Bang'n Away
- Thread starter KBell
- Start date
KBell
New member
Thank you Benelli1.
Believe me I enjoy writing of my and Sophie's adventures. I too have lost access areas the past several years. This year the added feature is the good people who normally allow hunting but are reluctant due to the poor numbers. I gratefully accept their decline of hunting access but softly try to share that the weather and habitat will bring their return. We hunters sometimes forget that the landowners like to "see the birds" throughout the year even though they do not hunt them.
I am fortunate, like others on this forum to have made many friends and hunting arrangements with people in many parts of our state. Scouting, proper approach, and persistence have been key this season. You can still gain access to hunting parcels and I have been fortunate to gain several new ones in my trips this year. Although CaptainCoot has yet to help me out!
Believe me I enjoy writing of my and Sophie's adventures. I too have lost access areas the past several years. This year the added feature is the good people who normally allow hunting but are reluctant due to the poor numbers. I gratefully accept their decline of hunting access but softly try to share that the weather and habitat will bring their return. We hunters sometimes forget that the landowners like to "see the birds" throughout the year even though they do not hunt them. I am fortunate, like others on this forum to have made many friends and hunting arrangements with people in many parts of our state. Scouting, proper approach, and persistence have been key this season. You can still gain access to hunting parcels and I have been fortunate to gain several new ones in my trips this year. Although CaptainCoot has yet to help me out!
KBell
New member
Ahh Those Sandals!
Worked hard for these young fellas today. Started in Public. 300 acres of purely awesome habitat. Saw many deer! Put one on the railroad tracks just as a train was coming. Whew! He made it to the other side. Put up one rooster and four hens. Am positive that I was just pushing birds. The most false points that Sophie has had this year. Several relocation points on the rooster and hens. Did not touch the trigger on him as he will "honor" his genes by passing them on this Spring. He looked magnificent in the morning light. We are now at lunch. Stopped at a local cafe and you guessed it. Started working the crowd. Had a younger man and his son approach and shared that his uncle owned a 40 acre piece of switch and brome grass but that it had been hunted a lot this year. I picked up his coffee and the boy's soda and asked if I could venture out his way. I got a yes and went to plan B. Upon arrival, I can't find the place! Check my directions and for a second thought I might have been given a "gotcha". That thought leaves my mind when my phone rings and laughingly I get a "did you find it yet?". After a little ribbing, I get cell phone guided in.
I flush two hens from the picked corn pulling up the the 30 acres of grass. They fly to the middle. I usually hunt the edges of a patch-especially when I am alone. I decide to pull an "L move" on this piece. Head right up the middle and see two roosters flush ahead and fly to the southeast corner. That's the seed for next year I need to see. Game on! Sophie goes on point! I ready for the flush..Hen. Sophie takes two or three steps and points. We are rigid, intense and solid--you guys know what I am talking about. Up pops rooster one and no cackle. Straight up in the air. Wait-rise and level-now! Rooster one is in the bag. At the shot, I see three hens flush to my right and fly to the southwest corner. After a few more yards I am in the middle of the patch. Time to turn--this is a great tatic by the way! Heading straight north and Sophie slams on point. Rooster two comes out low and to the right. My toughest shot--It takes two loads of copper 5's and he is in the bag. Uneventful until five yards from the north edge. Sophie slams again on point. Classic point from my GSH mix. As I enter two hens flush and then rooster three! He is straight away and one shot ends my day. We are at 2:14 in the afternoon! I walked the north, east and south edges back to the truck. Fairly sure I jumped rooster one or two and seven more hen points!! I am now yards from the truck. Sophie slams on point. Up pops a second year bird and he flies left to right--my favorite. I have a smile on my face. Thank you 2012. May the winter continue to be non-existent and the Spring dry or normal. Today's tally--7 roosters and 21 hens. I believe one rooster I saw twice and the same may be true of one or two of the hens. Sophie enjoyed Jason Aldean-her favorite, a heated seat and two burgers from Mcdonald's-another favorite on the way home.:cheers:
View attachment 2824
Worked hard for these young fellas today. Started in Public. 300 acres of purely awesome habitat. Saw many deer! Put one on the railroad tracks just as a train was coming. Whew! He made it to the other side. Put up one rooster and four hens. Am positive that I was just pushing birds. The most false points that Sophie has had this year. Several relocation points on the rooster and hens. Did not touch the trigger on him as he will "honor" his genes by passing them on this Spring. He looked magnificent in the morning light. We are now at lunch. Stopped at a local cafe and you guessed it. Started working the crowd. Had a younger man and his son approach and shared that his uncle owned a 40 acre piece of switch and brome grass but that it had been hunted a lot this year. I picked up his coffee and the boy's soda and asked if I could venture out his way. I got a yes and went to plan B. Upon arrival, I can't find the place!
Check my directions and for a second thought I might have been given a "gotcha". That thought leaves my mind when my phone rings and laughingly I get a "did you find it yet?". After a little ribbing, I get cell phone guided in.I flush two hens from the picked corn pulling up the the 30 acres of grass. They fly to the middle. I usually hunt the edges of a patch-especially when I am alone. I decide to pull an "L move" on this piece. Head right up the middle and see two roosters flush ahead and fly to the southeast corner. That's the seed for next year I need to see. Game on!
Sophie goes on point! I ready for the flush..Hen. Sophie takes two or three steps and points. We are rigid, intense and solid--you guys know what I am talking about. Up pops rooster one and no cackle. Straight up in the air. Wait-rise and level-now! Rooster one is in the bag. At the shot, I see three hens flush to my right and fly to the southwest corner. After a few more yards I am in the middle of the patch. Time to turn--this is a great tatic by the way! Heading straight north and Sophie slams on point. Rooster two comes out low and to the right. My toughest shot--It takes two loads of copper 5's and he is in the bag. Uneventful until five yards from the north edge. Sophie slams again on point. Classic point from my GSH mix. As I enter two hens flush and then rooster three! He is straight away and one shot ends my day. We are at 2:14 in the afternoon! I walked the north, east and south edges back to the truck. Fairly sure I jumped rooster one or two and seven more hen points!! I am now yards from the truck. Sophie slams on point. Up pops a second year bird and he flies left to right--my favorite. I have a smile on my face. Thank you 2012. May the winter continue to be non-existent and the Spring dry or normal. Today's tally--7 roosters and 21 hens. I believe one rooster I saw twice and the same may be true of one or two of the hens. Sophie enjoyed Jason Aldean-her favorite, a heated seat and two burgers from Mcdonald's-another favorite on the way home.:cheers:View attachment 2824
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only a pointer
Banned
hey bell you hunt pheasants like me lol( in my sandals) only one thing better on the beach love that pic im teasing of course i know you def earned them up there you kill 3 up there your doing something!! good show
love that pic im teasing of course i know you def earned them up there you kill 3 up there your doing something!! good showIA at heart
New member
Nice Kbell, very nice. Looks like a great hunt. You and Nate can sure tell a good hunt story that makes me feel like am there hearing the cackles and flushes. Glad you got into some late season birds. I found a new spot in Southern Iowa, yes I said Southern Iowa, that has some birds on it. I am going to leave it alone for the rest of the season as it has been hunted very little if at all this year. It will be one of my first spots next October.
KBell
New member
Thanks only a pointer and IA at heart,
We hit 55 today here. Just awesome. So warm that the birds are out of the cover and more difficult to locate. Only a pointer, I know you are just messing around. This time of year any bird harvested is a trophy. They have completed their "schooling" so to speak.
IA at heart, how did your late muzzleloading season go? I would like to hear of your adventures. I have never hunted deer during that time. Great to hear you have found a new spot with birds for next year. I am crossing the fingers everyday that we do not get snow. We can still get moisture from the occasional rain. The predation rate has got to be almost non-existent at this point. In a typical winter with early snow, the predation rate on hens can be as high as 10% per 30 days of snow cover. I know the creator is looking out for them.
We hit 55 today here. Just awesome. So warm that the birds are out of the cover and more difficult to locate. Only a pointer, I know you are just messing around. This time of year any bird harvested is a trophy. They have completed their "schooling" so to speak.
IA at heart, how did your late muzzleloading season go? I would like to hear of your adventures. I have never hunted deer during that time. Great to hear you have found a new spot with birds for next year. I am crossing the fingers everyday that we do not get snow. We can still get moisture from the occasional rain.
The predation rate has got to be almost non-existent at this point. In a typical winter with early snow, the predation rate on hens can be as high as 10% per 30 days of snow cover. I know the creator is looking out for them.
pheasantaddict
New member
KBell did you take the day off I didn't run across you on my trip up north today. I didn't hear anyone listening to Aldean. Nice day to be out.
IA at heart
New member
Kbell - You asked about my late muzzy adventures. Well, I had some luck on New Years Day. It was blowing literally 50 mph winds and pretty cold because of that wind. Anyway, I drive up, unload the Jeep and decide to take a walk to warm up and check things out. I only get about 60 yards into my walk and I look up and see a beauty of buck just feeding head down in the cedars about 35 yards from me. I pull up and am getting ready for the shot and decide to wait just a second or two as he was slowly feeding towards an opening. He never had any idea I was there. By this time, my old .54 caliber musket is getting VERY heavy. At this point, he looks up, sees me and is gone in about 2 seconds flat. I then saw what a nice buck this was. No shot fired.
I then walk down to my back property line and see deer moving on the other side. I sneak to a good spot on the fence line and wait. Sure enough, I see a decent buck, very spooked by the wind, making his way towards the fence. He finally gets there and after what seemed like an eternity jumped the fence. I was ready. One shot from the old musket at about 40 yards or so and he fell in his tracks. He was a medium sized 9 pt. with some ground shrinkage, nothing special and not the monster I was after and have trail cam pics of. But, he was down and I was happy with him. I cut him up the next day and now have a full tag and a full freezer.
On a side note, to finish off a great week yesterday it was nice enough to play golf with no jacket. What do I do, knock in a hole-in-one on January 6th. It has been a great start to the New Year. Pics of the buck below.
I then walk down to my back property line and see deer moving on the other side. I sneak to a good spot on the fence line and wait. Sure enough, I see a decent buck, very spooked by the wind, making his way towards the fence. He finally gets there and after what seemed like an eternity jumped the fence. I was ready. One shot from the old musket at about 40 yards or so and he fell in his tracks. He was a medium sized 9 pt. with some ground shrinkage, nothing special and not the monster I was after and have trail cam pics of. But, he was down and I was happy with him. I cut him up the next day and now have a full tag and a full freezer.
On a side note, to finish off a great week yesterday it was nice enough to play golf with no jacket. What do I do, knock in a hole-in-one on January 6th. It has been a great start to the New Year. Pics of the buck below.
KBell
New member
Hello Pheasantaddict,
You are correct that I did not run into you on Friday. I've still a few birds in the freezer, my son has returned to college after winter break and I am preparing for the Spring semester at the college I teach at.
I did harvest several "birdies" today though. I golfed two rounds with my middle son at his course and managed birds on the 4, 6, and 8 holes. I am usually just a par guy so this was a good day.
Nate, your pheasant recepie was great and I really enjoyed it. I tenderized the meat so the marinade went it well. The cranberry juice really gives the pheasant a nice flavor for the palate. My wife and I enjoyed it with a nice bottle of white wine. Thank you for sharing it!
IA at heart, for the first time I must disagree with you! Any man who hunts his land that he manages and winds up with a buck as nice as the one in your photos is a winner by my account. Additionally, you mentioned that you filled your freezer and that was obviously one of your goals. I have known many a hunter who would be very satisfied with the buck you harvested. It sounds like you had a great experience and that's what counts most. My hat off to you sir!
I saw a show on cable about the "Icon of the west-mule deer" on cable today. It appears that some of you and I should get out there and harvest some of those guys before they are in peril.
I am in the process of writing letters to our state legislators about the pheasant dilemma here in Iowa. Must admit I get emotional when attempting to explain what it has meant to me and my family. I believe whatever any of us do and on any level can make a difference.
Ken
You are correct that I did not run into you on Friday. I've still a few birds in the freezer, my son has returned to college after winter break and I am preparing for the Spring semester at the college I teach at.
I did harvest several "birdies" today though. I golfed two rounds with my middle son at his course and managed birds on the 4, 6, and 8 holes. I am usually just a par guy so this was a good day.
Nate, your pheasant recepie was great and I really enjoyed it. I tenderized the meat so the marinade went it well. The cranberry juice really gives the pheasant a nice flavor for the palate. My wife and I enjoyed it with a nice bottle of white wine. Thank you for sharing it!
IA at heart, for the first time I must disagree with you! Any man who hunts his land that he manages and winds up with a buck as nice as the one in your photos is a winner by my account. Additionally, you mentioned that you filled your freezer and that was obviously one of your goals. I have known many a hunter who would be very satisfied with the buck you harvested. It sounds like you had a great experience and that's what counts most. My hat off to you sir!
I saw a show on cable about the "Icon of the west-mule deer" on cable today. It appears that some of you and I should get out there and harvest some of those guys before they are in peril.
I am in the process of writing letters to our state legislators about the pheasant dilemma here in Iowa. Must admit I get emotional when attempting to explain what it has meant to me and my family. I believe whatever any of us do and on any level can make a difference.
Ken
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KBell
New member
Benefits
Hello Swellcat,
One of the great things I gain from being a member of this forum is the techniques that others employ to gain access to private land and strategies for doing so. With that in mind, I agree that it was a productive day. I have found that a little persistence, some genuine conversation, and incentives for a return hunt the following season have "built" me a portfolio of friends and places to hunt across Iowa. Considering the season we just had and how spotty the birds were, it was critical to have friends in certain parts of the state this year. Also, I tried to share the new people and some of the ways that I reward them to gain access to hunting. It is difficult, but it can still be accomplished! I hope others also benefit from the forum postings and the information contained within. Good hunting friend!
Hello Swellcat,
One of the great things I gain from being a member of this forum is the techniques that others employ to gain access to private land and strategies for doing so. With that in mind, I agree that it was a productive day. I have found that a little persistence, some genuine conversation, and incentives for a return hunt the following season have "built" me a portfolio of friends and places to hunt across Iowa. Considering the season we just had and how spotty the birds were, it was critical to have friends in certain parts of the state this year. Also, I tried to share the new people and some of the ways that I reward them to gain access to hunting. It is difficult, but it can still be accomplished! I hope others also benefit from the forum postings and the information contained within. Good hunting friend!