Opening day

Northwest Iowa

Hello Madison County,

My son and I will be in Northwest Iowa on private land of family friends. The news isn't good but is better than the central portion where I live. I finished 400 acres on Sunday evening and never saw a bird.

I believe crops in the field will be a problem for us all. Rain mid-week really slowed us down this year.
 
heading out west kinda. Hope Kbells report is a little off. But knowing him, it is spot on. What the heck, gotta go anyways.
Will be fun to watch the dogs. If it is no good, we have a plan B.
 
im 25 miles southeast of des moines and im thinking about hanging around here, the big peice of public land right bye my house is well managed and has good cover along with good winter refuge, ive seen at least 3 different broods this past july-aguest. we usualy go up around the jefferson area but with the poor forcast im not willing to spend the extra money in gas. im working on some private ground right now just gotta get ahold of the owner, but we are sure gonna hunt like there are a million birds to be shot and cant wait to get my 1 year old weimerianer on the ground on some wild birds.....hopefully.:thumbsup: you guys post back sunday evening i would like to know how ya did. good luck!!!!
 
opening day

My son, grandson and I will be in eastern Iowa on the family farm. Don't know how we'll do, but I know there are some birds in there somewhere... Good luck everyone and be safe!
 
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Where's Nate?

Has anyone heard from Nate this fall? I am wondering where he and Gunner are headed?:p
 
I was wondering the same thing about Nate? I have note seen anything on here or elsewhere from him. Hope he and Gunner have been too busy scouting and training.

I will not be out for the opener. Too crazy out there for me unless you have private ground, which I dont for the opener. I will be out there though probably in mid November. Everyone give a report if you get a chance on how the opening weekend goes for you.
 
Hello

Good to hear from you IA at Heart!

Don't fret--you won't be missing much. 70% of corn still in the fields along with 30% of the beans. I hope Nate is doing well? I have not seen a post of his in a long time.
 
Kbell, good to see you too! That time of year again brings us all back. Yea, I prefer to hunt later in the season anyway. My favorite is with a nice couple of inches of snow on the ground. In due time....

I will drop Nate an email this week and check in. I am sure all is well.
 
Heading S E to hit private and public. Getting descent report from deer hunters hearing birds but say cover is too thick for pointers...let alone swinging a gun. All we can do is try. Have another neighbor gracious enough to "put my puppy on birds in short cover". Good luck to all
 
Thank you

Thank you jsdriggs,:)

We Iowans will all need your support this coming weekend. Low numbers and lots of crops still in the fields.

Still, I can't stay home. Too many years and memories to rekindle to not get our there and give it a go!

Maybe I am a hopeless romantic!:) I never want to face a fall without my roosters and friends in the fields.:thumbsup:
 
For the last 6 years, Ive spent my Iowa opening day in.. South Dakota. (havent bought a Iowa license in 5).. This year will find me at home, with too much work on the plate to go west...but not enough work that I cant hunt a little locally.. Took a short drive around my neighborhood looking to see whats out there. Seen 7 roosters in 10 miles of travel, within 2 miles of my house. Stopped in and talked to a farmer friend who was finishing up a 160a corn field as to what he was seeing for birds in the corn. Hes half done, and said not many..and even less deer than usual.. but I was welcome to hunt where ever I wanted on his ground. Personally, I think its gong to be a decent opener and plan to at least make a couple hours hunt in the morning. Then Ive got to un insulate the attic in my 1928 farm house, which Im not looking forward to.. unless I get it done this afternoon, then Im heading wet tonight..:D
 
awwww the eve is upon us,,,, im getting real anxious got everything all loaded up im ready to roll. i didnt get to hunt last year other than opening day. so this year even with a horrible forcast im gonna hunt like like we have birds. well hope everybody has fun tomorow and have some luck also, and stay safe.!!!!!!!:cheers::thumbsup:
 
Sitting on a 670 acre section of stateland 15 minutes before opener and only 4 cars have drove by and all had other ideas about where they were going. Go figure. It opens today, right? Lol
 
reddog said:
Sitting on a 670 acre section of stateland 15 minutes before opener and only 4 cars have drove by and all had other ideas about where they were going. Go figure. It opens today, right? Lol
Click to expand...

wow, if you have the first run, you should shoot a couple. have fun.
 
Didnt have much time to hunt this morning. Quit at 930. 1/2 mile in was our first bird contact. Young dog pointed on top of a hill. By the time I got close, she relocated to just over the hill and the old dog stepped in to back. Walked up and two roosters jump up at the same time, and rocket out of there at warp speed. It seems that when my mental vision of them is at warp speed, Im kind of screwed and this morning was no less. A complete whiff on my part... Fast forward another 1/4 mile, down in a heavy water way, the olds dogs working close, and the youngsters no where in sight, but I had just seen her a few seconds before, so I know shes in range. About 35 yards out, a group of pheasants (7 roosters and 3 hens) break out of the cover like a quail covey rise, scattering every direction.. I dont know if Breez busted them, or what. I couldve shot at one bird that came back, but didnt. I like things my way, and dont really care of I shoot anything anyway. Within 20 yards, the old dog locks up down in the heavy grass, but.. I can see her. I move in. probably 5 yards in front of her, and she relocates the direction of her nose/face, so I move that way. I hear wing beats against the grass, long before I see red/purple blue (you know the gig) This big mature bird takes off to the west, and my world goes into slow motion, which historically, does not bode well for wily rooster. Top bbl of the Beretta, is on the bird when the gun hits my shoulder, and away goes a 7/8 ounce of steel in slow motion to wrap itself around this beautiful bird and drag it to the ground. Young dog moves in and makes a perfect delivery to hand, and one rooster is in the bag.

8:42 my phone rings. I take a look and it is 519vx just getting out of the motel, heading to his South Dakota spot for today, anxious for the 10am opener that starts today..(says he slept in. lol) We talk for ten or twelve minutes, when I finally tell him its opening day, Im standing in the field with my dogs. He apologizes profusely for calling under those conditions. I reaffirm, its alright, I just don't care, and am enjoying the break:D

We go off in search of a couple of the jail break birds and about another 1/4 mile, Ellie locks up on top of a hill. I move briskly forward, keeping an eye out for Breez in the distance. By the time I get close to Ellie, Breez comes by just over the hill, upwind from the pointing Ellie, so I know the birds between there and Ellie. I walk up, and a hen jumps up and I'm glad it was a hen, because shes flying warp factor 12 into the wind, so I dont have to embarass myself.. again.

Ran into another solo hunter with a old Shorthair (that looked alot like my Breez)with cancer that was probably on her last hunt... according to him. He hadnt seen anything yet.. We chatted for ten minutes or so out in the middle of the section. I dug the fresh rooster out of my pouch, and let the old dog smell it.. A new dose of life was injected into the dog as long as it had its nose full of bird scent. As I'm typing this, Im thinking that that may have been that last dogs contact with a rooster on this earth and it brings a tear to my eye, right now.. We exchanged first names, and went on our own way.. A man and a dog from 6 hours away, that Id never met before, and a ten minute meeting on hallowed pheasant ground, and Im wiping tears away.. Wow..

That was my first sweep of 1/4 section, and I decided to mix things up a bit, and circle back around the quarter, looking in a different direction for the jailbreakers. Shortly after parting, I heard a couple shot from the direction I was heading. When I topped the hill, there was a group of 4 hunters working the east, so I made a big circle, hit the pond to give the dogs a drink, and headed back to the truck.

Back to the truck at 935 with one bird in the pouch, and enough bird contact to bring me back... after I get my work done this weekend..

Dogs are fed, watered and napping now.. Im envious..;)
 
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Iowa river corridor

At lunch with one in the bag and plenty of contact. I hunted this area a lot last year, but not on the opener. Not as many other hunters as I thought I'd see. Met and hunted with a couple guys who had an English pointer, beautiful dog. Him and my Brit met and that was it, they were both focused on the task. Didn't have to go far before the duo found our first rooster. A few points and a couple circles and he finally got up. Only one other so far stuck around that long. Lot of young birds, and a lot of hens. Will report back on the afternoon stroll.
 
opening day, far eastern Iowa

We did OK at the home place, My son and I and two grandkids. It was more of a walk than a hunt, but we each got one. Saw more than I expected. No dog this year so it was mostly luck. We did share the field (60 acres) with two neighbors with a setter, everyone left happy happy!

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