How's Everyone Doing?

gjw

Well-known member
Hey all, just curious to find out how you all are doing so far this season? Been a week since opener and the weather has been crappy. Went out yesterday (first decent day all week), and saw a grand total of 3 birds. Two hens and one rooster that got up wild. Was hunting some of my old good spots, but nothing. Today was windy as all get out and wasn't able to make it out. Tomorrow is also supposed to be a bit breezy, will see how it pans out. I hope things turn for the better, the weather is supposed to get better this week. So far it's been a poor season, haven't shot one bird yet.

So....how about the rest of you?

Best,

Greg
 
3 trips to ND for sharp tails, but pheasant opened my last day of hunting...lucked into 2 roosters out in the hills...very memorable brace of roosters, mainly the dog work. Had a total of 14 days hunting ND from fairly far East to about as far West as you can get, and a few places in between...actually, have seen a decent # of pheasants while hunting sharp tails...maybe 150 or so? mainly in a few areas. Grouse hunting was really enjoyable...love it. averaged 3 grouse/day...didn't see that many huns...only killed one, but missed several! Then there were the 2 pheasants...all in all, I love hunting the wheat country!!!!! especially hilly wheat country!!! ready to move there...
 
Leaving here on the 31st headed that way. Talked to a couple of friends up that way that said they have been seeing a decent number of grouse but few pheasants. Hopefully when all the beans and corn come off it will get better. Best of luck!!
 
Slow to say the least. Saw more roosters hunting grouse before season than after the opener. Weather has been crappy and access limiting. None of the corn and flowers has been harvested. I did have a good day Friday. Saw some sroosters fly into cover I have access to. Three points. Three shots. Three roosters. Done in 20 minutes. Don’t expect that will happen much. Went exploring after that and looking for some sharpies. Few birds of any kind seen...well lots of Sandhills. Still some snow in shady spots in far SW and lots of mud. Taking the weekend off.
 
I've been getting birds this season, but I've had to work for them.Lots of walking, and scouting. Birds are down, but I can still get some.Have hunted a few bm., that I saw no birds at all.
 
Hunted around New England and Regent the last few days with a group that has been going there for many years. Averaged a little better than a bird per hunter per day, and we only had 4 guys. We weren't on the most prime land but it usually produces limits or close to it most years. Does not appear as though there was much of a hatch in that area as the birds we got were at least half older birds and most flushes were just single birds...walk a spot, get one bird up type of thing. Probably flushed more roosters than we did hens which isn't a good sign. Did see a couple wads of birds around standing corn so there are a few around...on that note, about 5% of corn and sunflowers harvested and did not see any combines going. Talked to a couple other groups at the hotel who were doing poorly; one said he'd been coming for over 20 years and this was the slowest year he's had.
 
I hunted on opening weekend around the Hettinger , Bucyrus area. I have to say it was the slowest hunting in 13 years of hunting the area. We hunted three people and 2 dogs, a smaller group than usual. I really didn't think the bird numbers could get this low ,but i belive it now. I might take a few years off and see what happens. Good luck!
 
Just got back from 13 day hunt in mott area.Had two dogs and rotated
Them.Found mott area not that good for plots .Regent area are better
Seen best plots South in hettinger area.But crops still up in that area.
Should be good on plots after crops cut.Seen more birds South in
Hettinger area.Did pretty good when hunting by myself hit small areas.
Did not shoot to good!!! Had a 16 guage side x side that I really like but could not get use to double triggers keep pressing first trigger for second
Shot.All in All it was a great hunt lots of dog work .Shot some roosters
Huns,and sharptail.Have to practice shooting that double
One thing I noticed is when you found some birds they would not be there
Next day so I would suggest you move around find birds then move on
 
Just got home after 16th annual trip to Garrison-Turtle Lake-Max area. By far the worst year ever experienced. Could not believe how few pheasants we came across. Even our best "never fail hot spots" produced slim results. Adding to the frustration was most of the ducks had moved south and the snow geese had not come down yet in big numbers. Very concerned about how long it will take for pheasant numbers to recover. Only bright spot was seeing more huns and grouse than I can remember.
 
Just got home after 16th annual trip to Garrison-Turtle Lake-Max area. By far the worst year ever experienced. Could not believe how few pheasants we came across. Even our best "never fail hot spots" produced slim results. Adding to the frustration was most of the ducks had moved south and the snow geese had not come down yet in big numbers. Very concerned about how long it will take for pheasant numbers to recover. Only bright spot was seeing more huns and grouse than I can remember.

without more CRP enrollment, this may be as good as it gets for quite a while.
 
just got back from mott this was my 6th time at a private property had great hunting but poor killing birds down again. what I noticed is the drought is still a factor. upper plains need water bad. But had a great time watching my dogs they were great
 
Back from Mott a couple of days ago. Private access , but 2 days of howling winds made birds spooked!!!! Rained often so a miserable couple of days. I think birds numbers are very slightly better than last year. Not like 4 years ago when we made our first trip to this farm. Crop harvest is stalled until soils dry from rain. Would guess close to 1/2. Corn out. More than sunflower still to harvest
 
-3 this morning. Crop harvest has been stalled for about a week. Lots of standing crops. Habitat is the key to bird numbers recovering. Personal numbers are up a little from last years bag for huns, sharptails, and roosters. Miles walked per bird is pretty high though.
 
Back from the Jamestown area. Tons of ducks , we shot a five man limit and a speck on Saturday. Good hunts until it all froze up. The most snow geese I've ever seen. Hunted 8 times for pheasants and grouse. Two days were nearly impossible weather wise but still gave it a go. Moved 6 roosters on a WPA (two died). Coulda had a double on some PLOTS off the end of my dogs nose, if I could have felt my hands and remembered how to take the safety off (did get one of them). Got a single out of a group of 5 young roosters that my dogs pointed in a island of brush in the middle of a cut bean field. I missed two other roosters that I should have folded. Saw more grouse than in several years , missed a couple. Was better than last year but still WAY off from 5 - 7 years ago.
 
How are things going out there in ND now that we are past Thanksgiving? Are things still slow? Are the crops out now? Curious as to how people are doing.
 
I went back to Mott right after Thanksgiving, hunting on private lands.... we hunted hard 8 am to 4 pm , 3 days.... with good dogs... the 3 of us took 8 birds total.... about my average all year..... Most corn, and sunflowers are harvested as of then...
Lets hope winter is easy, and spring nesting will be GREAT!
 
Wife and I were in the Western half of the state Nov 25th to 30th with our 6 year old drahthaar. Hunted mostly private land - birds were spotty. One property which is usually good for us, we would only kick up 1 rooster after covering most of the CRP. Cut corn adjacent, so they may have been in there, or the hail put a dent in the population. Three miles to the east on another property, we did well most days. Took a day off to visit Theodore Roosevelt park, so hunted 4 days total. Came home with 15 roosters. Saw fewer sharptails than last year, but hunted longer, thicker grass. Should have had 20 birds if I didn't have a streak of poor shots. There was zero wind most days, but the dog managed some incredible points.

We'll be back next year!
PG
 
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