Not sure about all the hype.

D

Dinger

New member
My wife and I went to Holyoke this last weekend...the 27th and 28th. We hunted most of the WIA northwest, northeast and southeast of Holyoke. Now, given...it was the Thanksgiving weekend and there were a lot of hunters. We never fired a shot. We did not have a dog. I grew up in central Nebraska and I am fairly knowledgeable about pheasant hunting. The thing that disturbed me was the lack of seeing birds in the morning and evening. Usually you can see birds flying from cover to feed or running along the road or something! We kicked up one hen in some wheat stubble. I figured the birds might be spooky so they would flush up ahead of you but we did not see anything! After all of the hype in the Denver post and talking to DOW officials...I thought we might get some shooting if not, possibly....a limit. Not so! Wonder if it's just me or is that area just overrated?
 
I agree.

I hunted that same area both this opening weekend and last year's opener. The birds numbers in that area are down. I also noticed more hunters this year on opener than last season and about a 30% reduction in the amount of WIA acres.

It sounds like the numbers are up in other areas, but the are around Holyoke was surely had more birds last year.
 
It was so nice, I watched the birds leaving the field i hunted first on sunday at 45 minutes before sunrise, they were running across the roadand into the winter wheat, there had to be 50 birds in the wheat, and there not coming back to cover until late....
 
I have been finding about 80% of the birds we are jumping in the wheat! ...though the ones we have bagged in that wheat have all been full of corn!:confused:

SO I have been thinking they are eating corn before, or at first light, and then moving into the taller wheat close by. ...We have yet to jump anything out of any type of heavy cover! topped & tall wheat stubble, and shorter CRP grass/weed mix has been the ticket.

Can't really say on the bird numbers, seems about the same to me.

Now I can agree that there seems to be way more hunters pounding the WIA areas than the last few years.:(
 
I went out with a group to some of the WIA (Not Holyoke)... and did find birds... not a ton, but enough to make it interesting.

As far as hype... I went and hunted the Kansas Walk-ins and actually felt pretty "unhyped" there... Lots of pastureland... HUGE CRP sections... Nothing at all like the the Colorado WIA.

I really think ours is pretty amazing... good varieties of cover types, sizes... I am betting that as the season wears on crowds will thin and (wily) birds will filter in and out of them. But considering what we would have without the WIA program... (OR if ours looked like Kansas')... I am pretty hyped on Colorado WIA...
 
Dinger said:
After all of the hype in the Denver post and talking to DOW officials...
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I work for a PR & Design firm and I can almost guarantee that the article that ran in the Denver Post was canned.

The DOW got a lot of flack in their handling of the WIA program. I am sure they hoped by putting a good buzz in the community that hunters would overlook the reduction of accessible acres, and I am sure many have.

Odds are we will never get those acres back. So, the only way to increase the numbers of birds in a heavily hunted area is to improve the habitat. I know this is the choir; but, if you enjoy chasing tails as much as I do please help to support Pheasant Forever.
 
Same old song and dance from me. The birds are here. But when u see the amount of traffic that happens on a wia. I wouldnt be there either. Knock on some doors read some platte maps and figure it out. The first few major weekends are out of the way so outsiders should be able to access some ground. Good luck!!!!
 
Where can you purchase platt maps? Is it from the county assessor? They will show the owner and boundaries of the properties?
 
Thanks for the replies!

Guys, I guess I will have to eat some Crow for now instead of Pheasant. It looks like I need to spend some time figuring out how to hunt pressured birds before I can say I am "fairly knowledgeable". I need to try and get out there during the week, knock on some doors and become more familiar with the area. You would think at 58 years old I wouldn't be so naive to think I could read an article in the Denver Post and expect to have the kind of hunting I had in Nebraska in the 60's. I am looking forward to the challenge...you know, walking a lot and trying to find birds is still better than being here at work:thumbsup:
 
Dinger said:
Guys, I guess I will have to eat some Crow for now instead of Pheasant. It looks like I need to spend some time figuring out how to hunt pressured birds before I can say I am "fairly knowledgeable". I need to try and get out there during the week, knock on some doors and become more familiar with the area. You would think at 58 years old I wouldn't be so naive to think I could read an article in the Denver Post and expect to have the kind of hunting I had in Nebraska in the 60's. I am looking forward to the challenge...you know, walking a lot and trying to find birds is still better than being here at work:thumbsup:
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Nebraska dont even have birds like they had in the 60s and 70s, I would hope that a good weather change will change what the birds are doing right now, as it is so nice they are out of the roost way before sun up, but if we get some good frosty mornings or maybe even some snow, They will change there habits and stay in the field alittle better..
 
There's no birds in Colorado, the WIA sucks, and the landowners are all assholes. I can't believe anyone would even consider hunting in this state!
 
Win21 - I agree! And I think I saw the last 12 phez in the state fly over the border to Kansas last weekend. It's all over for CO.
 
Another prime day being a local. This morning driving to where we needed to bale cornstalks. Enough birds for three or four guys to have a limit. We didnt have guns this morning. I think they will be in the truck in the morning. Anyways I really think birds know weekends cuz during the week especially this year I see way to many lurking around.. It was about a 35 mile drive via county road.
 
well winchester good luck with ur thoughts. Sorry to see you so disgruntled. Most landowners arnt like u portray but if thats ur stance than so be it.
 
I guess my post didn't come across as sarcastic as I meant it to! I am completly joking and mocking others who complain about our situation.

For the record: We've got more birds than I've seen since I can recall following my Dad down sloughs near Plateville 20 years ago. Our WIA program is a real treat and seems to be pretty solid compared to Nebraska's (I've never hunted pheasants in any other state besides NE) and nearly every landowner that I speak with is welcoming. I couldn't be more thankful! In fact, this year, for the first time, I've explored areas outside of my tried and true spots just for a change in scenery. I've got an awesome new GWP pup, a truck that runs good, a gun that shoots strait most of the time, and my freedom. The only thing I could ask for is some trackin' snow (and a new shotgun, of course)!
 
winchester21 said:
I guess my post didn't come across as sarcastic as I meant it to! I am completly joking and mocking others who complain about our situation.

For the record: We've got more birds than I've seen since I can recall following my Dad down sloughs near Plateville 20 years ago. Our WIA program is a real treat and seems to be pretty solid compared to Nebraska's (I've never hunted pheasants in any other state besides NE) and nearly every landowner that I speak with is welcoming. I couldn't be more thankful! In fact, this year, for the first time, I've explored areas outside of my tried and true spots just for a change in scenery. I've got an awesome new GWP pup, a truck that runs good, a gun that shoots strait most of the time, and my freedom. The only thing I could ask for is some trackin' snow (and a new shotgun, of course)!
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Dang and i thought we got rid of another hunter hunting Phez in Colorado....:cheers: :D:D
 
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