2022 season photos IOWA

[birddude]

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.
View attachment 4902

Great pic. I think he's smiling!!

 

[Rooster Rodeo]

How much snow did the northwest part of the state get from this latest storm? Trying to figure out if it’s still walkable for one last hunt. Looking at Winnebago to Dickinson county.

 

[gimruis]

How much snow did the northwest part of the state get from this latest storm?

I have found these maps to be fairly accurate. According to this, 4-8 inches.

U.S. Weather

Current Iowa Snow Depth and Snow Accumulation

www.weatherstreet.com

 

[Rooster Rodeo]

I have found these maps to be fairly accurate. According to this, 4-8 inches.

U.S. Weather

Current Iowa Snow Depth and Snow Accumulation

www.weatherstreet.com

Didn’t realize you could search by snow depth, thanks!

 

[Jawilor]

After some tough hunts during the week, we were able to connect on a couple of public land roosters this morning. I got to the area at 8:00 and someone beat me to the spot I wanted so I hit a different section. It sounded like he got some shooting too.
The birds were holding much tighter today which is a big change from earlier in the week. The dogs are worn out so we'll take tomorrow off, then give it another shot on Monday.

 

[remy3424]

Went out for a last day of 2022 hunt, nice temps, but could have done without the full sun. Birds were wild, had a few of those full throttle-high flier opportunities, which I struggled getting clean hits on. The three I harvested , were all hard hits. I don't usually don't get the full pattern on birds, but I did on this trio! Even shooting 5s, I recovered almost 2 dozen pellets for those three birds. A good clean-up took about 2 hours, it was ridiculous. My buddy also got his three birds. His dog went off with me at one point and I got my last 2 birds, I call him and he had put 2 down without a dog and needed help to find them. I got to him with the dogs, each of our dogs found one in the thick crp. The one my dog found was buried DEEP under the grass. The dog was literally digging at it to try to get it out, I reached in and pulled it out thinking it would be alive yet, but it had expired and we were done with our 3 bird limits. Had one big old bird, with some nice spurs (even his feet took several pellets-I think 13 of the pellets recovered, were in that big body), the other 2 were young, but loaded with fat. It was another great morning.

 

[remy3424]

I well, I was solo this morning, my buddy had a knee that was bothering him yet from yesterday's hunt. So, I headed out a bit late, chose a farm we had seen a bunch of birds at and harvest 2 limits from earlier this season. We get started and Gus is birdy immediately. We work to the far side of this waterway in a bean field. Gus locks up and I catch a glimpse of a bird running 10 yards ahead of us, so I assume that is the one he is smelling. I proceed pass the locked-up dog and as soon as I pass him a rooster flushes right beside me. I wheel-around and proceed to let 3 rounds loose at the rooster and he seemed to be no worse for the experience. So we go another 10 yards and a bird flushes just in front of us that I couldn't ID so I let it be. I am now watching birds flushing out of the cover 75 yards ahead of us. Another 20 yards and Gus is a hard point again, a rooster flushes and I drop it in the bean stubble, Gus is on it, another flushed heads out the same direction, he was bit further, I let a round go at him with no success, but Gus now leave the first birds heads after this untouched bird. Now another rooster breaks-out and curls back and I drop it dead in the stubble. So I gather the 2 downed birds and get Gus back to the cover, and he is locked-up again and flushes another rooster, it follows the same pattern as the last 3 and I drop it for my limit. This entire sequence took less than 10 minutes and Gus in not going to let me quit on this waterway already. So, we keep going and in another 30 yards another hard point, I stomp most of the cover and nothing happens, Gus dives in, nose first, in a second or 2, I see something is now moving under the grass and I am thinking this will be a bird that had been wing shot earlier by someone. No, a rooster crawls out and flies off a strong as any bird. I think that we got one more hen up after we got to the end and headed back. The birds today weren't shot-up like they were yesterday, I found a single pellet in the birds when cleaning them (compared to 23 yesterday! ). A great hunt, a short one, but packed with fast action. I didn't even break a sweat today! This season is winding down fast, I hope to have 3 more outings. I will include a rare selfie.

 

[KSBrittman]

Now that’s a fun and quick hunt !!! How old is your GSP ? Make or female ?

 

[Labradinger]

The new pup getting introduced to quail and a pic of an Iowa 5 man limit by about noon. Hoping this storm doesnt hammer them too hard so I can go out for the closer this weekend. Went in SD yesterday for a couple hours and the only thing shot was a coyote.

 

[remy3424]

This GSP is just is just 17 months now. I am the one with the grey beard! He has had hundreds of bird contacts already this season and is doing well for me.

I thought I posted this yesterday, but evidently didn't click the "Past reply" button!

 

[Huede]

Had a couple good hunts this weekend. The birds were holding better, maybe the damp overcast days, not sure.

 

[Lefty76]

Nice work Remy and Huede! My last 4 days off I was laid up with a stomach bug. My poor dogs have only hunted once in the last two weeks. I'm off Wednesday-Saturday. We're going to give these Iowa birds a good run before it's over!

 

[remy3424]

Winding-down the 3rd day of the New Year's weekend. We took took a friend out who has an 11 month old drahthaar with us. We hit 3 different waterways, they were mostly flatten from catching snow and little decent cover left, we did see 2 hens, so we headed back to our CRP. I had one down in the first couple minutes, but the birds were wilder that usual, likely due to we had just hunted this Saturday. Long story short, we lost one, but the new fella and myself got a 3-bird limits and my buddy took one home. We have taken around 50 (maybe 60) roosters from this quarter section this season. I have worked hard to create the best habitat possible and it has paid-off. Today's outing was the longest one of the season, were didn't quit until almost 1:30, enough to tire-out my young dog it seems. Got home and we both took a bath and he also caught a nap. My 3 birds were all older ones, with nice spurs! One last weekend coming up to finish this season. It has been a great season for sure!

 

[cyclonenation10]

I’ve been a little late to posting, but’s It’s been a very good year so far. Will be out a handful of times in the last week or so here. Numbers seems down a bit from previous years but strong where the habitat is good!

Here’s a quick photo dump from a handful of outings this year!

 

[cyclonenation10]

 

[remy3424]

Partridge!!!!! Cy, you have or had, a decent shot of snow over there. Looks like a good season being had! Thanks for posting, been waiting!!!

 

[Lefty76]

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.

 

[Lefty76]

I didn't hold up my end of the bargain today. We got a later start than I had hoped for this morning. The piece of IHAP I wanted to hunt was a 45-50 minute drive. When I got there, there were already two pickups parked there. So much for that! On the way to this field, I drove past a couple other public spots. One, I noticed, hadn't been hunted since we got a couple inches of snow earlier in the week. So that is where I headed.

This was one of only 2 public spots that I had hunted more than once all season. There are a few cattail sloughs in this field, and we just kind of bounced around, zig-zagging between them. This is one reason I love to hunt alone, you can be unconventional and not have to worry about what anyone else thinks, or wants to do. The dogs got birdy early on. The first cattail patch we hit held several dozen birds. They were a little spooky, the only ones I had in range were hens. Halfway to the next patch, a rooster got up at the far end of my comfort zone. I made a quick shot, and he dropped. We looked for a long time, but couldn't find him. Shortly after we had given up, and started on our path, a rooster got up and I hit him hard. Cash was on him instantly, and brought him right to me. Looking back, I'm hoping this was the first bird I hit. Hopefully I can tell when my gopro footage uploads.

Every patch of cattails held birds today, and we kicked up a lot of birds in between them, too! The only other rooster that I had in range, darn near flew up my nostrils! It must have really startled me, because I proceeded to miss him 4 times!!!

Tomorrow will be my last chance to hunt in Iowa this season. I've put a lot of thought into where I'm going, hopefully it pans out. Either way, with the number of birds I saw today, I am very hopeful about what the future holds!

 

[remy3424]

Conditions are a little tough, a layer of snow and ice down to the ground and a couple inches of fresher snow on top of the cover. Headed out after 11:00 to let it warm up, into double digits temps. Solo again today, I walked a couple waterways, saw 4 hens and a rooster, missed a long shot. Decided they will need the heaviest cover out there. Went to the CRP, walked about 500 yards before I saw a bird, then in 15 seconds saw about 100 of them. Had feathers flying off one, like he was plane with a smoking engine, but he kept going. Then had a closer opportunity and dumped him, must have ran, had a good spot on him, but we couldn't come-up with him. Another 100 yards I then knocked another down and while I was looking for him, dropped a leg on a different one. Found the first one, then went the direction of the one with the broken leg...didn't flush or find him. Had a another quick flush and got him. Was about 250 yards from the truck and decided I was heading for it, so I needed to 1 more for my 3rd. About 30 yards and had a nice flush that I folded for my 3rd. Would have had a few more opportunities had I missed that one. It warmed-up nice with almost calm wind, if it weren't for the layer of ice & snow that crunched as you broke through it with every step, it would have been hard to beat for late season conditions. Tomorrow will be my last outing of this season, which has been amazing.

 

[Drake1]

Congrats Remy, nothing like hunting late season when the birds are grouped up and they are smart.