anybody see any hens?

Sometime they can be pretty segregated for whatever reason.

This afternoon I hunted for 2 hours and we flushed 11 hens no roosters. On the other end of the marsh where I've been doing more hunting I see mostly roosters.

Other places I hunt in Wisconsin they are pretty intermixed.

Do you think you're killing wild roosters? Most put and take places don't get hens.
 
We've been seeing 6-10 hens per every rooster we see on public land in st. Croix co. where we hunt. Hard to say what's going to be left after all this ice we've had already this winter. We have a 3 acre corn field at our cabin still standing for the deer, phez and what ever else comes by. Can't wait to get up there around Christmas. We've seen a lot of hens/roosters up north during bow season.
 
wisturkeyhunter said:
Sometime they can be pretty segregated for whatever reason.

This afternoon I hunted for 2 hours and we flushed 11 hens no roosters. On the other end of the marsh where I've been doing more hunting I see mostly roosters.

Other places I hunt in Wisconsin they are pretty intermixed.

Do you think you're killing wild roosters? Most put and take places don't get hens.
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of course I don't think I am killing truly "wild" roosters. it is WI....i don't think anybody really is. granted i have some places that i have found some naturals, but most of the birds in my freezer came from a farm. that is fine with me. seems like to some, "wild" simply means that they didn't pay to have it put out that morning? my dog doesn't seem to mind, his tail wags just as fast. :thumbsup:

FTR: The farm that I hunt regularly actually releases only hens until October 1st, and then after that it is half hens half roosters. the only other farm I have paid to have birds put out a few years ago did the same thing. standard was half hens and half roosters. of course you can always buy whatever you want, but if you just call and ask for 8 birds, where i go, you get 4 hens.

Deweybagger said:
We've been seeing 6-10 hens per every rooster we see on public land in st. Croix co. where we hunt. Hard to say what's going to be left after all this ice we've had already this winter. We have a 3 acre corn field at our cabin still standing for the deer, phez and what ever else comes by. Can't wait to get up there around Christmas. We've seen a lot of hens/roosters up north during bow season.
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that is a lot of hens. Everyone I talk to around here, hasn't seen many, if any at all. I haven't come across one in my PHG excursions.

that is why i asked. I wonder if the DNR releases an equal number of both hens and roosters?? wonder if they release more hens in certain areas versus others?
 
HolyMoses said:
I wonder if the DNR releases an equal number of both hens and roosters?? wonder if they release more hens in certain areas versus others?
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They release lmost all are roosters (if not all). I watched a video about WI pheasant release program. When they were running through the pens I only saw a few hens within the pen. Unless they have a separate pen for hen's that they release:confused:

I haven't gotten out more than twice all season on wild birds up there, but the pooch flushed a few strong, fast flying wild hen's the other day. They're bunched up at this point.

Nick
 
It depends on the PHG, but I know for 100% sure that Scuppernong and Bong are both stocked with hens.

I actually saw a "wild" hen one day this fall on my way to Bong. It was off hwy J in Racine county. Bird was on the shoulder of the road eating gravel. Neat to see.
 
The reason I asked is because most places they don't release hens. If you are only killing put and take roosters you're not likely to see many if any hens because the hens would have to be wild unless you're hunting an area they put out both. I think all the areas they release both you can shoot both.

As far as wild pheasants in Wisconsin they are out there. Dewey is hunting St.Croix county and the DNR doesn't stock there. I've also hunted there. It's not easy hunting but there is birds there.
 
that is a lot of hens. Everyone I talk to around here, hasn't seen many, if any at all. I haven't come across one in my PHG excursions.

that is why i asked. I wonder if the DNR releases an equal number of both hens and roosters?? wonder if they release more hens in certain areas versus others?[/QUOTE]
It sounds like a lot of stocked area down that way, I'm positive that the DNR doesn't stock our phg. We see hens every time out no matter where we hunt around our co.I wish it was the other way around! I guess thats why they don't stock around here???? Might be just enough to sustain a small hunt able population. What is your area of the state like? I've only been to Janesville once for my sons state hockey tournament a few years back so that's the farthest I've been. Up here we have a lot of big and small wpa's intermixed with large row crop fields.
 
We don't have the numbers of Wpa's close together that you have up there, and most the state land is stocked and about every pheasant killed. There are some exceptions but for the most part your part of the state has a lot more good habitat close together.
 
Went out today to three different wpa's and one private field with a pond in the middle surrounded by 30 yards of swamp grass/cat tails. We flushed 8 roosters and 9 hens total today. Seen 6 hens in a ditch fence line next to a house and 2 more around the corner digging up soybeans?? 17 hens today total in about 5 miles.
 
Deweybagger said:
Went out today to three different wpa's and one private field with a pond in the middle surrounded by 30 yards of swamp grass/cat tails. We flushed 8 roosters and 9 hens total today. Seen 6 hens in a ditch fence line next to a house and 2 more around the corner digging up soybeans?? 17 hens today total in about 5 miles.
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Crazy how many hens you are seeing over there!

Dogs probably wonder why you aren't shooting Lol!
 
No hens here

I hunt the publics in Rock and Green Co. A few pretty large tracts with heavy cover ect. I usually see only 1-2 hens all season; have seen none so far this year.
 
Deweybagger said:
Plenty of shooting going on! Just nothing to retrieve:laugh:
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Amen brother! I went to Bong Sunday. Conditions were nasty. Very cold and windy. I bundled up...too much that I think ,or blame, my poor shooting on too many layers. Long story short, I had both dogs and they did their job. It took them putting up 6 birds for me to knock down two.

Some funny bad luck on a couple birds. I worked a small cattail swamp. Dogs in it me on the edge. Dogs get birdy on a thick thicket. They are on the swamp side I'm on the high side separated by the thicket. Which side did bird flush on? Yep. Dogs got to watch it fly away.

Later we hunt some red willows. I see about 50yards ahead a rooster drop down and scoot into a huge weed patch. Dogs don't see it but I move them to the area. They are on bird hard, then suddenly they are searching for scent as the bird ran downwind. I decide to call the dogs and reposition them to work the patch upwind. They are both excited and very birdy. I stop to tie my boot (hunting flushers in 6inches of snow I can't have untied boots. I rest my shotgun against a wood post and start to tie my boot when yep, cackle cackle cackle as the bird was hiding in a patch of tall grass about 10 yards away. I grab the Red Label but its too late....,away he goes.

Some knock goldens as show dog swamp collies, but they haven't watched a golden work a bird in a frozen swamp when the wind chill is -10 with no vest or boots. They just thrive in the cold and it was a hoot to watch them do what they love. I love this time of year.
 
519vx said:
Amen brother! I went to Bong Sunday. Conditions were nasty. Very cold and windy. I bundled up...too much that I think ,or blame, my poor shooting on too many layers. Long story short, I had both dogs and they did their job. It took them putting up 6 birds for me to knock down two.

Some funny bad luck on a couple birds. I worked a small cattail swamp. Dogs in it me on the edge. Dogs get birdy on a thick thicket. They are on the swamp side I'm on the high side separated by the thicket. Which side did bird flush on? Yep. Dogs got to watch it fly away.

Later we hunt some red willows. I see about 50yards ahead a rooster drop down and scoot into a huge weed patch. Dogs don't see it but I move them to the area. They are on bird hard, then suddenly they are searching for scent as the bird ran downwind. I decide to call the dogs and reposition them to work the patch upwind. They are both excited and very birdy. I stop to tie my boot (hunting flushers in 6inches of snow I can't have untied boots. I rest my shotgun against a wood post and start to tie my boot when yep, cackle cackle cackle as the bird was hiding in a patch of tall grass about 10 yards away. I grab the Red Label but its too late....,away he goes.

Some knock goldens as show dog swamp collies, but they haven't watched a golden work a bird in a frozen swamp when the wind chill is -10 with no vest or boots. They just thrive in the cold and it was a hoot to watch them do what they love. I love this time of year.
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I hear ya, Sunday my truck was reading -6 to -9 without windchill. Seem like my bad luck has been houses, barns, my truck! In the background and these roosters keep flying directly at these things or quarter towards and I have to wait until they pass the backdrop, then there 60-70 yards out! I feel your pain, they always go the wrong way! The boot thing I love! Sounds like grouse hunting, they wait to flush until your crawling under a log or picking up your hat a branch slapped off your head!
 
I had a two hour window to chase pheasants in WI yesterday. The pooch bumped 8 or 9 hens. The birds I'm finding are in cattails and willow whipps. Pretty much the nastiest stuff you can find.:eek:

Nick
 
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Went out today from 8:00-1:00 might have been the best day this year for me. At the first spot we seen 2 hens, second spot we seen "0" anythings and at the final spot we seen 13 roosters and 7 hens. I got one, missed 13 more times. I was choked way to tight for this day as they were holding tight and my chokes were in the truck. Full choke at 15 yards doesn't allow for any error, then they would be on the other side of the trees and couldn't get a shot. Then came the pond 4 hens and 1 rooster the dog grabbed as it was getting hung up in the grass/cattails that are bent over and frozen like a roof. Nice weather and a lot of birds for home, bummed its almost over!
 
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