How did you do?

I

IA at heart

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I can not get out in Iowa for another couple weeks but am anxious to hear how everyone did and what kind of numbers you saw in various parts of the state. Give an update and post a few pics when you guys/girls get a chance. Thanks!
 
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2 of us and 1 dog shot three should have been four. Seen a couple more roosters but they flushed wild. Seen a good number of hens which was nice, hope it is another mild winter. We hunted creek lines in Tama county.
 
Nice report, sounds like a very fun day. Soonest I will possibly be able to get out is Monday. I would be happy with seeing half that many birds.
 
AHHH-The opener

My son and I returned to some private ground of friends around Gilbert. What an opener! 20 roosters and 30 hens.:) Most were this year's hatch. Saw 4 roosters that appeared to be last year's survivors. Crown and Coke going down very well tonight. Those pipeline trenches will be the death of me yet! My greatest memory of today will be the increase in bird numbers and sign. Last year is damn good to forget! Back at it tomorrow.:cheers:
 
Good reports guys, sounds like good stuff. Great pick Kbell, take it easy on the crown and cokes or tomorrows hunt will be tougher than todays!

I will be up there in two weeks and will have two days to hunt. I hope to post similar feedback.
 
Better opener in the southwest than last year. I saw two groups of partridge today which is surprising around here. Finally taking the dogs north to their new home. I hope the hunting is as good as the fishing has been up there this year and we will be just fine.
 
Better than last year

Went up to northern Iowa this weekend and saw quite a few birds. It looks like its better than last year. :thumbsup:
 
Talked to a buddy who said they saw 5 birds at the first private spot. They then headed to Chichaqua near Elkhart and they did not see any birds. The warden said he had checked a hunter with a dead bird and that was at 10:00 on Saturday.
 
I walked 2 private spots on Sat. I got two but that was do to some poor shooting. Between the two spots I saw 20 roosters. I was done by 10 on Sunday and walked one spot. Put up 14 to 16 roosters there as well as a nice number of hens. The cover was rather thick. Also saw a coyote that was rather mean towards one of the dogs. That is another story.:D I also saw a bobcat. All in all it was better than I had expected.
 
I hunted NE iowa on all private ground this weekend. 3 guys with 3 dogs got 3 birds on saturday. Saw more hens than roosters. The first place still have corn nearby so that could have been a factor. 2nd place didn't see anything, 3rd place just one rooster. Not the best opener i've ever had, but better than the last couple years. pic is of my 7 mo old brittany, Luke. He got credit for two of the birds on Saturday and then found me another one on sunday morning.
 
I hunted public, SOUTH (no, that's not a typo) and heard/saw more birds than I have EVER seen in Iowa, inclusive of my trips NW. Over 100 (also not a typo) were seen on Saturday, and roughly 40 on Sunday.

Got my three birds each morning, in only two fields. Hunted the thick stuff where a dog was a must.
 
Opener

My friend hunted all day Sat. and only saw 3 roosters and 4 hens. Nothing on Sun. this all took place NE of Nevada on private. Decent cover from what he said. All crops out. The stream that usually has 2 ft. of water was bone dry.. I may get out there later in the yr.
 
More birds this year

I only hunted Sunday in West Central IA. I started on a public spot and saw about 5 hens before shooting 2 roosters. Then I went to a friends CRP. It was great with about 20 birds seen, atleast half of them were roosters. I worked the dogs on the wild birds before finally shooting my third on a nice point. There is a substantial increase in birds this year. Two of birds were first year birds and the third problably a second year bird.
 
Had a good weekend on private ground E of Fort Dodge. Where there was good cover and water, there were birds. My young pup was outstanding. Shot birds over staunch points and didn't lose a downed bird. He worked running birds well and showed his intelligence in figuring those out. This is his first season and he's transitioned from the training field, to grouse and woodcock, now to pheasants. I am one happy hunter.

Some of my friends more recent plantings of prairie grasses did not hold birds. Thistle low to the ground in those. I came away with the impression that birds do not like the thistle any more than my dog does. Walk 1-1/2 miles and nada. Even the dog got bored and I think he knew there were no birds in that cover.

On the return trip yesterday I stopped at a public area south of Albert Lea for 45 minutes to get the dog some exercise after driving for 5 hours and we put up one hen. Adjacent to the area was land with the only corn I'd seen standing all weekend. I figure with the public land being pressured over the weekend there would be birds in those corn fields. It looks like a decent year for many in Iowa that have access to decent ground.
 
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