Mott Area

tbob131

Member
Heading out to North Dakota for the first time this year. Going to try mid September for sharpies and Huns. Staying in Elgin. Can’t wait to get out and see some new country.
 
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A few of points.

September and early October can be very hot in North Dakota. Be careful with your bird dogs. This part of ND has very little water and some parts of ND the ponds become stagnant and contaminated with blue-green algae. Carry plenty of water for you and your dog.

Elgin is definitely rattle snake country. I have hunted a broad swath of SW ND are rarely saw or heard (ya that is a little unnerving) rattlers. I think most rattle snakes are moving to their den locations by September so they are less likely to be encountered, but when you run into one - there could be others. I have picked up my dog a couple of times and carried it back to the truck.

This part of ND also can have sand spurs and prickly pear cactus. Again most farm country and CRP plots will not have this ... we tended to run into this when hunting more natural prairie chasing sharptails.

Porky pines have learned to live on the prairie and of course spend time (most) on the ground.

None of these are likely to happen (except may be the heat), but be prepared if they do.
 
Never let your gas tank get too low. Now days a few more small towns have credit card activated pumps that operate 24/7, but you can count on many small town stations being closed in the evening and possibly on Sundays.

Sure you can run back up to I94 to fill the tank, but that can be an hour or more detour when you are tired and hungry or worse during the day when you would rather be hunting.
 
Brittman, thought I would update for you.
Elgin, New Leipzig(grain elevator) and Mott now all have credit card activated gas pumps (24hrs). New Leipzig re-opened its cafe, and Elgin keeps pretty regular hours. Agree, Rattle snakes sometimes seen in the summer months south of Elgin, don't think I have ever seen one in Sept/Oct.
 
Thanks for the responses guys, I have been to extreme south east Montana for the last 6 years. I am pretty aware of the pitfalls,(snakes, cactus, porcupines, and lack of services.) I am Looking forward to trying new ground and hopefully finding a few birds. The area I usually go has had some extreme weather situations in the last few years, so I decided to move a bit. It’s a couple hrs less of a drive and the terrain seems to be about the same. Hopefully I will find a few birds.
 
The SW part of ND and far NW part of ND is more short grass prairie. If you have pointing dogs, it is a great place to hunt because you usually see your dogs.

I have found a couple of MN counties that actually are mostly short grass and it is my go to area because I can constantly watch the dogs work.

Endless sea of tall blue grass ... yuk.
 
Looking on google earth, there is far more crop land in the section of North Dakota than there is where I go in Montana. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s out there.
 
HEY Let me know how you do around Elgin if you would. I have a mid november trip planned there. Any tips to make life easier would be appreciated Thanks
 
Huns were plentiful but all in private ground. Grouse are around if you put in the miles, saw pheasants but I wouldn’t call them overly plentiful. Grass lands south of Leith were really good for grouse.
 
Huns were plentiful but all in private ground. Grouse are around if you put in the miles, saw pheasants but I wouldn’t call them overly plentiful. Grass lands south of Leith were really good for grouse.

my experience in going at least once annually over the last 15 years, is I would see a covey a trip at most. That said I am hunting the most likely pheasant cover ,on both public, and private lands.. I think weather has been very hard on them over the last 3-5 years....
 
I saw 4 coveys when I was there. One had around 15 in it, 2 with 8 to 10, and one covey right around the landowners drive had at least 25 in it. The others we were able to get pointed, but the big covey we never go close to other than when driving in. That covey is still haunting me!!
 
If I go to N Dakota it would be partially before the 19th when plots open, how much would that hurt me. Is there other good public access. I wouldn’t even consider going to Kansas if the walking areas there weren’t open.
 
That was my first trip, I’m really not the best person to ask, but I would not go there without some private ground to hunt locked up in advance what o found out is people will
Let you hunt grouse and Huns, but a lot of pheasant ground seems to be already tied up. Leases etc.
 
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