Pheasant hunt on black Friday

[goldenboy]

Went to SW Minnesota today to hunt some Minnesota birds. 5 guys 2 dogs hunted private premium land and only kicked up about 20-25 birds! Very few roosters. All the swamps and cattails were dry. No water anywhere. Can this have an effect on the bird count next year also? Don't pheasants need water everyday?

 

[mnjimmer]

Get used to it. The good old days of 2004-10 are over. I think we'll look back on those years and realize how good we had it. With the amount of cover I am seeing coming out we may never see numbers like that again.

 

[Tbear]

We got out today saw some birds but most of them were in the thickest cattails possible. Just did not want to walk that today. 2 of us managed 1 bird missed another. Saw about 20 birds total. Had a friend out in the same are yesterday he saw close to 50 birds. Tomorrow should be a better day the birds should be out enjoying the sun and lack of wind.

 

[Byrdoglvr]

Hey guys-I went and hunted Appleton up to Ortonville yesterday by myself. (long story) basically had four separate guys bail on me. I counted 17 hens and six roosters. Got my two but had another guy been there I doubt a limit would have been had. Same deal as Tbear said, they all came out of the heavy cattails. Planned to spend the night and hunt again today but the dogs were shot so I decided to come home and save my money for next weekend.

Tbear I raised 30 pheasants this year and was amazed as to how much water they went through every day.

Another note I was devastated to find that one of my favorite WMA's in Appleton which I would guess is 600 acres was opened to cattle. Not a blade of grass left, pot holes destroyed and full of hoof prints making walking difficult.

 

[FCSpringer]

Went to SW Minnesota today to hunt some Minnesota birds. 5 guys 2 dogs hunted private premium land and only kicked up about 20-25 birds! Very few roosters. All the swamps and cattails were dry. No water anywhere. Can this have an effect on the bird count next year also? Don't pheasants need water everyday?

I bet your birds are within eyes reach. Heard this a bunch this year. But, when the same areas , the same people went near water they found way more birds. Just sayin.

 

[FCSpringer]

Hey guys-I went and hunted Appleton up to Ortonville yesterday by myself. (long story) basically had four separate guys bail on me. I counted 17 hens and six roosters. Got my two but had another guy been there I doubt a limit would have been had. Same deal as Tbear said, they all came out of the heavy cattails. Planned to spend the night and hunt again today but the dogs were shot so I decided to come home and save my money for next weekend.

Tbear I raised 30 pheasants this year and was amazed as to how much water they went through every day.

Another note I was devastated to find that one of my favorite WMA's in Appleton which I would guess is 600 acres was opened to cattle. Not a blade of grass left, pot holes destroyed and full of hoof prints making walking difficult.

Nothing wrong with your limit. Sounds good to me. You cant say that because more boots and dogs may very well mean birds you missed put up as well. I will take those numbers each time I go and be dam happy about it. Tbear, that sounds great!

 

[Byrdoglvr]

Nothing wrong with your limit. Sounds good to me. You cant say that because more boots and dogs may very well mean birds you missed put up as well. I will take those numbers each time I go and be dam happy about it. Tbear, that sounds great!

True! But the cattails weren't very wide or too big and thick to walk. I was running three dogs the way it was. I'm not complaining just saying what happened and most of my friends leach onto me because they don't have dogs.

I saw very few hunters yesterday. Actually more muzzle load then bird hunters. I had zero trouble getting any spot I wanted. Love it when that happens.

Were running out of weekends in a hurry until seasons end. I'm a little nervous were going to have to start working Saturdays at work to boot.