Retrieving downed birds
- Thread starter Dcup
- Start date
pheasantaddict
New member
Have done about everything to get pheasants or retrieve birds. Buy a pair of waders, since you only hunt public, the waders will get you more roosters. I will be using mine on Wed. up north.
Uncle Buck
New member
My answer to everything----getta good dog!
Actually I had to go in after a dog once in weather just as cold as you mentioned. She had the bird in her mouth and would not let go so she could not climb up on the ice. The guy with me thought I was going to drown or freeze to death, but I knew the water depth was not much more than a foot. Amazing how fast you can move and walk on water. It was about 60 yards out as the bird slid a long ways after shot. I did not go thru until I got to the dog, grabbed her collor and quickly pulled her out. I flew back and tho the outside of regolar field boots were wet, my feet/socks were not.
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GROW MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Actually I had to go in after a dog once in weather just as cold as you mentioned. She had the bird in her mouth and would not let go so she could not climb up on the ice. The guy with me thought I was going to drown or freeze to death, but I knew the water depth was not much more than a foot. Amazing how fast you can move and walk on water. It was about 60 yards out as the bird slid a long ways after shot. I did not go thru until I got to the dog, grabbed her collor and quickly pulled her out. I flew back and tho the outside of regolar field boots were wet, my feet/socks were not.
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GROW MEDICAL MARIJUANA
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pheasantaddict
New member
Who was moving faster on the way back you or your dog?
Uncle Buck
New member
Don't remember, but the ice was strong enough once away from the spot were the dog went in. It was a shallow open slough with novegetation in the area. Just the last spot to freeze up in late Dec., warmer winter.
The dog was Muggs, a hairy little bitch that was soft on training and had bad blood sugar when hot. Had to hunt her where there was a lot of water to get into or late season. Fortunately the ground I had in the early to mid 90s had lots of water. She was a good retriever and tracker, lots of heart, but hardly the best dog I've ever owned.
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VAPORIZER MANUFACTURERS
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The reason I ask is because I was having deja vu while all of this was going on. I lost an 18 month old English pointer two years ago Christmas day doing almost the same thing as I did on Sunday. He ended up drowning right in front of my eyes on Christmas morning. It was painful, so I always tell myself what is worth sacrificing and what isnt before I head in after the bird.
pheasantaddict
New member
When I hunt cattails, I want the ice to consistantly support me and I weigh 200 lbs. I usually do not hunt around them when there is thin ice or pockets of open water. If you do just don't shoot at birds that fly that direction. Safety first.
You make it sound so easy, lol. It was my first chance at a Rooster this season, so I had to take it. Lucky for me I wasnt stupid enough to wade around in the water in field pants for an hour trying to find it...only a half hour
It seems I am getting a lot of birds up out of cattails recently. What is up with that? I have never seen so many birds in cattails in years past.
We all hate losing birds but if you go afield it is an inevitable fact of life. I don't know about you guys but I can't always control where a dying, dead, or wounded bird is going to land. My simple answer to your question is that if you are risking your life or a hunting partner's life, four-legged or otherwise, then quite honestly IMHO it just isn't worth it.
Cackleburs
New member
I need to warn every one about hunting cattails this year, or any year during late season. The ice around cattails is suspect no matter how cold it's gotten.
They are considered a bio/mass. Because of the decomposition that's occurring underwater as previous growth breaks down the gasses and the heat generated leave the surrounding ice honeycombed. This year is particularly dangerous because (A.) The ponds and sloughs froze with raised water levels because of the October rains. (B.) The early heavy snows covered weakened ice and insulated it from further freezing. Before Christmas I was hunting my favorite areas with several ponds w/cattails. I was wearing snow shoes. The first hunt lasted 20 minutes because as I walked across a frozen pond, I encountered a 3' drift at it's east edge. I attempted to cross it on my snow shoes and broke through to my knees. Now I am in 2' of water and cattails and 3' of snow... with snow shoes! I can't get my shoes up, so I fall forward and use my shotgun as a kayak paddle and get wet to my waist. It took me 25 minutes of extreme exertion to get my self free. Luckily I was only a 5 minute walk from a heated hunting shack. I had a second set of boots and socks, but had to strip to the waist to dry off pants and long under wear. Then not learning my lesson, I re-dressed and started my second outing and this time I was a mile away from the shack when I broke through a second time on a different pond. Why? Because I saw birds getting up on the other side of the cattails. I'm 56 years old and not in great shape. I felt as dumb as a 14 year old, and that walk back was one of the hardest endurance test I've been though. I feel for Dcup. I was lucky enough to save my 2nd Britt named Taz when she broke through on a moving creek and was pulled under the ice, and I ran ahead on snow shoes and purposely broke through and got her out as she drifted toward me, by throwing her and my gun up on the bank. Another long walk at -10. There's a fine line between stupidity and heroism... and I've failed every time.
They are considered a bio/mass. Because of the decomposition that's occurring underwater as previous growth breaks down the gasses and the heat generated leave the surrounding ice honeycombed. This year is particularly dangerous because (A.) The ponds and sloughs froze with raised water levels because of the October rains. (B.) The early heavy snows covered weakened ice and insulated it from further freezing. Before Christmas I was hunting my favorite areas with several ponds w/cattails. I was wearing snow shoes. The first hunt lasted 20 minutes because as I walked across a frozen pond, I encountered a 3' drift at it's east edge. I attempted to cross it on my snow shoes and broke through to my knees. Now I am in 2' of water and cattails and 3' of snow... with snow shoes! I can't get my shoes up, so I fall forward and use my shotgun as a kayak paddle and get wet to my waist. It took me 25 minutes of extreme exertion to get my self free. Luckily I was only a 5 minute walk from a heated hunting shack. I had a second set of boots and socks, but had to strip to the waist to dry off pants and long under wear. Then not learning my lesson, I re-dressed and started my second outing and this time I was a mile away from the shack when I broke through a second time on a different pond. Why? Because I saw birds getting up on the other side of the cattails. I'm 56 years old and not in great shape. I felt as dumb as a 14 year old, and that walk back was one of the hardest endurance test I've been though. I feel for Dcup. I was lucky enough to save my 2nd Britt named Taz when she broke through on a moving creek and was pulled under the ice, and I ran ahead on snow shoes and purposely broke through and got her out as she drifted toward me, by throwing her and my gun up on the bank. Another long walk at -10. There's a fine line between stupidity and heroism... and I've failed every time.
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You are absolutely right concerning the high water levels in the cattail sloughs this year. I have read somewhere that cattails will not grow or be able to sustain life and growth in water that is consistently deeper than 3 feet. I follow this rule of thought because it makes me realize what i might be in for if I fell in off the inside water edge of the tails (water at least 3 ft deep or deeper. When we have very wet years there can be much higher water depths in the tails themselves because the high water line hasn't yet killed the tails where the water is now deeper.
I don't know if any of that makes sense but in a nutshell I am just confirming your insight on the extreme dangers of hunting the cattails this year. I have my best success hunting them in years when it has been more dry than wet as the ice always seems to be stronger in drier years.
Be safe everyone!!
I don't know if any of that makes sense but in a nutshell I am just confirming your insight on the extreme dangers of hunting the cattails this year. I have my best success hunting them in years when it has been more dry than wet as the ice always seems to be stronger in drier years.
Be safe everyone!!