Don't give up just yet!
- Thread starter nstric
- Start date
FCSpringer
Moderator
Nice. I will be back home for Xmas again. Hopefuly with better hunting this year. Snow was too deep to do much last year.:coolpics:
I've been hitting some newly found public land down here in SE Iowa recently without any success. Went out yesterday for a couple of hours. Saw one track. That was it. Starting to get a little depressing. On the plus side, the dogs sure are looking nice, and the lack of scent gives me a lot of opportunity to work them without a little of external stimuli. Okay, I'm trying to look for positives here 
nstric
New member
What happened? Hopefully nothing serious?I am down a dog now
I took a work buddy out Saturday morning for a one field hunt; public. No triggers pulls, but we saw at least 40-50 birds. Heavy in the cattails, boys.
mstand
Member
Something happened to her in SD. But she is a little soilder and powered through it. She never limped or complained. Then we hit the vet when we got home. Said she had a ruptured Bursa? The sac aorund her ankle joint. Said it could have happened if she busted through some ice or something.
She has a big bulge around her ankle that I guess is full of fluid. SHe is on bed rest
for 14 days or it will develope into tendonitous and recovery will be longer 6-9 months.Didnt mean to make it sound as bad as I did.
So we took the youngster out to Tama today. Walked for 4 hours plus and only got a wild hen flush.
Towards the end, he started shucking and jiving, playing with mice and just being a goof ball. But Iguess it was a long hunt. He was always activly hunting and got birdy several times but nothing but the hen was produced.
At what point do you say that this is counter productive for a young pup? I truly dont care about what I out int he bag, but when he starts to scew off it is time to go to a preserve maybe?
We ran into and stepped on plenty of deer though. At one point Max was on top of one literally, it looked like he jumped off of its back!
Madison COunty
New member
nstric-
What part of iowa are you finding these birds in and what breed of dog are you using? Just curious.
What part of iowa are you finding these birds in and what breed of dog are you using? Just curious.
nstric
New member
mstand: good to read recovery will be relatively short.
Birds are definitely spotty this year, but when I'm able to find them as of late, they're in big groups. Saturday morning looked like what I envision -- because I've never been -- South Dakota to look like. Too bad they were so wild.
Central Iowa, and Gunner is a vizsla.
Birds are definitely spotty this year, but when I'm able to find them as of late, they're in big groups. Saturday morning looked like what I envision -- because I've never been -- South Dakota to look like. Too bad they were so wild.
Madison COunty
New member
Are there really no birds?
Called two DNR officers today in southern iowa about some public hunting down there and they told me that I would be wasting my time looking for birds. They said if I wanted to go for a nice walk that would be good but honestly there are VERY few to no birds.
My puppy GSP is only 12 weeks old so he wont do me any good so im not sure what to do. Family has about 800 acres in northeast iowa I might try during christmas, we used to always get lots of birds up there.
Called two DNR officers today in southern iowa about some public hunting down there and they told me that I would be wasting my time looking for birds. They said if I wanted to go for a nice walk that would be good but honestly there are VERY few to no birds.
My puppy GSP is only 12 weeks old so he wont do me any good so im not sure what to do. Family has about 800 acres in northeast iowa I might try during christmas, we used to always get lots of birds up there.
FCSpringer
Moderator
Get your self some barn pigeons and train your pup for next year:thumbsup:
jchristen
New member
My buddy and I got 4 out of two fields today, the first private, the second public. Saw good numbers.
Nate- I'm going to have to meet you sometime and have you show me how to pheasant hunt
-john
Hunted just north of highway 2 west of Centerville over the weekend. Hunted private and stayed in the CRP fields. Surprised to kill a couple of birds each day. Tough walking but saw 12-15 hens in each field with few cocks flushing wild. Also saw a couple of nice quail coveys. Nothing close to the good old days but a decent hunt and good dog work.
jchristen
New member
I hunted a small piece of public land that isn't very desireable for deer hunters Saturday morning. I heard shots in the distance but that was it. I won't chance taking a brown dog and 8yr old son out on deer popular ground.
We walked about an hour and half and got up four hens. No rooster. Oddly enough we did see 6-8 deer.
We walked about an hour and half and got up four hens. No rooster. Oddly enough we did see 6-8 deer.
jchristen
New member
Speaking of work. Do you save all your vacation for pheasant season or do you have a really flexible employer? If its the later, I'm going to need the name of your hiring manager there.
I definately need to manage my vacation better next year. I didn't save near enough days this year.
-john
nstric
New member
Both.
I'm lucky enough to serve as Vice President for a Fortune 100 company that currently affords me 30 days of vacation ("PTO" - Personal Time Off), plus floating holidays. So I typically have around 35 days off, plus community service time.
A great, great company that values work / life balance. My 'balance' comes from being afield.
nstric
New member
A pretty good 1/2 day hunt today. My buddy and I managed 4 . . . on 4-4 shooting. Three of the four came off of public. Decent numbers seen. A coyote and a quail too.
Surprisingly, I saw more bird hunters today than all of the rest of the season combined. Any ideas as to why that would be?
nstric
New member
IA at heart -
Amazingly, I found your chokes in the field while hunting today! I've cleaned them up a bit and they look good as new. Let me know if you'd like me to mail them to you.
I'll send you a PM too.