Colorado Opener
- Thread starter BleuBijou
- Start date
Shorthair Hunters
Member
Just like every opener we (cousin and dogs) are heading out east to our regular spots with high hopes and twitchy trigger fingers. It doesn't matter to us if it will be crowded or not we hunt every chance we can and from all the scouting and talk about this season we are expecting a good year. As I have done in the past I will let all know about our adventures, hope all have a safe and enjoyable time in the field, maybe we will see you out there.
Heading out to the Yuma area with the same guys for the last 20 or so years. Starting out Friday at Colorado Clays, loser buys lunch and then head east. We hunt mostly private so the crowd is not much of a problem. We plan on being at the Yuma Pheasants Forever Banquet Saturday night for some RM Oysters, Beer and stories!
Good luck to everyone and be safe! :cheers:
Good luck to everyone and be safe! :cheers:
zoellner25
New member
I'm taking my 11 year old son for his first hunt on Sunday to WIA areas in Yuma County. I just hope it is more fruitful than last few years. I'll post a bird report next week.
double trigger
Member
Good to hear some of you are taking kids out and supporting the Pheasants Forever banquets!
I just got back from a Nebraska hunt and will sit out the Colorado opener. I drove through the heart of the Colorado pheasant country yesterday afternoon and once before in October. Overall the cover (that is left) looks great but only saw a couple of roosters from the road, I would have expected to see more.
So as far as pheasant numbers, still cautiously optimistic but they are still recovering from a very low population level the last several years. That will take more time. Also it does not help that so much CRP has been removed during the last several years - that is going to slow the recovery.
I understand there is a general CRP sign up next month and we better hope like hell that there is a good enrollment of new CRP acreage - it is sorely needed. Roadside ditches either don't exist any more or are mowed down to almost nothing, and little cover is left for any wildlife. I saw a lot of this yesterday and just have to shake my head. Is it too much to ask to leave a little cover along the roadsides and in marginal,non-farmed areas? Apparently so as very few do this, and God bless those who still do. Programs like CRP are really what's going to maintain hunt-able numbers of pheasants into the future. So please support those who advocate for these programs with your dollars, participation and votes!
Sorry for the rant. The original question was about the opener - good luck to those who go out and let us know how you do!
I just got back from a Nebraska hunt and will sit out the Colorado opener. I drove through the heart of the Colorado pheasant country yesterday afternoon and once before in October. Overall the cover (that is left) looks great but only saw a couple of roosters from the road, I would have expected to see more.
So as far as pheasant numbers, still cautiously optimistic but they are still recovering from a very low population level the last several years. That will take more time. Also it does not help that so much CRP has been removed during the last several years - that is going to slow the recovery.
I understand there is a general CRP sign up next month and we better hope like hell that there is a good enrollment of new CRP acreage - it is sorely needed. Roadside ditches either don't exist any more or are mowed down to almost nothing, and little cover is left for any wildlife. I saw a lot of this yesterday and just have to shake my head. Is it too much to ask to leave a little cover along the roadsides and in marginal,non-farmed areas? Apparently so as very few do this, and God bless those who still do. Programs like CRP are really what's going to maintain hunt-able numbers of pheasants into the future. So please support those who advocate for these programs with your dollars, participation and votes!
Sorry for the rant. The original question was about the opener - good luck to those who go out and let us know how you do!
Hi all
Definitely will do the opening this weekend and looking forward to it. Weather looks like it will be warm.....ugh...so pack lots of water for the dogs. We bought some birds and did a tune-up this weekend. The dogs worked great and say they are ready for some wild birds.
I hope everyone has a great hunt and you see lots of birds, this is always the great unknown in Colorado Pheasant hunting......but hey, if it was easy everyone would do it!
In the picture is my brother and his friend and a Cocker named Bowser who loves pheasant hunting. My pointer is not in the pic.
Definitely will do the opening this weekend and looking forward to it. Weather looks like it will be warm.....ugh...so pack lots of water for the dogs. We bought some birds and did a tune-up this weekend. The dogs worked great and say they are ready for some wild birds.
I hope everyone has a great hunt and you see lots of birds, this is always the great unknown in Colorado Pheasant hunting......but hey, if it was easy everyone would do it!
In the picture is my brother and his friend and a Cocker named Bowser who loves pheasant hunting. My pointer is not in the pic.
ColoHuntr74
New member
I am going to be sitting out for the opener. I am planning on going out to hunt some family farms in a couple of weeks and going to take my 6 year old son out on a couple of easy, walkable hunts. He has been begging me to go and I thought I would see how he responds to it.
For those going out on opening weekend, I hope you all have a great hunt and cant wait to hear or see pictures of the results!:thumbsup:
For those going out on opening weekend, I hope you all have a great hunt and cant wait to hear or see pictures of the results!:thumbsup:
That's not a rant - that's an accurate description of the realities we all face - followed by a gracious show of appreciation for those who are working towards a better reality and stronger future. Nicely said!
smdmz
Member
I'm sitting Saturday out, but I may try to get out on Sunday. Did a second tune-up with my boy a couple days ago, so we're ready to go. Driving home to Wisconsin and stopping in Nebraska and/or Iowa next weekend, hunting in Wisconsin during the week and on the way back thru Iowa the following weekend. I'm banking on the population to be good in one of those 4 states 
Shorthair Hunters
Member
Four guys and 8 birds by 7:30 am.
Got to our field early and waited for the time to start and then hit the field, took about 30 minutes to put up our first rooster and then on our way back south my cousin jumped another rooster putting him on the ground. we were getting closer to the area we usually find most of the birds and another rooster jumped to his side falling in a poof of feathers as my gsp retreived the bird to me a rooster jumped 5 feet from me crossing to my left and dropping to my shot. Orley dropped my cousins bird at my feet and ran to my first bird of the season, as she was bring it back to me another rooster took flight infront of me and with the amount of birds flushing i had not cracked my gun open just incase another one flushed and that is exactly what happened so with careful aim my second bird fell to the ground, almost a true double but i had taken a few steps. After all this excitement and loading the birds into our game bags we talked about the last few minutes and headed to another field. The other two friends with us ended up getting three more as they head to their truck with one flying into the sun so they were not sure if it was a hen or rooster so no shoots rang out but the bird fell to the ground from flying itself into the power line ringing its own neck, so no damaged meat on that one. The rest of the day we put up three birds, on was missed and the other two jumped to far ahead just like they were a late season bird.
Had a great day and can't wait for next week.
Got to our field early and waited for the time to start and then hit the field, took about 30 minutes to put up our first rooster and then on our way back south my cousin jumped another rooster putting him on the ground. we were getting closer to the area we usually find most of the birds and another rooster jumped to his side falling in a poof of feathers as my gsp retreived the bird to me a rooster jumped 5 feet from me crossing to my left and dropping to my shot. Orley dropped my cousins bird at my feet and ran to my first bird of the season, as she was bring it back to me another rooster took flight infront of me and with the amount of birds flushing i had not cracked my gun open just incase another one flushed and that is exactly what happened so with careful aim my second bird fell to the ground, almost a true double but i had taken a few steps. After all this excitement and loading the birds into our game bags we talked about the last few minutes and headed to another field. The other two friends with us ended up getting three more as they head to their truck with one flying into the sun so they were not sure if it was a hen or rooster so no shoots rang out but the bird fell to the ground from flying itself into the power line ringing its own neck, so no damaged meat on that one. The rest of the day we put up three birds, on was missed and the other two jumped to far ahead just like they were a late season bird.
Had a great day and can't wait for next week.