Look I really need help on this one

I think its safe to say that any public land, especially some that's easily accessible via road or trail, has received significant pressure thus far. Assuming anything less is fool's gold.
I agree.You just assume it's been hunted a lot.I do know one guy in south Dakota that might let me hunt, but I'm not going to pay hunt.Ive stated my opinion on that.
 
Good Reading so far....Here's my two cents:

I would do my best to find some ground near food, be it corn, beans or food plots etc...I'd hunt edges as near as I could to food. We all want to find a small parcel to hunt alone but tbh, I rarely do well at these and I believe it's because we ALL hunt them. So I would put food at the top of the list and if the spot you find is big? Make it small. Hunt the edges. Only way those birds will fly is if they HAVE to so I'd concentrate on edges and leave the center of CRP alone.
But most of all HAVE FUN! I was supposed to be in SD right now but an untimely death in the family made that impossible. Get out there and watch your dogs do what they love and hunt those edges and that way any bird you do flush might give you a chance.
 
Either the phez are eating, loafing or roosting. You need to make them uncomfortable and think they can out smart your dog by hiding. At daybreak we used to watch 40-50 phez leave the roosting cover by walking and head to picked crop fields and then filter into swales and thickets.
We then would start at the back of the property and hunt back to the old farmhouse. We were successful, maybe lucky or was it planning??
 
Unforseen circumstances caused a late start. We hunted noon to 430. More hunters out than I expected. First spot was a dud. Tried several ditches, no birds. Next spot the old dog caught one out in light grass and ran him up for me. It was really nice to get one, I was thinking we might not see one all day. Last spot the old dog ran into a willow thicket and chased one around till he flushed but it was too wide and I was on the wrong side although I got to watch him fly away. We saw 3 hens on the day. The rooster looks like a Kansas blue-back. Migrator maybe.
 

Attachments

  • 20240105_140923.jpg
    20240105_140923.jpg
    2.8 MB · Views: 14
I'm sitting in 5 guys burgers and fries waiting on my 22 dollar fast food meal. Mankato. Season ended for me today. Went to union slough refuge. Like opener all over again, which I knew it would be. Skye was favoring her leg, so she was done hunting after 30 minutes. Might be arthritis, she's 8 in a few days. I hated leaving her in the truck, so I didn't hunt as much as I would have otherwise. We really didn't see anything all day. The last 25 minutes I saw roosters flying in from their daily errands going back to find a comfy roosting place in a marshy bottom. I think there were a lot of them. Three wild flushes, and the 4th bird I dropped, but he got away. Roxy has been really good on downed birds so I can't blame her. I think he ran into a massive thicket.
 
Taking a turn off-topic again

$22 a plate for burgers, what a bargain. My bubby ate at Red Robin with his kid and wife, $82 was the ticket total....for burgers...something that is easy to make a killer one at home! I have no idea how that stays open.
 
Place in Duquette MN (only place there, town of 100) smokes baby backs 3 days per week…$22. I just got 2 meals from the rack yesterday…most people get 2-3 meals per rack. Their custom made sandwiches are $4.99, same as a decade ago when I discovered them. I’ve brought about 10 racks to SD this past month for farmers…more will be brought if I make it back there. My favorite food item currently…fresh strawberries from Shell Lake Wisconsin in late June for $22 per gallon pail will overtake the ribs for a month or two this summer…together, as a meal, whoa…”Calgon take me away!” 😆
 
I was sitting there a couple of hours before you. We started our 13 year old girl on Cosequin a few years ago as a vet recommendation. It’s a joint supplement that’s given daily. She hunted until she was 12.
Carprofen works for my dogs…100 mg daily while hunting…start a few days before…it’s generic rimadyl…I give glycoflex 3 as well…
 
I was sitting there a couple of hours before you. We started our 13 year old girl on Cosequin a few years ago as a vet recommendation. It’s a joint supplement that’s given daily. She hunted until she was 12.
My time stamp is late, because my post was interrupted by a cheeseburger. So it was about 630 I was there. I know the last time I tried it was 2 or 3 years ago coming home from hunting. The only reason is it's convenient right off hwy 22. The food there is OK, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. White castle or Culver's I like better.
 
So 60 posts later on this thread. I gotta ask, do you think you made the right decision going this weekend?
 
Back
Top