Anybody interested in Hunting Yuma Jan 1?

J

JHoch00

Member
I am tying to get away to hunt Yuma on the First of January. I have access to quite a bit of private land through a hunt club. I have a lab I hunt with that does ok, but not she is more of a duck dog.

Would like to meet up with other guys... so far 95% of the ones I have met in forums have been great. PM me with your number if you are interested. Not 100% sure I am going but am pretty sure.
 
Went for two days... my group ended up with fifteen rosters and three quail. Lots of birds, and pretty equal hen/rooster ratios... best of all is that they rarely got up way ahead of us. The old snow was great to see which fields they were using mostly. Just great to see as many birds as I was seeing.

Missed a number of others because my 870 wasn't ejecting right so I pretty much had a single shot... and I usually get too excited and take the first shot too early.
 
Man, it sounds like you guys are doing better than I am! :thumbsup: What kind of cover were you finding birds in? We usually stick to areas of heavy switchgrass and other shelterbelts with heavy cover. Perhaps we should have been in the wheat. Our group only managed two rosoters on saturday. Oh well, it was still a blast.
 
They were pretty much everywhere... mostly hunted crop circle corners... tried hard to find ways to pin corners and hunt the smaller CRP chunks. Did get a few by hunting the corners of a square corn field... first ones I have ever gotten hunting the corn stubble. I only have access to one wheat field and did not see much sign there.

But who knows... I probably got half the shots of our group, but it is not because I am good. I tried my best to put myself in what I thought was the worst position of the group... but they kept coming up in front of me. Guess that actually means I am really bad at pheasant hunting... Goes to show... always a slew of luck with these birds...

Chadsbritt, Were you up by Yuma area too?
 
Mighty good news JHoch - music to my ears for heading out on Thurs or Fri!

Your "positioning" experience is pretty common I think, whether hunting pheasants or big-game or whatever...I can't tell you how many times in my life I have put the newbies or the kids in the absolute "best" spot/position & myself in the supposedly "worst", only to have the tables turned more often than not...We had a kid trying to get his first deer for a couple years - we all put him in our personal prime stands - he would see nothing, while we shot nice bucks out of the crap stands...Had a guy along this year who had never killed a pheasant, the mission of the day was to get him his first rooster - in one particular field (I almost didn't even take my gun), we even saw birds hunkering down before the approach & positioned him behind the dog on the side I just knew the birds were going to flush - wouldn't you know it, he didn't even get off a shot & I dropped two roosters that curled back & came right down my side with the only two shells I had hastily thrown last-minute in my over/under for "back-up"...Go figure! :confused: :)
 
Not a good weekend for hunting..

Sorry, I got your phone call, we were in the movie theater, watching Blind Side.. Wasn't able to do Friday... But..

Went out to Haxtun area on Sat Morning - tracks all over the place in a large redgrass field where we have been seeing lots of birds, but with 1 dog, one gun, no roosters.. went over to another spot, tree rows and abandoned farm house, and the farmers lab pup decided to join in.. got some lessons from Cass.. soon the pup started hunting.. that was great to see.

Then, the trip took a turn for the worst... Cass yulped and came limping back. She opened up her forearm at the elbow area.. the cut was almost 2 inches...
Good thing was no tendon or muscle damage. Got her cleaned and bandaged up.. not fun anymore.

We did find a couple of roosters fly into a WIA on the way home. Cass saw them and went wild , forgetting of her pain.. I let her walk out with me and sure enough, she found the birds.. Bang,bang,bang.. missed the first one on a hard crossing shot.. then the 2nd one popped up.. no shells for a shot.. Another 6-8 hens and we called it quits..

Bottom line - $140 bucks for the vet bill, 3 missed shots and a tank of gas.. I am thinking a disposable staple gun for the first aid kit..

Goatman
 
Sorry to hear about your dog... but good to know it was superficial. I hate taking them into old farm houses for that reason: lots of birds, but I am always so nervous about sharp metal. Hopefully one of these days, if your dog heals up soon enough we can get out before season ends.

Usually, when I set up trips, I jokingly tell people that they are hunting with my guide service, called "SUNRISE AND EXERCISE". Because that is what I can promise them... I also say that I am a great "hunter" (I can hunt all over the place for birds), and average "Finder", and a pretty poor "getter." Oh well. It is fun.
 
Goatman said:
Bottom line - $140 bucks for the vet bill, 3 missed shots and a tank of gas.. I am thinking a disposable staple gun for the first aid kit..

Goatman
Click to expand...

Instead of the staples - give this gel a try:

http://emtgel.com/

I've used on the pups several times (and even on my own finger once). Works like a charm as a short-term solution until you can get to a vet.
 
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