Sure did, it was a quick trip with some family. Limiting time away from work after having a kid this year and taking 12 weeks off, plus a week off for an upcoming Montana deer hunt, plus wanting to take roughly every other Friday off from October-January. I don't worry about the cost of the license, and I put about 28,000 miles a year on the truck with all the driving for hunting. If I regularly drive 6 hours to hunt for a day (or an hour if the birds fly well) in MN, driving 9 hours for a weekend is a walk in the park, albeit certainly NOT efficient. But I do what I can and need to in order to maximize my days in the field. If I only hunted when I had the time to do an overnight somewhere, I'd be able to go less than half of the number of days I average per season. In short, pheasants are an extremely costly way to get meat.
2025 season reports
- Thread starter MNhunter4ever
- Start date
Springer22
Well-known member
Got out for a few hours after the rain today for the first time. Just public around home. More or less just to get the dog some exercise and out in the field. As expected no birds but a very dirty dog
What area are you hunting? I have a 10 month old lab I would love to get on some birds!
Bob Peters
Well-known member
This is kind of a blunt question. Plus getting out, exploring, and finding birds on your own is half the fun. Good hunting this fall.
Springer22
Well-known member
Well got spoiled today. 3 man limit on private land with plenty of missed shots. Sunny,calm, and beautiful out. Birds were sitting tight. Did I mention I got spoiled.
Good for you, wish I could hunt even public land on a Thursday morning... but here I am working. LOL, oh well. Did you drive far? I think you are from around my area if Im not mistaken.
Limitless
Well-known member
Congrats!
Agree, the weather was great. Some of us have to do it on public land, without any misses -- but we make do.
Our 2 roosters did sit pretty good. I think the second rooster was about 6 feet to the right of Honey and 8 to 10 feet in front of me before he launched. A short tailed, low and away, fast boy. Not fast enough. 1st year bird. Had one hen runner that I remember. The first boy had nice tail feathers when in the air. Had almost none left by the time he got to my hand.
He was a bit more lively after the 45-50 yard going away shot into the sun than the second boy taken at 12-15 yards, for some reason. He was an adult.
Springer22
Well-known member
Nice! Good hunt. Ha I almost exclusively hunt public land like you. Just my springer and I. That’s why I mentioned I was spoiled today. Some family owns some land and I get to join every once in awhile.Congrats!
Agree, the weather was great. Some of us have to do it on public land, without any misses -- but we make do.
The first boy had nice tail feathers when in the air. Had almost none left by the time he got to my hand.
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Limitless
Well-known member
Sure...sure... Hey, nothing wrong with shooting those tame private land birds.... If that's your thing, I mean.
gim
Well-known member
I agree, the best way to find good habitat and populations of birds is doing it with your own truck, eyes, and legs. But all that takes time and energy, something very few have the will power for these days.
MNhunter4ever
Member
Amen, gim! Nothing like exploring new spots and trying new areas!
Wind River
Well-known member
The harder we hunt, the luckier we get.
zrander29
New member
With kids in three sports currently not much time out so far. (Damn kids JK) Opener was not ideal conditions wet and windy. Out in the field for about 2 hours and flushed 4 hens. Year two for Hank and still learning the ropes, but became birder multiple times. Towards the end of the hunt he locked on to two and got them in the air but hens.
Went out this past weekend AM hunt. Ideal conditions. Tried a couple new public fields. We pushed quite hard. Hank caught sent and worked hard and ended up flushing one hen. Even though no birds, successful from a training side of things. Once more fields are cut I think we are all in a good position with numbers being up.
Went out this past weekend AM hunt. Ideal conditions. Tried a couple new public fields. We pushed quite hard. Hank caught sent and worked hard and ended up flushing one hen. Even though no birds, successful from a training side of things. Once more fields are cut I think we are all in a good position with numbers being up.
Limitless
Well-known member
Rumor has it the farmers have decided to leave the rest of the corn until spring in Minnesota. Probably best for everyone to take the rest of the season off in this state.