UGUIDE
Active member
Safari, I just wnat to let you know that you would NOT make a good President of Pheasants Forever
Look forward to seeing you at the Fest.
Bird numbers down, but had best year yet!
- Thread starter southernroots
- Start date
Safari, I just wnat to let you know that you would NOT make a good President of Pheasants Forever
Look forward to seeing you at the Fest.
There are now only 2 places left that still offer good/great pheasant hunting:
1) SW ND
2) Central SD (River Corridor)
I hunted in SW ND on properties strictly managed for birds and did well, but not like I did when I was last there in 08'. But be aware the CRP "endgame" is playing out in these areas as well.
SE ND is doomed due to the same CRP issues facing E. SD, Iowa and everywhere else.
I will stick with SW ND until it too is finished.
Being as I live in Eastern ND, and know people in the SE, it is convenient for me. I'm not one that needs to limit every time out. If the dogs can flush a few on the weekend, and we can knock one or two down, it's a good time.
The farmer who's land we hunt on most is thinking about raising some birds too, so that should help the population on his area at least.
The farmer who's land we hunt on most is thinking about raising some birds too, so that should help the population on his area at least.
Raising and releasing birds, to the gun I assume, is the only option left once the habitat and wild birds are gone.
Uncle Buck
New member
You sound like a politician now. You clearly said birds down 90% in SANBORN COUNTY and brouht up Banger, not me.
I agree that loss of CRP will greatly affect bird numbers. Never the less the biggest factor this year was the poor weather/hatch. I have hunted 4 different areas in SD, a hundred or more miles minimum distance to 200 or more, and saw hundreds to thousands at each.
Where's Moe when I need him! I've been described as the voice of doom on this forum. Safari, I forfeit my crown to you! If you and I are both in Missouri it's no wonder we don't have any birds. I'll sign off now, going to burn my vest, rehome my dogs and I need to find a saw to hack the barrels off my double. Find me a rocker and a shawl, huddleup like a rupey chicken and wait for the end. I guess QF a waste of time too!:cheers:
only a pointer
Banned
i dont know what these people on here expect i mean theres more freaking birds there than anywhere i agree buck thousands of birds like cockroaches thats on walk in not every spot but a bunch and u can limit quick!! They make it seem like iowa or something i just dont understand it hell maybe years ago you took 10 steps in a field and a cloud of pheasants exploded im lost on these people saying no birds just exactly are you talking about?if your talking the whole state im not seeing it ?
I'll bet you that 75% + of the birds you saw were in the Central part of the state..say west of Mitchell/Huron/Aberdeen for sure. East of that line is in serious trouble and I actually think that line lies further to the west but I did not want to pull out a SD map and identify the smaller towns that would make up that line.
In 2007 there were over 12 million birds in SD.
In 2011 maybe 4 million?
I'll still stand by my 90% decline within the borders of Sanborn county...Banger being a notable exception.
OK O & N..now for you. Take a drive up through the old quail stronghold of NE MO..say Pike, Lewis & Knox Counties. I had not been up that way in 3+ years until a friend recently invited me up for the late doe hunt..used to get up that way quite a bit. I literally did not recognize most of the farms throughout the drive! Was never out of sight of a dozer pile and/or new drain tile from south of Bowling Green to Edina. The habitat loss was staggering! Most of the CRP and associated fingers and draws I remember seeing from the road are gone...just bean stubble and an occasional white (tile) pipe sticking up.
How can I or anyone come to any other conclusion than we are in the 11th Hour? Probably 11:59 to be exact.
Your preaching to the choir! I hunt areas of NW Missouri, if there is any cover in the ditches and treelines it's fescue. This includes the vaunted MDC focus areas, which are a joke. They specialize in cockleburr fields, fescue lanes, and thickets of cedar and mature trees.
Well I for one hunt Kansas as well, own ground in SEks. Eastern third might as well be Missouri, in fact most is actually worse. Middle third slightly better than NW Missouri, measurablly better as you go west. Have to get to the western third before it's a lot better, thanks to the lack of fescue, lower value ground, and general dryness that discourages intense cultivation..... in other words an astouding abundance of dumb luck. But don't worry, the despoilers are working on that too!
all you said is true, but at least Kansas gives one hope....they don't work as hard at making a mess of things as Missouri does and their game and fish claim to manage for wildlife.......
only a pointer
Banned
well for a first timer ever being there i dont need to fool anyone birds were everywhere how is that fooling everyone? you might want to try golf if you cant kill your limit there and fairly easy almost boring
Within 3 years we will be down to about a 1/2 dozen COUNTIES in the Country that still offer good/great pheasant hunting. If you read my previous posts regarding the "line" in SD that is moving west cleaning out the pheasant habitat as it goes. Old and New made the same case for Kansas in a previous post. That "line" (SD) will make it to the Missouri River within 3 years.
With all of this being said and back to those 6 or so Counties I will give you the top 3 in order and will have to think long and hard about the other 3:
1) Hettinger (ND)
2) Lyman (SD)
3) Tripp (SD)
Again after a sensational 20 years of pheasant hunting that encompassed entire states and regions ending basically in 2008..we will be down to a few counties in the nation.
With all of this being said and back to those 6 or so Counties I will give you the top 3 in order and will have to think long and hard about the other 3:
1) Hettinger (ND)
2) Lyman (SD)
3) Tripp (SD)
Again after a sensational 20 years of pheasant hunting that encompassed entire states and regions ending basically in 2008..we will be down to a few counties in the nation.
ranchodeluxe
Member
All depends on where you go,and how you go about it. I'd have to say i usually see more than enough birds to limit,but when you are hunting alone it's no guarantee it's going to happen this late in the season.These birds have been shot-at for 2.5 months now and they run or fly 100 yards ahead of a dog. I have had to jump small pockets of ditch cover,having the dog bail from the cab with me,for the last couple weeks.50 degree weather with no wind to help makes it that much more of a challenge.
only a pointer
Banned
yes i would agree with the southern part of the state is bad we worked are way back and the area around tripp i never saw a rooster but where we were hunting around chamberlain and perre loaded with birds i liked chamberlain but my gosh did it ever have pressure and guys just jump in right where u were hunting lol pretty pitiful but get farther north and awesome hunting
and less pressure
only a pointer
Banned
as far as how i like to go about it my favorite way is to ride on the hood of a truck and when they fly up from the rd ditches just pound there ass