Do you take a poke at the long range birds ?

Roosters outcompete hens for food in the wintertime, especially in severe winters…going into a bad winter with too many roosters is commonly viewed as a negative…one rooster can breed tens and tens of hens come spring…doesn’t take that many to get it done…having said all that, I visit my area every April, May, June, etc, and it’s quite a sight seeing the bird carryover in April…both sexes…I love being out there that time of year.
 
benelli-banger said:
Landowners who own the major “honey holes”traditionally host “rooster reduction” hunts in my area the last week or two of the season…been part of many of them over the years…
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If, on the last day of the season, you flush 200 hens & 1 rooster, nobody should ever feel bad shooting him. There are more around. They're just somewhere else.
 
We commented at the end of my last trip, 5 days ago, the strong rooster #’s vs hens….seems close to 50/50…2 buddies were hunting my field 3 weeks ago and saw about 5 roosters and 40-45 hens…40 minute walk…then, 11/8, after 3” of snow fell, my farmer friend who has the fields north and south of me called to tell me he saw around 50 roosters flush out of about 100 yard stretch of our common ditch…he didn’t mention hens…but we’ve seen bunches of hens together, and at times, bunches of roosters…for whatever reason….usually I’d say it’s 60-80% hens on average this time of year…but it still feels 50/50 in many spots…
 
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I have a good friend who hunts a lot in MN, not far west from the twin cities…he doesn’t see many birds of either sex…maybe a different approach is called for with so few birds around? Dunno.
 
I’ve commented 10 times thus far this season on this forum, but I’ve NEVER shot so many first year birds…and so few 2+ year old birds…the first hatch appears to have been outstanding…well colored & feathered, but small birds, small spurs…maybe bigger vs a month ago, but not big, older birds…good sign, I’d say. I may have seen one or two tiny roosters that could only be ID’d by them cackling…opening week…usually there’s lots of them throughout the first several weeks…
 
remy3424 said:
McFarmer is someone like myself that creates the cover that produces pheasants. I know what he is feeling. You put a ton of your time, energy and money into making a place from the birds to thrive and prosper....you kind of feel attached to them and have a certain respect for them. This is likely an unknown feeling and hard to understand for guys that just go out to public ground and shoot birds that are just seen to them as "an abundant natural resource that is free for the taking". 2 different worlds we have.
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I hope one day I can feel truly connected to pheasants instead of walking all day on public not seeing shit and taking them for granted like some entitled poor slob.

I think it’s cool you spend the time and have the resources to build habitat but geez man, kinda showing some true colors there…

MC farmers post was also lame. Who hasn’t taken a long or shitty shot at a rooster they probably knew wasn’t the best choice? Some of you guys sound awful to hunt with. Get off your high horses.
 
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McFarmer said:
I’m not the best wing shooter I will readily admit. I restrict my shots to those which I have a really good chance at a clean kill, maybe out to 30-40 yards. I’m also not the best judge of distances. My primary shotguns have full or modified fixed chokes, I use 2.75 inch lead 4s mostly. Pretty much kill or miss cleanly.

I have hunted with folks who will take a poke at any bird they can identify as a rooster, yardage be damned, empty the gun at them. I only imagine they had success at one point and figure lightening will strike again. Sometimes they will even be using pretty open chokes.

Another factor might be the location. Public and you figure if you don’t shoot it will fall to someone else tomorrow. I don’t hunt a ton, and mostly my own or nearby ground, I figure if it slips away today, it will be there tomorrow. Others might have only a day or two to hunt a location and aren’t worried about tomorrow. You miss all the shots you don’t take as they say.

Worst case is a 50-60 yard shot and the bird obviously flinches but doesn’t even slow down. “He sure felt that.” Is the usual response.

I guess folks shooting 3” hevi-shot probably have more range but still that pattern is getting pretty sparse out there.

What range do you folks limit yourselves to ?
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The satisfaction I get from making clean kills or good knock downs the dogs can have a chance of retrieving is hard to put into words.
It's getting tougher to do as the years start stacking up...but all that means is that I need to kick myself in the ass a little harder about picking the shot....frustration shots just make more frustration.

3 shots...3 birds ...the day doesn't get any better when you make that happen....keeps the ammo cost down too ...lol
 
McFarmer said:
I’m sure I would feel the same about the resource land owner or not. That point to me is irrelevant.

My only point is not wasting the resource and the ethics of making a clean kill. I’m cheap and I hate waste of any kind.

No person can tell me putting a couple #4s in the back end of a rooster from 11.82 rods away isn’t wasting the resource or is an ethical shot.

On public land that rooster isn’t going to be available for the next person the next weekend, it’s going to be laying dead out there, or at the least infected to the point it won’t be a harvestable bird.

As outdoor enthusiasts we have an obligation to the resource to harvest it cleanly, without waste.
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A few years ago I remember Uguide posting about one of his properties having six hunters and no dogs one week and how many birds they had lost in the cattails. I for one have no issues with dog less hunters. Dogs are a serious investment and commitment that not everyone is able to take on. I will say I found that report troubling and was surprised that he allowed it on his hunts. Personally I will not continue to dump birds in heavy cover if my dog or I are having a hard time bringing them to bag. Recently I was having one of those days. I was tired, the dog was tired, and after losing a couple my heart really wasn’t in it anymore so I called it a day. I have watched guys sky blast waterfowl and have watched guys blast at pheasants at 60+ yards. I always wondered how many die in a few days. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
 
I count lost birds towards my daily limit, not for the good of the population, although I know there are instances were that could apply, but rather an attitude of “save some for the next person”. The daily limit in Iowa is three, I think that is to give more folks a chance at a bird, but there are probably more game management reasons than that. If I lost three I think I would go home for the day, not continue to try and get my daily limit in the bag.

But some would say I don’t have the killer instinct. If there was a shell that made sparks fly out of their butt when hit and continue on unharmed, I would probably be good with that.

I do know there have been times the DNR has suspended the limit on game fish when the oxygen levels have been an issue.

I hope I don’t come off as an ethics snob, but I have mine and I am comfortable with them. You do you, within the law of course.

Shooting trap the target is to land 50 yards from the house, or 66 yards from the 16 yard line. That’s a long shot.
 
Remy your posts lately kinda make it look like you think youre a better bird hunter than everyone here and now youre a better human and conservationist than everyone too? Probably not a lot of guys on here that can run out and drop 20k an acre ground to make into pheasant habitat. Curious, did you buy all of yours for that?
 
benelli-banger said:
PF has come up, and invariably it gets bashed by a healthy % of those chiming in…
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What I remember from PF discussions on here.

1. On the Kansas page a few members (can't remember who) view it in the most negative light and bash it at every opportunity.

2. In the general forums or SD forum at times certain actions they have taken have been questioned, but not bashed outright or without cause. Many people here support them, are members, but not afraid to question decisions that PF has made. Not unlike shareholders questioning decisions by a board that represents them. Some people think they are infallible and the end all be all. I support them, been to diners/events the last 3 years, glad for what they do, but feel no organization is beyond constructive criticism.
 
Bob Peters said:
What I remember from PF discussions on here.

1. On the Kansas page a few members (can't remember who) view it in the most negative light and bash it at every opportunity.

2. In the general forums or SD forum at times certain actions they have taken have been questioned, but not bashed outright or without cause. Many people here support them, are members, but not afraid to question decisions that PF has made. Not unlike shareholders questioning decisions by a board that represents them. Some people think they are infallible and the end all be all. I support them, been to diners/events the last 3 years, glad for what they do, but feel no organization is beyond constructive criticism.
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I support them and have been a member for 30 years. Mostly for the magazine because they are a non-factor in Kansas.
 
carptom1 said:
A few years ago I remember Uguide posting about one of his properties having six hunters and no dogs one week and how many birds they had lost in the cattails. I for one have no issues with dog less hunters. Dogs are a serious investment and commitment that not everyone is able to take on. I will say I found that report troubling and was surprised that he allowed it on his hunts. Personally I will not continue to dump birds in heavy cover if my dog or I are having a hard time bringing them to bag. Recently I was having one of those days. I was tired, the dog was tired, and after losing a couple my heart really wasn’t in it anymore so I called it a day. I have watched guys sky blast waterfowl and have watched guys blast at pheasants at 60+ yards. I always wondered how many die in a few days. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
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I agree…I also would say that I doubt guys here are suggesting it’s the norm…it’s the exception for me, for sure…but it’s happened this season, may or may not happen again this season. The reality is most of my shots are 15-30 yards, I’d say, and getting 3 most days is a fairly quick thing…an hour, maybe more, if I’m solo…there’s many reasons to not take those long shots, I usually don’t…
 
Bob Peters said:
What I remember from PF discussions on here.

1. On the Kansas page a few members (can't remember who) view it in the most negative light and bash it at every opportunity.

2. In the general forums or SD forum at times certain actions they have taken have been questioned, but not bashed outright or without cause. Many people here support them, are members, but not afraid to question decisions that PF has made. Not unlike shareholders questioning decisions by a board that represents them. Some people think they are infallible and the end all be all. I support them, been to diners/events the last 3 years, glad for what they do, but feel no organization is beyond constructive criticism.
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I kinda recall negative comments geared toward local chapters that may have favored certain landowners vis-a-vis habitat projects, PF resources, etc…just seemed like 1/3 or more of the commenters were bashing PF…maybe more?
 
McFarmer : The crazy high limits on waterfowl and USF&WS reluctance to ever lower a limit has created a waterfowl hunting segment and industry that is no longer interested in the birds themselves. All further corrupted by social media. Ruined the sport actually.
 
I must have the PF bashers hidden from my view or just ignore them. PF has its faults, but overall is a decent run organization and offers two good things ...

1) local level involvement and habitat investment at these local levels
2) lobbying at the national level for CRP, CREP and other conservation initiatives ... albeit completely outgunned by the Ag Industry

I like the way they have also latched onto quail and prairie birds (grouse and chickens) and highlight the trouble sage grouse are in.
 
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