gearing up for 10 day solo road trip
- Thread starter gps4
- Start date
Winchester30
Active member
NDPheasant
Well-known member
My best friend told me “Get a lineman’s cutter and carry in your vest”. His friend lost two dogs pheasant hunting on the same trip. I am not sure of the specifics but I carry one at all times.
Haretrigger
Active member
You better believe it.
I had a young pup get caught in a snare in idaho and it was all I could do to get enough play for it to release.
I had her pretty well taught to heel and leash, so she didn't struggle with it too much.
The guy I got that pup from had a big male pointer die in his arms because he couldn't get a snare off.
I carry top of the line cable cutters with me at all times. Don't get the cheap ass ones....they won't get the job done.
I had a young pup get caught in a snare in idaho and it was all I could do to get enough play for it to release.
I had her pretty well taught to heel and leash, so she didn't struggle with it too much.
The guy I got that pup from had a big male pointer die in his arms because he couldn't get a snare off.
I carry top of the line cable cutters with me at all times. Don't get the cheap ass ones....they won't get the job done.
NDPheasant
Well-known member
. My nephews have a littermate sister to my Vizsla Ellie. I was impressed when my 17 year old nephew shows up this fall to hunt and pulls out a line cable cutter to show me. We hope we never need it but our dogs are worth the extra precaution.Left Vicksburg, MS a little late Saturday 11/6. Over packed as usual. Made it to Council Bluffs,IA.
Back on the road before sun up Sunday 11/7 heading to Yankton. Road around looking for suitable fields between Yankton and Mitchell. Pulled in first field at 9:45. Got my gear ready and a truck pulled in with 3 younger guys at 10 til 10:00. My dog came into season the week before I left so first question I asked when they got out of their truck was “y’all got a dog with you?” They said no, so I followed up with “ my dog is in season and I wanted to make sure y’all didn’t have a male
Dog with you. I’d hate to ruin your hunt.” Soon as the clock struck 10:00, I headed south down the fence lkne while they still got their gear strait. They headed east and then south along the far fence line. None of us jumped any birds.
I headed north toward Mitchell and found a large grass field with cut corn to the west and a tree line toward the back. Walked the fence line south toward the trees. Once we got in the shelter belt, my girl flushed her first rooster off the edge of the corn and I was able to bring it down with two shots. She took a few minutes to find it on her own and the ice was broken.
Only saw one other pheasant all day- running across someone’s yard right before sunset.
Stayed in Mitchell Sunday night. Headed north toward Huron Monday morning. Found a DU field with cut corn with a minimum maintenance road on the east side. 50 yards from the truck she flushed another rooster and I wiffed on it. She flushed two more hens out of that field. Didn’t see any more birds the rest of the day. No birds in the bag.
Stayed in Watertown Monday night and took in the Redlin Art Center Tuesday morning. Headed back south just after lunch and hunted toward Mitchell. Saw 8 that flushed out of cattails in the neighboring field and landed deeper in the cattails. Shot zero. Stayed in Mitchell Tues night.
Wednesday woke up to rain in the forecast but decided to chance it. found a CREP field with cut corn on two sides and gave it a shot. My dog flushed 5 roosters and 11 hens but I only scratched out 1 rooster before getting rained out.
Thursday the wind made our aimless wandering less than ideal so we spent most of the day “scouting”.
Friday, hunted with a group from home on private land in snow with 30-40 mph winds and 15-20 deg wind chill. Had a 7 man limit by 2:00.
Saturday, we went out again on private land and had a 7 man limit by 12:30.
Sunday, we hunted corn strips on private land and finished by 11:30.
We decided to pack up and hit the road just after lunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of the last day’s hunt.
Made it to Anderson, MO Sunday night and back to Vicksburg by 4:30 Monday afternoon.
So far it was my most enjoyable pheasant trip and I Can’t wait until the next time.
Thanks for all the replies about what to pack. Although I obviously packed
more gear than I needed for this road trip, I never needed anything I didn’t have on hand.
Attachments
Last edited:
Bob Peters
Well-known member
From everything I've seen and heard this surprises me. I know a guy who traps with all snares. When he gets a coyote, it will run circles around the snare, chew everything in site, and obviously pull as hard as it can, but when he checks snares, the coyote is always alive and he has to dispatch it. I didn't think snares were designed to kill as much as to just hold an animal.
jackrabbit
Active member
I'm not a trapper but I was under the other assumption... the more you pull the tighter it will get. Most dogs will panic and keep pulling. Training dogs really isn't more than teaching them how to turn off the pressure or stimulation, so some well trained dogs will feel the pressure and then stop.
Haretrigger
Active member
My experience is different.
I have come across coyotes, badgers and 1 bobcat that were stone cold dead in snare sets.
Many years ago I was working in texas and one evening while drinking a few beers outside the motel door, I got to talking with a trapper who was also staying there. Asked him about snares...how they worked, release,etc. He went out to his truck and showed me the style he used and how to release it. It had a little metal tab that won't let the snare loosen unless you flip it approx 90 degrees. That same little tab sort of ratchets tighter each time the animal moves.
He gave me a snare to take home for practice releasing.
My pup that got caught was so tight I could only get part of one finger between the snare and her neck....This was many years after the visit with the trapper. That lesson likely saved my dog. Even knowing what I was supposed to do, it was not easy getting enough slack to release, and for a few minutes I was pretty sure I was going to lose her....
Hence the cable cutters.....
I'm not sure, but it could be not all snares are built the same. Maybe someone with more experience could share their knowledge?
As an aside....one of the craziest things I saw with traps was a poor little chukar got caught in a bobcat set. 2 traps had been set.one had caught a foot, and the other a wing. It was gettong down to -20 and it appeared he/she froze to death..
NDPheasant
Well-known member
Thanks for sharing the update and pictures. It looks like a good time was had by all. Nice looking dog! The rooster hanging from the tree sure is a dandy as well. Glad your trip was memorable and you got back safely!
dustin mudd
Active member
Great looking lab - great thread from everyone!!! Good help for everyone to benefit for the future!
Haretrigger
Active member
Not sure I would trust those to get the job done. Needs to be fairly snub nosed with good cutting ability right at the tip.
If that snare gets tight enough to be a problem, you won't have much or any slack to play with.
After my experience with my pup, I went to the hardware store and grabbed egery wire cutter they had ...then went to the back of the store and started snipping cable on their bulk roll.
Some of the cutters were pathetic...you will know when you got one that works.
Haretrigger
Active member
That tail feather in the photo with the tree, gun and dog looks trophy length.....
UplandHntr
Well-known member
No, get a cable cutter.