2022 season photos IOWA

No good pictures from the weekend, but finished with a 3 man limit on Saturday and got 5 this morning hunting with my dad.
Much more pleasant weather than I am used to the last weekend of the year. I will be getting out for one last hunt on Tuesday before putting away the gun for the season and getting to work on some habitat projects!
 
I've been wondering how you had been doing? Looks like you guys have had a great season! I would love to get into some partridge. I don't think I've seen any since the late '80's. The dogs have put up a couple small covey's of quail this season, but I haven't taken any shots at them. They are fairly rare in these parts.
I think I shot 8 partridge this year total from 4 different coveys. Had a 3-4 more coveys flush out of range. The partridge a weird.. I'll go weeks without seeing any and then flush a cover 2-3 days in a row. I know there are quite a few around, but trying to pinpoint where they may be on any given day is a real challenge, so I just take a few here and there when I can.
 
I wrapped-up a great season today with a hard fought limit. My hunting buddy was off again today, so another solo run. I started with a place, which this was the 3rd year running, that I hunt only on the last day of my season. Never limited there, but always get a bird or 2. I waited until just after 10:00 to go out this morning and someone had snuck in and hunted this already. I still hunted the thickest part and Gus found one lone rooster that we dropped dead in the bean stubble. Hit a another farm in that area, it is a thinner CRP, more prairie drop seed and Indian grass. Second time for this parcel this season, only flushing 7 hens there today. To a waterway in the back of a section, has a bunch of snake grass in parts of it that is super thick, usually a bunch of birds, but wild. Nothing today, no tracks, it was very odd. On to a waterway with filter strips by my brother's home, a few tracks but no birds. On to another waterway with decent filter strips, got one there on the south side that wasn't blown-in with snow. When I got to the end, I debated about walking back on the north side, as the snow was going to make it difficult. I did and let the dog get out ahead of me and sure enough, he gets another rooster up, but out of my range. My fault for letting the dog out as far as I did. So now I was just a mile from my honey hole, so off we go. Walked about 250 yards and got into a pile of them. I had been 2 for 2 on shooting and thought I might end the season with a 3 for 3, but that idea was dashed as I got into a big flush. I shot at one, missed, another gets up closer, so I now focus on this one and managed to miss twice! I shovel a few shells back in and in a few steps take a shot at yet another, I think this one is going down, but catches himself and keeps flying with both legs hanging down and managed to clear the crest of the hill, still flying. Hate when I see a leg hanging, as they are dead. Another one flushes in range and I drop him dead.

As I was walking back out to my truck, Gus was pointing birds along the way and I thought to myself that there are few experiences that create the excitement of walking up on your dog with a hard point, your finger on the safety, getting ready for that bird to explode from the cover! Man I love that, it never gets old!

A nice hunt to wrap up a season that was exceptional. I wish everyone could have a season like I just had! After cleaning my birds and placing 3 tailfeathers in the jar, I counted 63 for the season, best year ever! Now if we can get through this winter without a large population loss, we will have great numbers yet again for next season. Couple of months yet that could change everything.
1.8 selfie with Gus 2.jpg1.8 birds with Gus 2.jpg
 
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I wrapped up my season today with a shutout but got the dogs on some birds which is always a bonus. All in all, it was a pretty good season for me. I only got out on the weekends except for a few days between Christmas and New Year's Day and hunted 100% public ground. The last couple of weeks were very challenging as the roosters were very educated and spooky.
One of my goals was to hunt a new public area each season and this year I focused on several IHAP properties. I hit 3 new spots but never fired a shot on any of them. All would be good early-season spots but may have burned out by the time I hit them.
I ended up bringing home 22/25 birds (lost 3), so averaged about 1 bird per outing. This is better than last year, especially in recovering shot birds. I hunt a lot of heavy cattail areas and my pups did a phenomenal job of finding downed birds.
Good luck to those hunting tomorrow and Tuesday.
 
My son went with me yesterday. It was warm! We hunted until 12:00 and took a break. The wirehair on the left was wore out, had to almost prop him up for pics
We hunted with Otis in the afternoon and got 2 more roosters. The last bird was at 4:15, winged bird in the muddy food plot after 4 shots from us. Otis tracked it down. Great way to end the season.
 

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Uh, have you checked Otis for amphetamine use? His eyes look a little manic. I don't think he's ready for pictures, he wants to hunt.

Nice images, good hunt.
 
His eyes do look a little wild there! Lol Maybe he realized it was the last day of season. No snow south of 80 and maybe south of 20. Highs is the 40's has melted what little we had.
 
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