Pheasant hunting north west Wisconsin

[Caleb Frank]

Hi, my dad and I were out pheasant hunting in north west Wisconsin on Saturday for 5 hours and only saw one hen. We hunted our best spots and had seen many pheasants this spring turkey hunting. Did anyone else see very low bird numbers? I know the bird numbers aren't great but last year we must of saw 8 and 4 of them were rosters. Did the few hail storms kill a bunch over the summer? Or did we just have bad luck? On Sunday we went to dunnville bottom and got our limit but the state stocks most of those birds.

 

[Jleclair]

Hi, my dad and I were out pheasant hunting in north west Wisconsin on Saturday for 5 hours and only saw one hen. We hunted our best spots and had seen many pheasants this spring turkey hunting. Did anyone else see very low bird numbers? I know the bird numbers aren't great but last year we must of saw 8 and 4 of them were rosters. Did the few hail storms kill a bunch over the summer? Or did we just have bad luck? On Sunday we went to dunnville bottom and got our limit but the state stocks most of those birds.

I was out, didn’t see many birds either. Did get into three different broods that were very small, maybe grouse sized, no color yet. Didn’t see many people either, which was nice.

 

[SDinWI]

It all comes down to habitat at the end of the day. That’s why pheasants forever and local habitat work need support. Great pheasant ground can get you 10 birds in a walk, others not so much. The problem for the most part in WI is the lack of the quantity of the former.

Weather wise, the winter was particularly rough snow-wise, but the spring/summer were nothing of concern.

I got into 3 wild birds over the weekend. I’m sure a lot are tucked away in corn where they can stay all day still.

 

[grossklw]

Killed one young rooster yesterday and lung hit another that sailed a mile before piling up over a ridge into a slough that we never did turn up. Hunted hard and flushed 3 birds, last one may have been a rooster but couldn't tell until a profile from 80 yards away. I wasn't hunting the golden hour and it was mid-day hunting; happy with 3 birds flushed with mid-day hunting around home. Had 6-7 different trail-outs that led to the corn, in 3 weeks those may end up with pheasants in the bag. Talked to a buddy who hunted opener and flushed one big brood killing one young barely turned rooster.

Be patient, it's early and there are still a lot of crops up; the hunting will get better. Saw a few trucks yesterday AM and Sunday PM out hunting, I'm kind of hoping the crops stay up a little longer to save a few birds from the fair weather crowd that always hunts early.

 

[lubers]

Went out this morning with a friend, he missed the first two roosters that the dogs kicked up and was feeling dejected. About an half hour later the dogs flushed another one and he nailed it. While walking back to the truck the dogs flushed another one that he downed. He's all smiles again. We're on the South eastern part of the state.

 

[grossklw]

Hunting has really picked up in the last week, killed limits twice and had a couple days of 10+ hen flushes without roosters. Multiple young brood flushes and a few dumbies still sitting tight. Most of the pressure seems to have died off from people. I’m up to 8 on the year with 6 being in the last week.

 

[SDinWI]

Hunting has really picked up in the last week, killed limits twice and had a couple days of 10+ hen flushes without roosters. Multiple young brood flushes and a few dumbies still sitting tight. Most of the pressure seems to have died off from people. I’m up to 8 on the year with 6 being in the last week.

Well dang nice work! Nice looking golden too. Was this all on public land in NW WI? I must be going to the wrong spots.

I haven't been out too much recently but that's selfishly good to hear about the pressure. I think it will all be downhill from here on out, too, especially with deer on the forefront the next two weekends and December weather afterward.

 

[grossklw]

Yup- I haven't hunted any of my private land spots yet. Most of my permissions are for after rifle season.

I think there were some late broods, I killed one this week that had barely any color, if he didn't cackle I wouldn't have shot him. He had a buddy that I couldn't tell on as well.

 

[SDinWI]

Gotcha, thanks for the update! Keep them coming.

I went to some private and public on Saturday and saw 2 hens. Quite a bit of corn around the private still so that could be where they're at. We then went to an empty public spot with cut corn around that looked promising but didn't move a feather.