Disappointing hunt today

[Weimdogman]

So today I hunted some private property that I haven't been on this season. The past couple of seasons this property has always held many birds. We started out hunting a draw going down to the creek bottom. A rooster wild flushed from the phragmites i didn't see it quick enough and the novice hunter with me didn't shoot. Well that was the only rooster we saw. I knew going down that draw when I didn't see pheasant tracks we were in for a long day.

The creek bottom has grasses and willows but a 1/2 mile produced 1 hen. There were almost no pheasant tracks there either. A small 3 acre wedge of crp in a corner with picked cornfield on 1 side and pasture on the others produced another single hen. No tracks there either.

The only thing different from past years was ice in many places I haven't seen in the past. Our crazy winter had melting snow and rain on frozen ground so ice is everywhere. I know the landowner has friends from out of state that hunted this ground earlier in the season and made a return trip so there must have been birds.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

So today I hunted some private property that I haven't been on this season. The past couple of seasons this property has always held many birds. We started out hunting a draw going down to the creek bottom. A rooster wild flushed from the phragmites i didn't see it quick enough and the novice hunter with me didn't shoot. Well that was the only rooster we saw. I knew going down that draw when I didn't see pheasant tracks we were in for a long day.

The creek bottom has grasses and willows but a 1/2 mile produced 1 hen. There were almost no pheasant tracks there either. A small 3 acre wedge of crp in a corner with picked cornfield on 1 side and pasture on the others produced another single hen. No tracks there either.

The only thing different from past years was ice in many places I haven't seen in the past. Our crazy winter had melting snow and rain on frozen ground so ice is everywhere. I know the landowner has friends from out of state that hunted this ground earlier in the season and made a return trip so there must have been birds.

Yep, assuming there was fresh enough snow for fresh-ish tracks, if there weren't many, then they're not using it much. I usually chalk that up to changes on the surrounding ground. The most common change that I believe causes very little habitat use is a change from corn nearby last year to beans this year. So often they use other haunts closer to corn, especially in winter.

 

[Weimdogman]

5 of us got out at 2 pm 10° with a 10 mph wind. Had another great hunt. Saw lots of birds and had plenty of points. Had multiple times where a couple dogs were on point on different birds at the same time. Friend had a business associate with him but the guy has hunted before and was safe. He did get a little quick on 1 bird and literally shot it heads off as it was rising. Shot was completely safe as he was clear of all dogs and other hunters. As we were cleaning birds i asked him if he knew why we got so many more points on hens then roosters? He said no I have no idea. I replied we have shot most of the roosters that let the dogs point them.


We had one of the landowners with us and he sure enjoys seeing his efforts at quality habitat paying off. Tomorrow we are going to hunt more of his ground. He expects it be absolutely full of birds and is really hyped about it.

 

[Weimdogman]

Hunted with the same landowner again today on a piece of his ground that hasn't been hunted and it showed. Didn't get out till about 3 30 with 3 guys and 4 dogs. About 20° with a less then 10 mph breeze. Birds were still skittish flushing wild but we got 8 and missed a half dozen.

Nice day but we found the birds in the cattail sloughs. Had a few interesting retrieves with birds down in a sea of cattails that are full of bird scent and 2 birds that soared over the hill bordering the slough and no clear idea where they went down. Probably would have only found 1 of the 8 birds without the dogs.