All Hail the Mighty Ditch Hunter

A5 Sweet 16

A5 Sweet 16

Well-known member
I hunt ditches sometimes. Not terribly often, but occasionally. Once in awhile, it's the most productive hunting based on about 27 different variables. Sometimes, we don't have time to risk getting too far from the truck, so shorter hunts are in order. When it's really, REALLY cold out (like well below zero) & pheasants still must be hunted, sometimes we'll hit a series of little ditch spots so the heated truck is never out of view. Sometimes I drive by a ditch that just looks too good not to try, so we hunt it. This is a video I put together of about 30 minutes worth of ditch hunting done last season on the way out to hunt another "real" spot. We got a quick limit & still went for a good walk afterward. It was really rather enjoyable.

Note: GoPro cameras do really strange things to perspective sometimes. When you consider it's a camera the size of a small box of paper clips, strapped to some guy's head (never at just the perfect angle), & then you do a bunch of zooming & shifting during the editing process so your intended image is somewhat visible, it's really not that surprising. I've seen videos where I'd swear a shot should kill a person downrange, but having been there to witness, I know it wasn't the least bit unsafe. It's weird & I don't understand it completely. It just is. Anyhow, the 3rd rooster in this video was considerably further from Ace than the camera made it appear. It was a safe shot, regardless of how it looks.

 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
I hunt ditches sometimes. Not terribly often, but occasionally. Once in awhile, it's the most productive hunting based on about 27 different variables. Sometimes, we don't have time to risk getting too far from the truck, so shorter hunts are in order. When it's really, REALLY cold out (like well below zero) & pheasants still must be hunted, sometimes we'll hit a series of little ditch spots so the heated truck is never out of view. Sometimes I drive by a ditch that just looks too good not to try, so we hunt it. This is a video I put together of about 30 minutes worth of ditch hunting done last season on the way out to hunt another "real" spot. We got a quick limit & still went for a good walk afterward. It was really rather enjoyable.

Note: GoPro cameras do really strange things to perspective sometimes. When you consider it's a camera the size of a small box of paper clips, strapped to some guy's head (never at just the perfect angle), & then you do a bunch of zooming & shifting during the editing process so your intended image is somewhat visible, it's really not that surprising. I've seen videos where I'd swear a shot should kill a person downrange, but having been there to witness, I know it wasn't the least bit unsafe. It's weird & I don't understand it completely. It just is. Anyhow, the 3rd rooster in this video was considerably further from Ace than the camera made it appear. It was a safe shot, regardless of how it looks.

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Great footage! I've watch everyone of your videos I can find. You do a great job and I really enjoy watching Ace work. He's a heck of a dog.
 
I seen a comment here but its gone now. I don't get why some guys are so hard on road hunting. Yeah it ain't like you and your bro pushing the cattails but sometims they ain't in the cattails and you gotta find them. I seen some really good dog work in ditches plus they gotta be good and trained to not run off onto private land. Cool video showing some legit road work, bro
 
Smasher said:
trained to not run off onto private land
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That's one of the issues with walking on a public road. Most of the land that is directly next to the road/ditch/right-of-way is private land. Trespassing can definitely become an issue. Here in MN we are permitted to enter private land to retrieve wounded game without permission, but I still would rather not burn that bridge even attempting to retrieve a wounded rooster. You never know when that one crazy landowner is going to lose his marbles.

Most ditches I see (I don't hunt them) have virtually no cover because they've been mowed short. They usually wait until July to start but they often cut them REALLY short in October right before winter.
 
A few guys on here all they do is ditch hunt (PeteRevv comes to mind, he'll show up again in Sept.) Others show it disdain and turn their nose up at it. I'm gonna go on the record right now, I 100% love ditch hunting, and I 100% love field hunting, slough hunting shelterbelts, etc. etc. I guess as long as it involves a pheasant and hunting I'm in love😍.
 
A little commentary on ditch hunting, just because it's a somewhat regular topic, some folks aren't very familiar with it, & some might be interested.

1. Check your state's rules/regs because legality varies.

2. I do most of my ditch hunting late in the season when there's considerably less traffic in those areas. But when a car's about to pass, I call my dog, sit him by me, & grab his collar. Every time. I will not take that chance. If the car seems to be coming fast, or seems oblivious to the fact that I've got a dog around, I'm not too proud to wave & try to stop that car before it arrives, so I have time to corral my dog.

3. Frequently people mention concern about the dog always being near a barbed wire fence. My experience has been that dogs learn about fences real quick. If I'm not hunting a ditch, I'm frequently hunting edge cover near a fence. Believe me, my dog is well aware of those fences & respects them. I can't speak for other breeds because I just don't hunt with them very often. But a springer is small enough to go under them quickly without injury. Of all the hundreds & hundreds of hours I've spent hunting along fences, my dogs have only sustained significant injury twice. Once because he was going 200% after a downed rooster & hit a fence he DIDN'T know was there. And once when my dog JUMPED a fence & it caught him on the hind leg after he'd mostly cleared it. He never tried to jump another barbed wire fence after that.
 
Too many issues in Colorado for me to hunt near a road. Can’t shoot from the road, can’t shoot over the road, can’t access private property to retrieve a bird without permission, I believe there’s no public right of way between the road and a fence on private property, and then cars going up and down the road at 40-50mph if you are on private property with permission, or that is WIHA. The edges do hold birds for sure though!
 
There's only two states that you can really ditch hunt that I know of, SD and IA. I looked into it in MN and it is possible, but some every road has a different right of way width, some can be private, etc. I still know a few guys that road hunt in MN but I never have. I do know that in ND the ditches are all privately owned.
 
The ditches in South Dakota are privately owned too as we pay taxes to the middle of the road on township roads. The legislature took the ditches and gave them to hunters.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Note: GoPro cameras do really strange things to perspective sometimes. When you consider it's a camera the size of a small box of paper clips, strapped to some guy's head (never at just the perfect angle), & then you do a bunch of zooming & shifting during the editing process so your intended image is somewhat visible, it's really not that surprising. I've seen videos where I'd swear a shot should kill a person downrange, but having been there to witness, I know it wasn't the least bit unsafe. It's weird & I don't understand it completely. It just is. Anyhow, the 3rd rooster in this video was considerably further from Ace than the camera made it appear. It was a safe shot, regardless of how it looks.

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I know what you mean regarding the view from the camera angle. I have not shared videos because of how the footage looks versus what really happened. Also my dogs don't like the extra 20lbs the camera adds to them......great video thanks for sharing!
 
Last fall, after noticing a spot that routinely had birds nearby, I decided to park and nap…I was facing west, had a good East breeze…I would periodically open my left eye and look in my side mirror…after about 8 looks, I saw a rooster…I waited for him to wander a few feet into the ditch cover…I opened my door and grabbed my gun, and crept into the wind the 20 or 30 yards to where I’d been seeing them…sure enough, 3 flushed, one got away…about 1 pm…I’ll do that again! Interesting “structure” nearby as far as crops, cover, dry creek, etc…the way everything interacts the birds use this spot daily…when they flush, they fly across pasture and go 1/4 mile into cattails…private crp that I had access to last year. I will remember my “napping pair” for a long while…think I missed the first bird, if I recall…🧐
 
benelli-banger said:
Last fall, after noticing a spot that routinely had birds nearby, I decided to park and nap…I was facing west, had a good East breeze…I would periodically open my left eye and look in my side mirror…after about 8 looks, I saw a rooster…I waited for him to wander a few feet into the ditch cover…I opened my door and grabbed my gun, and crept into the wind the 20 or 30 yards to where I’d been seeing them…sure enough, 3 flushed, one got away…about 1 pm…I’ll do that again! Interesting “structure” nearby as far as crops, cover, dry creek, etc…the way everything interacts the birds use this spot daily…when they flush, they fly across pasture and go 1/4 mile into cattails…private crp that I had access to last year. I will remember my “napping pair” for a long while…think I missed the first bird, if I recall…🧐
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That's a good one. Timing is everything, & simply waiting awhile, & watching, can pay big dividends. Some folks think that as long as they're in some "good cover" somewhat near corn, they should see pheasants, regardless of timing. In order to regularly find pheasants, it's important to realize they move almost continually during the day, weather permitting, & that they're usually where they are for a reason. Learn those patterns & their variations, which are usually weather related.
 
You rang? I think this is the first day I opened up the site since covid laid me down hard and cancelled my trip last opener. What's the first thing I find but a thread that appears to be extolling my legendary reputation. And here I thought I was going to finally get the recognition I deserve.

Darn ditch hunting takes away your quality hunting opportunities for sure. I don't know how many time I swore I was going to do it right this time and spend all day dancing the walk-in 20,000 step waltz only to get sidetracked by a dirty ditch and fill out before I could even get there. I just have to hang my head in shame and look at my healthy 50 yr/old knees and 10 year old boots that look brand new from rarely getting off the gravel.

It looks like we may have lost our long term lodging place this year despite our best efforts to keep it going. So Haymaker, I've got to assume a supplicant position and beg for more please sir- besides the pheasants on 33 feet of your quarter mile. May we possibly setup a tent in the right of way this year? That's right, I propose expanding road hunting rules and add the Pitch-in-a-Ditch program. A few pallets laid crossways to stay out of the water, a tarp to keep the dew away (camo, natch) and a little blaze in the culvert.

We promise to stay real quiet until 10AM, you won't even know we were there, Until you try and figure out why the ditches were so full or birds last year but you can't seem to find them again. I'm a ditch hunting weather pattern all my own that has to be reckoned with. First thing before you hop in the tumbleweed creek you should ask yourself, when does that guy normally show up and how far does he range from Redfield? Better just to skip it and head to more respectable fields than take your chances that I rolled through and cleaned them out. Then you can hold your head high on this ultimate forum without shame and your dog will still respect you in the morning.
 
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