Rate your past season

NDPheasant said:
It was by far the best season I have ever seen this year in my area of North Dakota. I have exceeded any and all expectations I had when I got my Ellie 6 years ago and Willow 2 years ago. I exceeded previous PRs in birds I have shot and birds shot with family and friends. The snow slowed down our hunting considerably and I would have typically harvested many more roosters the last two weeks of December. Nevertheless, I am thankful for the great season. I will not forget my friend hunts and value those relationships. It will be difficult to top the success of my wife and our nephew though. My wife had shot one pheasant over the past two years and actually shot her limit one day. My nephew shot over 30 roosters with me which is dumbfounding considering he is 12 years old. I will conclude by saying it was also fun to see covey after covey of huns every time out. I do not exaggerate when I speak of 10+ covey sightings over a short span where covey size numbered in double digits. I do agree with everything that A5 and Golden Hour have already elaborated on. These birds have a unique drive to survive and always find a way to do it. I am optimistic and believe that 2023-2024 will even be better.
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That nephew of yours needs to hang out with goose's. Maybe some of that natural abilaty will rub off :LOL:
 
Bringing a new pup into my line up and seeing her progress has been a highlight of the year. She did very well on grouse and started the learing curve on pheasant and quail. I was able to meet and guide a fellow forum birddude, unfortunately i couldnt put him one the birds like i wanted but made a great friend.

My older dogs continue to impress me. Bella my 8 yr old britt continues to shine in the fields and water. I have understand she is no longer a pup and have to work the younger dogs more.

My setter River, well she is next dog up and has proved her metal in woods and field.

I hoping next year will bring the same good fortune as 2022.
 
Drew said:
All good questions birdman2. I would like to invite a trusted member of this forum……who is deserving and can keep a secret to an eastern Oregon bird hunt with me this next fall. You won’t believe it until you experience it.
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Drew, I hope he enjoys the Quail trip as much as you do.
 
It was a weird season.I had to take it real easy with my dog because she had acl surgery aug.2. I didn't hunt until mid November. We got into some pheasant, but we stayed in the light cover. Lots of sharptails and a few huns. I'm just glad my dog is doing well in her recovery physical training. She will go out spring turkey, then sept.1 for grouse.
 
Citorri 16 are
Birdman2 said:
Drew, I suspect your gun does not fit you well. Also have you checked for your dominate eye? What chokes are you using for Quail?
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I hope that my response wasn’t taken incorrectly. I might shoot poorly and need a gun adjustment…….and then, perhaps it’s the habitat . It would be extremely fun and provide me a good perspective of my own shooting, if a hunter from a different type of habitat would participate in an eastern Oregon bird hunt.
 
Drew said:
Citorri 16 are

I hope that my response wasn’t taken incorrectly. I might shoot poorly and need a gun adjustment…….and then, perhaps it’s the habitat . It would be extremely fun and provide me a good perspective of my own shooting, if a hunter from a different type of habitat would participate in an eastern Oregon bird hunt.
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Careful what you wish for Drew. We might charter a bus!
 
I made an exchange with Citorri 16. I would accompany him on a sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge hunt and he will accompany me on a December eastern Oregon pheasant and quail hunt. Who knows, if this works out perhaps there are other folks who might want to swap experiences in future years.
 
gimruis said:
You use a dog to hunt turkeys? I didn't even realize that was legal, or a thing either.
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Occasionally I do bring my dog, but that's on the scouting hunts usually. One time my dog found a big gobbler for me that I made a bad shot on. She ran him down on the Judith hardwoods. I just have a real hard time leaving my dog in truck.Labs love to turkey hunt. If I'm going after a big gobbler, no I can't take dog.
 
While not the best year coming to NODak last fall we did well overall. Areas of the state we frequent had some drier condition, while others were better than normal. Cover was good and the farmers are almost all exceptionally nice. Good, or bad we’ll be back this fall.
 
gimruis said:
You use a dog to hunt turkeys? I didn't even realize that was legal, or a thing either.
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The practice of hunting turkeys with dogs is illegal in a lot of states. But has been popular in fall hunting in some states for years. There is even breeders that have created some that are very good at it. I read something about them a few years ago. If I remember correctly the bases of the breed was an English pointer that didn't point but would bark and flush the flock. Then they would put the dog in a camo sack and call the flock back together. Kinda sounds fun!! I can't remember where for sure, but it was in the Appalachian Mountains.
 
birddude said:
The practice of hunting turkeys with dogs is illegal in a lot of states. But has been popular in fall hunting in some states for years. There is even breeders that have created some that are very good at it. I read something about them a few years ago. If I remember correctly the bases of the breed was an English pointer that didn't point but would bark and flush the flock. Then they would put the dog in a camo sack and call the flock back together. Kinda sounds fun!! I can't remember where for sure, but it was in the Appalachian Mountains.
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Part of Boykins original breeding was for fall turkey hunting. Like you described. Would be pretty cool
 
My season was slightly below average. I mostly solo hunt with a lab.
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We had crunchy snow from Thanksgiving to the end of the season (Dec 31)
so I gave up trying to silently hunt roosters and switched to jump shooting spring creeks.
With crunchy snow came ice underneath wind blown snow.
Had many falls, broke the stock on my 1980s vintage citori
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Hunted every weekday and every once in a while got lucky despite that icy snow crunch.
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I had a pretty darn good season. The dogs and I made a few trips to MN before our IA and NE seasons started. They have some really well cared for public lands in MN. We will get back up there this fall, if my schedule allows. The highlights of my season were getting to hunt with my oldest son as he carried a gun for the first time, getting to hunt more with my recently retired father, hunting a LOT more than I ever have, and watching my youngest dog Cash experience his first hunting season. I shot much better this season than I did the season before (had nowhere to go but up!). I picked up an electric trap thrower after last season, and I put it to good use. I did not keep a journal this year, and I regret that. I got out 34 or 35 times the season before, and I know I hunted more this season than last.

Towards the end of the season, my Dad's oldest brother fell ill, and did not recover. Uncle Buss loved the outdoors, and was always willing to let me tag along. The loss of my Uncle, and the season coming to an end, put me in a funk that I am just now coming out of. I think this is the first time I've visited the board in several weeks. With the snow now gone and the temps more seasonable, Cash and I have been back to training hard. I'll be planting a couple food plots for the first time this spring, and I'm hoping to talk Dad into planting a shelter belt below his house. My oldest boy, Schafer, is finally old enough to join the trap team this year, so we are both looking forward to that. The pheasants in my little part of the world should have had a fairly easy go of it this winter. I have hopes for this coming year!

Schafer and Cash. Stars of the future!
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Uncle Buss and Grandpa Mark, probably taken late '80's/early '90's.
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My Dad, Schafer, and Cash. Schafer had just missed a bird, then watched his Grandpa, who was blocking, drop a pair of roosters.
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