Well, took a trip out to public land this morning. Went to a spot that my 10 month old lab flushed a rooster out a week before the opener and was hopeful he was still there along with some of his friends. Well... It didn't quite work out that way. I tried to set my dog up the best I could, constantly working into the wind, tried a mix of different cover and terrain. Not one bird was seen, he never even got a good scent to get birdy. Is anyone else not seeing the "up year" the dnr has claimed? I could care less if I shoot birds, I just want my dog to have a good day and smell something once in a while. I'm trying to keep him interested, but Im worried he will lose interest if we continue to have days like today.
Dubuque county Iowa
- Thread starter kanstiss
- Start date
KBell
New member
Go West young man
Hello Kanstiss,
I sense your pain for your dog. It's hard to give advice but get up earlier, drop a few $$$ in the tank and get your dog to the top two tiers of counties in the Western half of our great state. You may have to stay overnight but the amount of birds for your dog is worth it.
You also will have excellent areas open to public hunting for you and your dog.
To give you an indication of where you hunted today, I have lived in this great state all of my life and have hunted pheasants for 47 years. I have never hunted birds along the Mississippi river and only a few times in the Washington area when my Dad was good friends with a state senator from there in the 60's. You couldn't pay me to hunt the first two counties along the eastern side of our state. You would need lots of boot to ground to see much for birds.
Hello Kanstiss,
I sense your pain for your dog. It's hard to give advice but get up earlier, drop a few $$$ in the tank and get your dog to the top two tiers of counties in the Western half of our great state. You may have to stay overnight but the amount of birds for your dog is worth it.
You also will have excellent areas open to public hunting for you and your dog.To give you an indication of where you hunted today, I have lived in this great state all of my life and have hunted pheasants for 47 years. I have never hunted birds along the Mississippi river and only a few times in the Washington area when my Dad was good friends with a state senator from there in the 60's. You couldn't pay me to hunt the first two counties along the eastern side of our state. You would need lots of boot to ground to see much for birds.
whatsnext
Member
I was in Wayne county Wednesday and moved 4 coveys, around 20 pheasants,1 woodcock . Thursday I was in Taylor county and saw nothing but most of the crops were still in and when I got in the truck to leave around 11:30 it was 71 degrees. This was my first time hunting Iowa and I think when all the fields are out and the weather is better for dog work you will probably see more birds.