Minnesota

Flush 'Em Hard Rocky

Flush 'Em Hard Rocky

New member
Any Minnesota folks here, please send me a PM with some advice for hunting public land within a reasonable distance of the twin cities area. It would be greatly appreciated. I know people hate to give up their great spots, but I am hoping for some help from the experts here.

Thanks much!
 
I have shot pheasants on public land in many, many MN counties including WMAs within 20 minutes of the 5 county metro. There is no magic other than getting out and walking the land with a good dog. Learn where there are edges of cover and where the birds live on each property. If you see hens, there are roosters ... they may have held tight, run around you or flushed early if you did not see them.

Counties that are noted by the DNR has higher population density areas tend to be correct, but they also tend to have more hunters on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. Many tend to want to hunt public land right after the corn is harvested and this does tend to put a few more birds in view.
 
FCSpringer said:
Get there before someone else does. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


not always true. I have had plenty of success hunting areas immediately after someone else leaves. Quality of dogs, weather, time of day, effort, etc... all play into this ...

Several years ago I hunted the same strip of public land back and forth several times - - 5 passes all together. I shot roosters on pass numbers 3 and 4. The dog and I kept moving through because I could tell as many (more?) pheasants were running around us as flying away. I could tell this by the fact that there were new tracks in the snow (some on my boot tracks).

I look at pheasant hunting with a good dog like walleye fishing. Don't aways see them and someone may have been working them before you. It is up to you to figure out how to get on 'em and bring them to vest.

Mind over matter is not easy when you are exhausted ...
 
I agree with BRITTMAN on hunting a track of land after others have hit it especially the last hour of legal light. I have taken birds many times hunting a spot was hunted just before I showed up. Some of it might be bad hunters/dogs walking it and leaving birds for me but I think later in the day the birds are coming to roost late and just because someone walked it doesn't mean the birds have been pushed out. In fact I am sure many of us taken birds walking the same path back to the truck.

As for public land near the twin cities I can't help you with that but I can say look for public areas with good crops near by and you should be able to find birds.
 
Well I guess thats all true but what I meant was depending on the time of day you are going, If it's right away in the morning you most likely want to be early. People hunt the public land around the metro alot and to get to them and have groups of people already there is well a bummer, not only can it be unsafe to just go anyway but none of us want to spoil someone elses hunt so if it's an early morning hunt I would get up early and be in the parking lot before the other guy, thats all.
 
I don't mind sloppy seconds but if I have my druthers I'd rather be the first to hunt a parcel.

Hunting behind someone is usually most successful when the preceding party is from the Twin Cities. :eek::D
 
1st on a grouse trail -- maybe, 1st to walk for pheasants - maybe at 9AM start time ... but from noon to sunset it does not matter. Mind over matter ...

Maybe somewhat just pushed birds into the area you are just walking towards and others hit two hours ago.

Stay strong in the mind - perserverance.

Even on private land, you can walk nice cover mid-day and see a few birds, walk the same cover an hour before dark on the same day and you may see hundreds !!!
 
FCS - agree about the crowding, but here in MN and even in the Dakotas I have had plenty of people walk past me in the morning - even if I was there first... :rolleyes:

I rarely bother to hunt mornings for pheasants in MN. 2PM to dark is more than enough time to put 2 or more roosters in the bag.
 
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