Opening weekend

Just a month away from opening weekend, and I am pumped; I hope these next 30 days go fast! I can’t wait to get out in the field. To think more about opening weekend and get the juices flowing, how would you answer each of these questions about the opener?

1. How many people in your group? Friends and/or family?
2. How many dogs, and what kind of dogs?
3. Region/area of the state you will be hunting?
4. Shotgun and pheasant load of choice?
5. Public land, private land, or a combination?
6. Your perfect weather forecast?
7. Adult beverage of choice when the hunt is over?
 
Just a month away from opening weekend, and I am pumped; I hope these next 30 days go fast! I can’t wait to get out in the field. To think more about opening weekend and get the juices flowing, how would you answer each of these questions about the opener?

1. How many people in your group? Friends and/or family?
2. How many dogs, and what kind of dogs?
3. Region/area of the state you will be hunting?
4. Shotgun and pheasant load of choice?
5. Public land, private land, or a combination?
6. Your perfect weather forecast?
7. Adult beverage of choice when the hunt is over?
1. 2, me and my son
2. 1 dog, Springer Spaniel 2yrs old
3. Probably just central MN
4. 12ga SX4 with no 4 steel
5. Public
6. 52 and cloudy
7. PBR, or any cold beer thats not Bud Light ;)
 
You bet! Great answers, Flushedup!

Here’s how I am answering:

1. Hunting with my son and most likely my dad
2. 1 dog - Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (2 yrs old)
3. God’s Country - SW Minnesota
4. 12 gauge with 5 shot Prairie Storm
5. Hunting all private land
6. Would love mostly cloudy, mid 50s, tiny breeze
7. Ice cold Busch Light when we’re done
 
1. How many people in your group? Friends and/or family? 1-3 depending on what everyone is doing. I’ll be out for sure.
2. How many dogs, and what kind of dogs? 1 lab per person
3. Region/area of the state you will be hunting? Eastern CO
4. Shotgun and pheasant load of choice? Beretta o/u with Fiocchi golden pheasant 5’s
5. Public land, private land, or a combination? Likely a combo
6. Your perfect weather forecast? Cloudy and 30’s
7. Adult beverage of choice when the hunt is over? Pass/it’s a long drive home
 
3-5 depending on who shows up
4-6 labs, again depending on who shows up
SW MN
Beretta A400 28ga - #5 Bismuth
Public Land
Cloudy lows in the 20's high's in the 30's
Some type of IPA or a Captain Coke
 
I either hunt alone,or with my cousin or nephew. I shoot a 1958 Browning sweet 16. 26 inch full.Lead 1-1/4 oz.4 shot. Have a older yellow lab, and possibly a black lab puppy. Temp 50 degree,cloudy,15 mph wind. I drive an old Ford pick up,4x4.I usually drink PBR,or Olympia. Jack Daniel's whiskey, rib eye steak. I don't wear orange unless required.
 
Hunting MN for the first time this year!

1. Solo trip.
2. 1 dog. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
3. SW MN
4. Benelli Montefeltro 20 - #5
5. Public
6. Cloudy low-mid 40s light breeze
7. Ice cold local lager
 
I yellow lab, 1 black lab.Northern tier. Browning A-5 1952. 30 inch full.1 1-4 oz. 4. Pbr, Belgium white, Johnny walker red label, Ford f250, just me.No orange, no grab ass.
 
1. Most likely solo
2. Fen (6 yr old) and Zizia (3 yr old) GSPs
3. South Central-ish
4. Franchi Affinity Semi-auto 20 Gauge. Steel 4s
5. Public land
6. For opener...I'd take 50 degrees, 7-8 mph wind, mostly cloudy. Enough moisture for the dog nose without soaking my boots.
7. Maybe a Crown peach and 7 if I'm feeling girly
 
Hypothetically (because I don't intend to go on opener)
1. Solo
2. 11.5 year old british yellow lab
3. East Central region
4. Benelli 12 gauge Monty
5. Private land
6. 40 degrees, minimal wind
7. Light beer
 
1. Meet up with a buddy and hunt 1 or 2 spots with him
2. 2 year old and 7 year old golden retrievers
3. South-Central-ish
4. browning 725 feather 12. 28" barrels
5. try and find an open spot on public
6. 40s and light breeze
7. Schells-drinking in a chair on the lakeshore while the dogs go swimming after the hunt. One of the reasons I love staying at the cabin and early season hunting. The dogs get a bath, and I don't have to do any of the work.
 
Love reading the replies here - thanks, everyone! Can’t wait for the opener and the rest of the pheasant season!
1: Going with my best friend
2: My 2 Goldens: Prophet and Greta. His: British Labs: Karma, Silvy, Ronin.
3: Central North Dakota
4; Remington 1100 mag engraved with burly walnut, Fiochi Golden pheasant 5 shot
5: Private ranch that a friend owns
6: clear skies to see the orange sunrise, sun at back, walking into a subtle cool breeze for the pups nose, frost in the morning and 50 at morning day
5: Woodford Reserve Double Oak
 
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Looking at the extended forecast, they are now saying 1.5”+ rain for Thursday, Friday and up to early morning on Saturday.
 
For my pheasant opener, which will begin next Thursday for 4 days:

1. How many people in your group: Four. Dad, uncle, cousin.
2. How many dogs, and what kind of dogs: Two dogs. Small Munsterlander and a Setter.
3. Region/area of the state you will be hunting: SW/WC
4. Shotgun and pheasant load of choice: Browning Sweet 16, Federal High Velocity 6 shot
5. Public land, private land, or a combination: All public
6. Your perfect weather forecast: 50 degrees, partly cloudy and a good breeze
7. Adult beverage of choice when the hunt is over: Either Labatts Blue or Moosehead. Bottled of course.
 
Hypothetically (because I don't intend to go on opener)
1. Solo
2. 11.5 year old british yellow lab
3. East Central region
4. Benelli 12 gauge Monty
5. Private land
6. 40 degrees, minimal wind
7. Light beer
My yellow just turned 10.Still hunts hard,but I don't like to hunt her but every 3 days.
 
Looking at the extended forecast, they are now saying 1.5”+ rain for Thursday, Friday and up to early morning on Saturday.
Saw that as well…where we hunt, it looks like it could be light showers most of the morning, but then just cloudy in the afternoon. Still a few days from Saturday, so we’ll see as it gets closer.
 
My yellow just turned 10.Still hunts hard,but I don't like to hunt her but every 3 days.
I've never pounded ground with my dog, ever. I don't walk for hours on end. That's not how I hunt. Mostly because the spots I hunt are small. I hit one spot and then hit another. That's how the landscape is here.

I started a thread earlier about when to retire a hunting dog and I got a lot of good responses. This is my first dog, so I really have no comparison yet. As long as she can jump in the truck and has the physical attributes required to do it, I'll take her. Just needs to be limited hunts and nothing over about 50 degrees. She over heats very quickly.

Rain is looking likely Thursday night, Friday, and into Saturday. 2-4 inches by the most recent forecast I just heard on the radio this morning.
 
My season starts with a week of put & take birds.
Myself and or grandsons, or my brother
2 dogs, usually 1 GWP and one setter
Southern Indiana
Probably Beretta 20 o/u Maybe my Ugartachea 28 sxs. Heavy load 6's
Public
An inch or so of rain the day before, 40 cloudy with a slight breeze
Cooers light ever since the Bud light fiasco.
 
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