Chessie 67
Well-known member
Great story, Bob. I enjoy your perspectives.
2023 Season
- Thread starter Munster927
- Start date
Glock
Well-known member
Just read this while waiting for 9am. Great story Bob!Now I'm back at the cabin sitting in the man cave. I was a little late this morning and got to my spot at 10 to. Already loaded up with trucks so I gave a friendly wave and drove on. Lots and lots of hunters out. That can be seen as a negative but thinking of it now I'm glad so many people in this world enjoy pheasant hunting. Several times I passed spots with young kids out with their dads and I love that. I love seeing all the different dogs too. Anyways, I ultimately took the only spot I saw open and started hunting just before 930. I saw some birds pretty quick, missed one. After hunting a good bit and nothing to show, I decided to go all in and make this a big walk. I was conscious of the dogs and Temps creeping up to 60 and bright sun. Hunting two Goldens, the wind saved me. I hunted slow as the dogs would allow, frequent breaks, lots of water for the pooches. And I picked the lightest grass I could find. This was essentialy hunting flushers in pointer country. It was glorious. The dogs both got on a hot scent and it was off to the races. A little bit of pandemonium but I got both on the same page and managed to knock down my first rooster of the day. Granted he was lightly hit due to me, but the young dog carries her weight and tracked him down. If I get one rooster it is always a great day. What happened next I probably shouldn't relate. I backtracked a bit and a minute later a rooster flushed 5 yards away cackling and flying straight up like a hot air balloon. I straight up whiffed with both barrels. I've had a lot of great misses in my short hunting career, but this one takes the cake. I really think that bird was taking a nap and I about stepped on his head. I started the long walk back, angry at myself for letting the dogs down. Good thing they're eternal optimists. It wasn't a short while later Skye, the older dog(almost 8) went full on birdy. I'm a slow learner, but I knew she was all business with her nose to the ground and working at a pace faster than any rooster could run. Suddenly a mature rooster exploded from the short grass hell bent for leather, flying low and fast. I don't think I could have looked her in the face if I hadn't dropped him. Thankfully I pointed true and she made a quick retrieve. I don't think there's any better feeling in the world than walking out of the field with a heavy sag in your game bag, gun empty and action open, happy dog walking lightly by your side. I know the golden hour is best, and so are corn edges. But I was lucky today and got 2 roosters midday in very light grass a long ways from any ag fields. I can't wait to go again.
UplandHntr
Well-known member
Keep the pics of your field Goldens coming guys! Good stuff !
I’m an Iowan and while I wouldn’t say I’m green with envy, there’s definitely things Minnesota has that I’m envious of. The, especially when compared to Iowa, incredible amount of public land is towards the top of that list.
remy3424
Well-known member
And all the bodies of water...if you are a serious fisherman or duck hunter
Bob Peters
Well-known member
Well, I guess I better post about my MN results from Sunday. I went back to the same spot, which usually I don't do. You see, I had lost my cell phone out on the prairie and wanted to look for it again. Never did find it, so no new pics. On the walk a bird flushed but I couldn't identify any color, and by the time he cackled he was still in range but flying fast over a cane brake thicker than the one TN Ernie Ford was raised in(for disambiguation listen to 16 tons). I knew I had two good dogs with but that phragmite patch was one where the three-headed hound of hell woulda had a tough time busting through. I made the split second decision that discretion is the better part of valor. I had one quick shot at a young rooster later that surprised me and I didn't fire the second barrel because again he was over the cattails from hell. It wasn't as warm out but there wasn't much wind and I'm always putting the dogs number one so I called it quits. Back at the cabin I took the dogs for a swim which they always love. Really I was just so happy that it'd been a hell of a 5 day hunt. Sometimes I feel so content and happy after hunting, seeing the dogs work, and knowing that we all came out happy and healthy. On the way home to the cities Sunday late afternoon I pulled into a spot I hadn't hunted in a few years. The DNR had burned it in the fall two years ago I think and the bluestem was incredible. The dogs were so excited to be hunting again. I hadn't scouted this one at all, but at the backside there was a standing cornfield! This looks really good I thought. Someone on here said, "give me a standing cornfield next to nice grass any day." That quote stuck in my head. I had high aspirations and low expectations. The dogs were working slow as it had been their fifth day hunting in a row. That's fine with me, one thing I've learned in my short hunting career, is that if you have a good dog in good cover, don't try to set the pace, let the dog do that. Really I was just relaxed and happy to be following those wagging tails on a beautiful evening. The bluestem quit and the grass became more brome dominant. That was nice because I could see them better. Suddenly the older dog started coursing faster and leaping a little to look. I've been a little dense in the past but I knew it was time to hustle. Sure as shootin' she put up a rooster and I made a nice shot, the rooster going down and Skye was right on him. What a great feeling to bag a rooster after great dog work, it's hard to relate to someone who doesn't hunt. As I was hustling up to make sure she had him, the young dog doubled back at me and flushed a nice mature bird, pitching him up where he flew right past me at close range. I turned and swung and thought it was a sure thing, but it was a clean miss. Away he flew cackling at us. Yeah I was mad at myself for a minute. But like I said before the dogs were happy and healthy, and then so was I. I'm kind of a blue collar guy who hunts public land. I usually buy an Iowa license just because of MN deer season. I'll probably buy a SD tag this year. Honestly I don't care which state I'm hunting just as long as I'm out there doing it. To be truthful I'm always surprised there's not more people out there hunting pheasants. To me it's gotten in my blood and I can't imagine my life without pheasant hunting now. I just took a screenshot of the rooster I missed. In a way I'm happy he's still out there, maybe I'll run into him again later this season.
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Bob Peters
Well-known member
Here's a picture I took last year of the dogs in the mancave. Skye is on the rug and Roxy up in the chair. It's an add on to the garage with natural gas heat. A great spot for the dogs after hunting. Every day I get to spend out in the field with these goldens I count as a great day. Good luck to everyone out in the field this year. Enjoy every minute of it! I know I do.
This cold front will change things up a little. Corn harvest is now behind schedule, and might stop completely until next week with the rain and cooler temps. This could make things interesting for a while. Hunting public grass near standing corn in the golden hour is normally my favorite hunt, but a few days this past week were too hot/dry/windy for good dog work. That same standing corn when it's cooler and a little wet will be primo, but the rut's about to kick off too. Decisions, decisions!
gimruis
Well-known member
Bear in mind that there was also a 4-day youth firearms deer season and an early antlerless deer season open. My guess is that a lot of hunters were taking advantage of that instead. And the popularity of deer hunting is well-documented here lately. I purposely stayed out of the fields and forests solely because of this, and went to work on my stands yesterday instead.
Munster927
Well-known member
I was out during the 4 day season and never saw a soul deer hunting any of the public. And I was out well before 9 doing some duck hunting too. What I did see was a lot of pheasant hunters out when I went south of my usual area to look at some new to me spots.
gimruis
Well-known member
My guess is that certain areas have more deer hunting activity than others. Head eastward and the target species changes. Where I hunt pheasants in East Central, there are no other pheasant hunters. None. All I see is deer hunters.
boomerdawg13
Member
Ended up going for a short hunt Saturday morning for Blues after being beat to our duck hunting spot. My buddy with me ended up shooting a triple of blues and Millie - for her 3rd wild bird hunt ever flushed then retrieved every single one. She was a machine - bringing each one to hand. Goldenboy gave me a good one!
I also went 0/7 on a covey of blues to finish the limit - guess its time to get back to the range.
Bob - as you can tell from the second pic my golden is a little more "special" looking with those two crooked front teeth.
I also went 0/7 on a covey of blues to finish the limit - guess its time to get back to the range.
Bob - as you can tell from the second pic my golden is a little more "special" looking with those two crooked front teeth.
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Munster927
Well-known member
Never seen blues in MN before... Haha
boomerdawg13
Member
They act like spruce grouse - but I am in Colorado now. Wish I was in MN - perfect time to go up to Lake of the Woods for some fall musky and grouse hunting.
My son and I tried a new spot on Monday evening. An hour west of the Twincities. 1/2 hour before sunset, my son shot one by the edge of a crp next to private. We then flush another rooster as we got near the parking lot. When we got to the car, there was a guy on his ATV waiting for us. He was not happy that we hunted the fence line of the public property next to his soy bean fields. We told him we never cross the barb wire fence but it didn’t matter to him. Will be our last time hunting there.
Munster927
Well-known member
I wouldn't let that stop you. And personally I'd call the Warden on the landowner.