Colorado Opener?? How did everyone do?

B

bpowell

New member
Curious as to what Colorado opening day was like?
What was cover like?
How were birds in WIA?
Are bird numbers down?
What area did you hunt?

Any insight on area around Brush?

Just general impression of bird counts, cover, bird behavior, success or failure?

B
 
Last edited:
I'm sitting at home wondering the same thing? Wondering if a little bit of weather helped or hurt?

Got my dog out today for the first time in two weeks and her leg seems to be doing fine, time will tell. Maybe toward the end of the week for me.
 
A little slow today. Hunted private property south of Holyoke. Should of easily had my limit. Jumped 2 covey of quail. Saw one coyote and one deer also. The thing that was curios to me was the lack of hens. I'd guess I jumped 15-20 roosters and maybe 5 hens. The drought must have been rougher on the hens.
 
It was my first year to hunt Colorado and we hunted near Holy Oake and Julesburg. We knew numbers were down, but we did not think they were this low. We hunted hard and found it hard to find any birds on WIHA or SWA's with dogs. Everyone we talked to said bird numbers were down and the cover was much shorter.
 
I'm also heading out tomorrow morning. Planning on a late start at 900 with my 9 year old. I'm hoping for one or two birds just to get my dog primed for SD next week.
 
Trip to Knansas got canceled/postponed due to an emergency my buddy had. Hunted my stomping grounds out east. Numbers are down but there are birds to be had. None to hand today warmer weather and wind had birds running way ahead; most were getting up 100 yds ahead or so. Saw plenty of deer. Thinking my whitetail tag will be easier to fill than one days limit of birds. Like most of you I have been seeing more roosters than hens but did see a gang load of hens in one farmers front yard. Hope those girls are ready to do their duty in the spring. Also more WIA being grazed. I know some of the farmers that put their land in this program and hate they to have to do it but is really ruff out there. Got one little sprinkle as the front pushed through. Have to see how the weather turns out tomorrow. Supposed to be butt cold in the AM and well for that matter the rest of the day.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
I'm a pheasant hunting beginner so take this with a grain of salt.

We started out hitting WIAs north of Brush, weather was sunny and windy, saw a bunch of other hunters, the areas we worked were pretty bad cover.

Moved east to Flemming/Haxtun areas mid morning and it started raining so we focused on spots that had shelter, wind breaks, ditches, dry creek beds. Saw one pheasant running between hedgerows about 75 yards in front of me and the dog. It must have turned and taken off out the end, because one of my hunting partners never saw it pop out on his side.

Hunted the same type of areas the rest of the day, saw no more birds.

We felt we had the right strategy for the weather, just didn't come together. We saw fresh boot prints in almost every spot we walked. So maybe we were just a little behind all day.

Dog needs more training too, we've primarily done waterfowl training/hunting, so she pretty much didn't know what we were looking for. But she enjoyed getting out.

My calves and knees are sore today, and a couple little blisters, that's way more hiking than I'm used to.
 
We should hear better success today with all this white stuff on the ground! If they got half of what I got at home, they should see more birds!!
 
hunting

one word [ WINDY ]

my eyes were so dry from the wind i was having a prob. seeing the color on the cocks ; could have limited out twice !

saw 10 roosters -[7 in shooting range] and about 25 hens
 
Last edited:
I went duck hunting in the morning and then took my young GSP pup looking for quail. We found a couple coveys. Saw some pheasant sign, but no live pheasants, though I wasn't in an area that's likely for pheasants.
 
dead pheasants forever said:
Just following up on a question that was asked earlier in this thread because I didn't see any responses. How were the crowds this year compared to the last couple years?
Click to expand...

Guy's will be coming in Tonight and Tom. Give them a little time for the report! I am sure they are about the same as the last couple, but I will let them tell you first hand!!:cheers:
 
Snows

On another note! I was outside at 9:15 last night in the middle of a snow storm and the Snow Geese were migrating big time!!! Neat to hear!! Can't believe they fly in that in the middle of the night!!!! Cool though!!! Alright back to these damn wiley birds that drive us crazy!!!!! That snow was a blessing if it made it out that far!!! I am pretty sure N.E. had to get a little!!!:cheers:
 
Just a trace of snow in Yuma. Hunted some great fields without putting up a single bird. Walked a WIA area after lunch and put 30 birds out of the end of a tree line just out of range. Should of had several birds in our group but I think my barrel is bent. ;) Hunter numbers seemed to be down as well. The one good field we walked, there were no other vehicle tracks there yesterday or first thing this morning. Talked with DOW after walking one of the fields and they said that after all of their contacts with hunters this weekend, they have only checked 1 bird. They said the population is down about 50%. Still was a good time with good friends! :cheers:
 
I am a local. I think there was a lot of people out!!!!! Success for yesterday was hit and miss. Today little snow on the ground slightly more upbeat. But we are way down on birds. But still at this point hard to get a really good feel with so many people out. More hens than I expected to see so thats a bonus. :cheers:
 
Hunted SE of Brush on Saturday - I think I am good for life on opening day as it was a zoo. Every spot I went to had either boot prints or someone driving out from the back corner. The cover was much less that what I remember from the area last year. Flushed one hen from a few yards out and another 2 from maybe 50 yards out. Got a cottontail at least. I did spend some time speaker with another loan hunter who hadn't been out in 20 years. He said he got a big rooster earlier but never found it. He said they had seen a number of roosters early in the morning. I did hear a few shots throughout the day though. I will be heading out some time this week again if anyone is interested in carpooling from Denver.
 
We got nothin'!

This is the only time we have come home empty handed, except for the last Sunday of the season in January when I only wanted to get the puppy out and figured that we wouldn't see anything but hens.

We started out near Fleming, hit one field that looked perfect - corn, cedars and Russian olives, no other tracks but the ones that we left. Fleming was looking kinda busy with hunters and we headed north. We hit one big CRP field, saw a pheasant fly ~200 yards out. Worked the rest of the field, Dakota flushed a hawk. The hawk flew off and flushed 4 hens in the process. A few minutes later another hen flushed and we were done with that field.

Headed further north, and hunted wheat stubble. Walked a straight line to the end of the field, and started working into the wind. Dakota wasn't birdy in the least and both boys were chasing each other ... even with all of the running around, nothing popped up.

Went further north, east of Julesburg and went to a field that looked promising on the map, but it had been hayed, leaving zero cover.

Worked an irrigation pivot with Dakota - he went on point, and he was surprised when I didn't flush a bird for him. :laugh: We worked the area some more, he was birdy but we didn't put up anything.

Grabbed lunch at the Red Rooster then gave it one more shot. We hit a field where I have always bagged one bird ... nothing, besides 1 hawk, 1 owl and 2 jackrabbits. :rolleyes:

It was still a good day - the youngster ran more than he ever has before. Now we are all worn out. ;) We will give it another go in a week or so.

:cheers:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top