and it holds a few birds but we are looking into enrolling the rest into CRP for better bird numbers. I think we could have a pretty dang good population if we do things right there.