Late Season small party hunting?

[JPH]

I am looking at heading back to SD after Christmas to use the second 5 days of my license. Looks like it may be only my son, myself and the dog. Do you guys think it is possible to effectively hunt the cagey late season birds with only 2 guys? Would you employ the walk and block tactic on small cover or try and work the cover quietly? Looking for ideas/tactics on how to approach the late season birds with only 2 of us.

Thanks for any ideas.

JPH:cheers:

 

[treedaddy]

Road hunt in the middle of the day around harvested crops. Look for plum brush growing in the ditch. Drop your son out with the dog and drive 1/4 mile or so and block. Alternate and let him block next time.

 

[moellermd]

I shoot a lot of birds that time of year by myself. In the part of SD I hunt, I walk the edges of cattails or find waterways that are pretty thick. I have my best luck that time of year.

 

[BritChaser]

Late Season Tactics

On cold, windy days, the birds will spend as much time as possible in sheltered areas like weedy draws or in wind breaks. If it is a still, sunny, but cold day, they will move into short cover, such as hilltops in grass fields, to get the sun on them.

Good luck and have a great season.

 

[JPH]

Thanks for the replies.

I shoot a lot of birds that time of year by myself. In the part of SD I hunt, I walk the edges of cattails or find waterways that are pretty thick. I have my best luck that time of year.

moeller, do you find the birds running as much as earlier in the season?

 

[moellermd]

Thanks for the replies.



moeller, do you find the birds running as much as earlier in the season?

I find that either they hold tighter in the ticker cover or the moment you show up they blow out it large groups, usually you can still find a straggler. Less motivation to run when cover is scarcer.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Depends on weather, but I agree, hunt the thick stuff. If sunshine, no wind and reasonably warm you can find birds inthe thinner stuff. On those days do not overlook picked or combined corn with some layover cover as you can get some birds midday.
________
MAZDA NAVAJO

 

[Ranger Rick]

Hunting alone or with one other person doesn't have to mean a lack of success. Heck, there's always those birds that get up way ahead. You aren't going to stop that and you need to realize that there's birds hunkered down in there, too. I've killed a lot of birds hunting in small groups, or alone and would rather have it that way. No worries about a blocker shooting into the hunt, where everyone is, etc.

 

[Dcup]

Hunting alone or with one other person doesn't have to mean a lack of success. Heck, there's always those birds that get up way ahead. You aren't going to stop that and you need to realize that there's birds hunkered down in there, too. I've killed a lot of birds hunting in small groups, or alone and would rather have it that way. No worries about a blocker shooting into the hunt, where everyone is, etc.

I see you're from Wisconsin. How's the pheasant hunting up there this year thus far?