MNhunter4ever
Member
If anyone wants to share what’s going on from the field during the 2025 season, we would love to hear, so please feel free to post any reports!
2025 season reports
- Thread starter MNhunter4ever
- Start date
One of the nicest opening days in recent memory, in terms of weather. Our group of 7 shot 2 roosters at the first spot this morning, and had a few other missed opportunities. Went out for a solo hunt to finish the day, and got multiple points on birds returning from the surrounding corn. Scared one rooster a little but no golden hour bird for me. Lots of hunters out all day today, but with so much corn still in the fields, I doubt the afternoon hunters had much luck.
Last edited:
bryantukkah
Member
Morning was super slow. Didn't hear much shooting and we did not see a single bird in our field. Picked up a couple mid day next to a combine cutting corn somewhere else. The evening was amazing. We sat roadside between 330 and 430 and were shocked at the amount of birds dumping from standing corn into the same field we hadn't seen a thing in the morning. The dogs put on an epic show that last hour and a half.
MNhunter4ever
Member
I just ended up hunting by myself on Sunday morning until about 1 PM, and I saw two roosters too far out in front at the first spot, then eight hens at the second spot, with some real nice points on several from my dog, and then a hen and a few roosters at my last spot. I knocked one down in the cattails but only ended up with wet boots and a wet dog but no bird unfortunately! Beautiful day once the rain moved through in the morning, and then it got a bit warm and we had to head home. Looking forward to the next time I can get out, which is next Sunday, which should be much cooler.
Really tough conditions yesterday. I wasn't able to hunt opener. Too much wind for good scenting conditions and hot. As with every first hunt of the year, it took a while for the dog and I to figure out what the heck we were doing. Walked about 8 miles, found a handful of solo hens and a single rooster we brought home. There is significantly more standing corn this year than there was last year, but the farmers are out there harvesting at mach speed. Not knowing a thing about farming or harvest, I am curious to see what they can get done this week. I assume they won't be combining in the rain this week? I'll be hunting Friday afternoon on my way to SD for a quick weekend trip.
Limitless
Well-known member
Got out later than planned on Saturday (meaning not at a spot an hour+ before shooting time), and paid for it. All the spots had hunters. Most of them had groups. I think it was the most large groups I've ever seen on a single day -- 10 people, 8 dogs types of groups.
Drove around until 10 and found a suboptimal spot to hunt. One hen. Pretty sure every other spot I hunted had been hunted earlier by others. One adult rooster got worried as we were crossing up/side-wind of him and launched across, in front of me. Missed behind on the first shot and brought him down lifeless on the second shot at about 45 yards.
Put on 7 miles. Kept thinking that the evening hunt would be pretty good, due to about 70% corn still standing in the area I hunted. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hunt the last hour+ of the day. Honey did have a one sided tussle with a big, and very smelly, possum.
Sunday, it was rainy and windy. Only hunted the last 2 hours of the day. Put on 3 miles, in 75 degree temps, at the one spot hunted, with occasional sprinkles. Corn on multiple sides of the large area. Honey was finding hens, but no roosters. Near the end of the trek, she pointed and chased down a cripple 2025 born rooster. If the gun, the dog, or the human manage to get one, I count it. A little while later, after a long hen stalk and flush, another spring rooster got up ahead, going with the strong wind, left to right. Missed on the first shot again, but ended him on the second.
A full on rain when I got back to the vehicle got me a bit wet. But the sunset and rainbow to the east were nice bonuses.
The end results were perfectly fine by me, but the number of hunters, standing corn, and rain made for a more challenging opener. I heard the same from others in the area.
Drove around until 10 and found a suboptimal spot to hunt. One hen. Pretty sure every other spot I hunted had been hunted earlier by others. One adult rooster got worried as we were crossing up/side-wind of him and launched across, in front of me. Missed behind on the first shot and brought him down lifeless on the second shot at about 45 yards.
Put on 7 miles. Kept thinking that the evening hunt would be pretty good, due to about 70% corn still standing in the area I hunted. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hunt the last hour+ of the day. Honey did have a one sided tussle with a big, and very smelly, possum.
Sunday, it was rainy and windy. Only hunted the last 2 hours of the day. Put on 3 miles, in 75 degree temps, at the one spot hunted, with occasional sprinkles. Corn on multiple sides of the large area. Honey was finding hens, but no roosters. Near the end of the trek, she pointed and chased down a cripple 2025 born rooster. If the gun, the dog, or the human manage to get one, I count it. A little while later, after a long hen stalk and flush, another spring rooster got up ahead, going with the strong wind, left to right. Missed on the first shot again, but ended him on the second.
A full on rain when I got back to the vehicle got me a bit wet. But the sunset and rainbow to the east were nice bonuses.
The end results were perfectly fine by me, but the number of hunters, standing corn, and rain made for a more challenging opener. I heard the same from others in the area.
Last edited:
bryantukkah
Member
You like that tactical scope? Red dot I assume? Don't think I've ever seen one on a bird gun before. How often do you have to recalibrate it?
Limitless
Well-known member
Yes, open reflex type of red dot. Not magnified. I haven't come across anyone using one in person. I've seen some on YouTube using them in the UK.
i added it part way through last season. The reason is my current primary gun doesn't fit me great and results in inconsistent mounts. The sight allows for the inconsistent mounts but with more consistent hits.
I took it out back to check how it was shooting on Thursday. It may have been a little left of where I had it last time I checked last season, but also possible it didn't move at all. Once I set it last December (I think), I didn't move it again. And I hunted most of January in South Dakota. So I did nudge it a little to the right last week. I shot 100 rounds of trap after the adjustment and did fine (for me).
Mounting it on a rib was a challenge. I won't go into the details here, but a drilled receiver mount would be a lot easier. That would change the sight picture though too, having it further back.
Last edited:
Rude One
Member
Got out Saturday. There was so much corn out I knew if we saw anything it would be great. First spot was a bust. Second stop saw one rooster out of range. Third spot 3 roosters no hens. Two got up out of range one in the corn. The third was at about 50 yards behind some trees. Last spot we saw 12 hens no roosters and one dog that got sprayed by a skunk. At least it wasn't mine. Every field but one was still surrounded by corner. It should be good once the corn comes out.
Hunted "our" traditional WPA just down the road from my old farm for opener. One other group showed up, we worked out a plan with them ahead of time. Not starting in the right spot shorted us a few chances but for 6 guns we got 8 birds off the public. Quick headed over to one of our private spots and filled our limit plus a handful of wood ducks. We didn't pheasant hunt on Sunday; did some work at the cabin and snuck some waterholes for ducks. Rain didn't slow down harvest too much. Our renters started on Saturday night and were just finishing up the 320 acres of corn today around most of our grass, but one 40 acre piece still has corn on all 4 sides. By the end of the week most of the corn will be out if it doesn't rain too much.
Limitless
Well-known member
Only had time to hit 3 spots in the final 4.5 hours of the day today, with a little over 3 hours actually hunting.
1st spot: 10 hens and 2 roosters that Honey found, but flushed out of range without me being close enough or brush in the way. Burned 2 hours there.
2nd spot: Took 50 minutes to get there and get ready. 1 hen and 1 rooster flushed wild well out of range.
3rd spot: Only had 25 minutes. WPA, with some standing corn across the road. About 16 hens and 4 roosters. 1 cackling rooster flushed wild out of range. One baby rooster that had no color and could barely cackle flushed wild and I could have probably downed him, but let him go. Got the 3rd one when he flushed with some hens. The 4th one that should be in my bag held so tight, with both me and the dog bouncing around in the thick swamp grasses where he was hiding, that I assumed it was a hen, and then proceeded to whiff the shots when she turned into a he. Fun end to the 3 days of hunting.
1st spot: 10 hens and 2 roosters that Honey found, but flushed out of range without me being close enough or brush in the way. Burned 2 hours there.
2nd spot: Took 50 minutes to get there and get ready. 1 hen and 1 rooster flushed wild well out of range.
3rd spot: Only had 25 minutes. WPA, with some standing corn across the road. About 16 hens and 4 roosters. 1 cackling rooster flushed wild out of range. One baby rooster that had no color and could barely cackle flushed wild and I could have probably downed him, but let him go. Got the 3rd one when he flushed with some hens. The 4th one that should be in my bag held so tight, with both me and the dog bouncing around in the thick swamp grasses where he was hiding, that I assumed it was a hen, and then proceeded to whiff the shots when she turned into a he. Fun end to the 3 days of hunting.
waterdog09
Active member
went out Saturday morning to a spot we hunted last year on opener, my buddy and I both had our limits within a hour. Easily saw 50-60 birds on the piece. Hunted Sunday morning for a couple of hours until the heavy rain hit, I lost one bird and dropped a leg on another that wild flushed. Ended Sunday with 1 but should have been another limit, wind and rain made for some tough conditions to say the least. Back at it again this upcoming weekend in an area about 20 miles from where we were this weekend.