Is anyone still bird hunting?
- Thread starter nstric
- Start date
Where did you go Nate? I took last weekend off to go to a wedding in Madison, WI and didn't feel like dealing with shotgunners Sunday. Going to head out Saturday morning for a bit hopefully, but only hit private land unless I find no second season shotgunners on my decent public ground. Will definitely miss the weekend after Christmas, but this weekend and the next I'll hit for sure and then the January weekends if it's not too cold or snowy.
nstric
New member
Yesterday we hunted up near Fort Dodge.
I'm about an hour away from the Fort Dodge area. There is some nice land there and north of there a little bit.
I got out yesterday on some private land. They where running circles around us and the dog. We missed one big rooster and 2 flushed out of range. The poor dog had so much scent at one location he would run the same lines back and forth.
I got out yesterday on some private land. They where running circles around us and the dog. We missed one big rooster and 2 flushed out of range. The poor dog had so much scent at one location he would run the same lines back and forth.
Got out this weekend, made a trip further west finally. Hunted public land in Marshall, Story, Webster, Humboldt and Pocahontas counties. Hadn't been out that way before, west of Tama that is (first year in Iowa), and finally got some time to go unfortunately the weather turned off so warm. Saturday started over in north Marshall with a few roosters getting up pretty wild in the morning 3 roosters, 1 hen there. Went to southern Hardin to check out a few areas, nothing to hunt (one area closed to pheasant hunting currently, not sure why but figured I would give the county a call and ask). Areas in northern Story that afternoon produced one good point on a rooster (unfortunately I wasn't in visual contact with the dog and by the time I located him on point I wasn't close enough when the bird decided to flush) and three good points on hens which, of course all held well. So, Saturday 8 birds 4 roosters, 4 hens, if I did better staying on the dog I probably should have 2 in the bag, fun and a little frustrating. Sunday moved further NW to Webster county, hit a couple spots in the morning getting up three hens. The birds really seemed to be running and giving the old dog fits all day, took a lot to get them up in the air, would have been nice to have a little more dog power/more walkers. One area in Humboldt produced nothing and a small area in SW Pocahontas yielded one hen after several points and re-locations (she finally flushed when she ran back into me). Sunday totaled to just four hens getting into the air, a little less than I was hoping especially after Saturday. Hope to get back out that way once the weather gets better, beginning of Christmas week perhaps and maybe have a chance to bring the little brother since he'll be out of school for Christmas. Hope to hear from more people as they get back out after deer hunting.
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still hunting? i'm just getting warmed up!
fate finds me with 4 days over the new year with time off work and the kids with plans to spend a few days with grandma and grandpa.
the grouse hunting here in mi this year has been good. the pheasant hunting, poor even by mi standards. i can't remember a season not having not killed A rooster. it aint gonna happen in mi this year.
provided the weather holds, i'm pointing the truck w and headed to iowa for my first time. happy new year to me!
what's the chances of a mixed bag of waterfowl over the new year? purely dependent on open water?
fate finds me with 4 days over the new year with time off work and the kids with plans to spend a few days with grandma and grandpa.
the grouse hunting here in mi this year has been good. the pheasant hunting, poor even by mi standards. i can't remember a season not having not killed A rooster. it aint gonna happen in mi this year.
provided the weather holds, i'm pointing the truck w and headed to iowa for my first time. happy new year to me!
what's the chances of a mixed bag of waterfowl over the new year? purely dependent on open water?
thanks, that confirms my suspicion. pheasants are the primary target. i was just tryint to hedge my bets with some waterfowl as a backup in the event we can't find any pheasants.
as long as the weather cooperates, i'm thinking nw corner of the state. we're really just beginning the planning. i didn't find out until sunday that i have the time free. called a buddy with a couple of labs to see if he was up for a road trip, and it's on!
figure between the two of us and our different hunting styles, we should be able to eek out a bird or two. the labs for the slews and linear cover and the pointy dogs for the crp fields - assuming there are a few left.
as long as the weather cooperates, i'm thinking nw corner of the state. we're really just beginning the planning. i didn't find out until sunday that i have the time free. called a buddy with a couple of labs to see if he was up for a road trip, and it's on!
figure between the two of us and our different hunting styles, we should be able to eek out a bird or two. the labs for the slews and linear cover and the pointy dogs for the crp fields - assuming there are a few left.
thanks. that is indeed good news.
here's to hoping we don't have to resort to waterfowl hunting. :cheers: