For those of you that keep journals like I do or just a ballpark number, how many roosters do you harvest a year? I've got 37 this year. My best year was two years ago with 59. My hunting buddies and I were wondering what's the most that you know of someone shooting in a year? We thought maybe a self-employed guy that has time on his hands who lives in North Central Kansas with good access to private land may harvest 100 or so in a season. Does this sound about right? Curious to know. Thanks, Bryan
Roosters Harvested???
- Thread starter KansasGsp
- Start date
benelli-banger
Well-known member
I am not in KS, but I hunt in SD, ND and MN, and was keeping a rough count until sometime in mid-Nov...at that time I was at about 80, and I made 4 trips after that. Each year I tell myself I will do this and then I don't...I hunt over 30 days a year, mostly on private land, mostly in groups of 4-8, and party hunting is legal. I hunt over 2 pretty decent labs, and it is a rare day when I don't shoot 5 birds. I did have a couple of days this season when I was only at 2 or 3 birds, but most were 4-6, and quite a few would have been 7-10. I suspect I ended this year around 135-150. The total birds bagged for the 8 trips I was on this year would have been around 700...some years it is closer to 800, some years closer to 600. It is usually around 100 birds per trip, having 7 guys on average and finishing with 15 birds per hunter (typically).
One day two seasons ago I was one of 3 posters, and while the other 5 guys where pushing a slough I shot 8 roosters in about 15 minutes and didn't lose a one...my labs were marking and retrieving different birds, not running out to the same downed bird, so that worked out pretty well.
The most memorable day I ever had was in 2001, late Dec. of that year, while shooting a 20 gauge with hevi-shot, I shot at 12 roosters that day, and knocked down every one of them...I did lose one bird, but I retrieved 11 of the 12. I couldn't miss that day! It was shocking.
The single most birds I have ever shot in one day was in '97...I shot at 25 birds, knocked down 18, and recovered 15. Again, absolutely on fire, couldn't hardly miss, and the group I was with were not hitting anything, so it was a match made in heaven. Again, those 3 days I reference are 3 days out of many hundreds and hundreds afield over the past 16 seasons. I hunt pheasants about 30 days a year in SD/ND/MN.
One day two seasons ago I was one of 3 posters, and while the other 5 guys where pushing a slough I shot 8 roosters in about 15 minutes and didn't lose a one...my labs were marking and retrieving different birds, not running out to the same downed bird, so that worked out pretty well.
The most memorable day I ever had was in 2001, late Dec. of that year, while shooting a 20 gauge with hevi-shot, I shot at 12 roosters that day, and knocked down every one of them...I did lose one bird, but I retrieved 11 of the 12. I couldn't miss that day! It was shocking.
The single most birds I have ever shot in one day was in '97...I shot at 25 birds, knocked down 18, and recovered 15. Again, absolutely on fire, couldn't hardly miss, and the group I was with were not hitting anything, so it was a match made in heaven. Again, those 3 days I reference are 3 days out of many hundreds and hundreds afield over the past 16 seasons. I hunt pheasants about 30 days a year in SD/ND/MN.
Toad
Active member
I start the season by taking good notes about the topography and cover in different areas, quail coveys moved, number of birds in a covey, number of pheasant hens/roosters, prairie chickens, etc. I will write down how many miles I walked, weather, etc.
By December, that all goes out the window... I might take the time to cross off WIHA tracts on my map if they are crappy and I don't want to make the mistake of going there again. I wish I had the drive to continue taking good notes and records, but once I give the hunting itch a REAL GOOD scratch, I kind of settle down and lose interest in taking notes...
That being said... it has been a pretty decent season for me. I have collected quite a few pheasant dinners, moved quite a few coveys of quail but not shot very many, and my first ever prairie chicken. I have walked many, many miles, and enjoyed passing the time. I gave my old dog a few more gray hairs on his muzzle and my young pup gave me a few gray hairs on my head.
I hunted with old friends, and some new ones and loved it all. I hope you all have enjoyed your bird seasons as much as I have, and wish you many more to come.
By December, that all goes out the window... I might take the time to cross off WIHA tracts on my map if they are crappy and I don't want to make the mistake of going there again. I wish I had the drive to continue taking good notes and records, but once I give the hunting itch a REAL GOOD scratch, I kind of settle down and lose interest in taking notes...
That being said... it has been a pretty decent season for me. I have collected quite a few pheasant dinners, moved quite a few coveys of quail but not shot very many, and my first ever prairie chicken. I have walked many, many miles, and enjoyed passing the time. I gave my old dog a few more gray hairs on his muzzle and my young pup gave me a few gray hairs on my head.
I hunted with old friends, and some new ones and loved it all. I hope you all have enjoyed your bird seasons as much as I have, and wish you many more to come.
landman
New member
I've have some very good records going back about 12 years. Some of the stats are interesting. This year we took 256 birds from my six properties down from 265 last year. Since we limited every time out I would surmise the decline to the number of hunters rather than the number of birds. It's interesting how one property can be hot one year and not the next. I just started taking inventory of my shells each season and see that I shot 202 times this year, mostly at pheasants except for an occasional raccoon or pasture lion. I don't keep track of how many birds I shoot personally but most of the 256 roosters were shot by friends hunting with me.
LM
LM
HighTailSetters
Member
This yr. has been one of my best yrs. yet..... I'm driving a little more but the hunting is better then S.D. by far. I'm able to shoot an extra 747 and when finished ,I can hunt one of the best birds around The Bobwhite.:thumbsup:
kansasbrittany
Banned
Populations were great this year in KS! Hunting conditions were poor in the early season, but after the crops were out and the temps dropped I've had some great hunts! Just didn't make it out as many times this year as usual. So far, I've seen about 70 roosters hit the ground this year and nearly 30 of them by my gun. My PB in terms of roosters harvested in 1 day took place 2 years ago in a wheat stubble strip. I'd harvested 3 birds in the morning and picked up another 9 in a half-mile wheat strip to finish the group's limit. Good thing we were keeping count of our birds because the game warden was waiting to count them when we got back to the truck (he then came back to the farmer and got permission to hunt the field the very next week). I've only shot 5 or 6 quail this yearwhich is much lower than normal, but I haven't really spent much time pursuing them specifically. I have at leaset one more pheasant (hunting near Scott City) hunt and one more quail hunt (S of Hartford tomorrow) scheduled for the season. I hope you all enjoyed the season!! Pray for decent spring and summer weather!!
which is much lower than normal, but I haven't really spent much time pursuing them specifically. I have at leaset one more pheasant (hunting near Scott City) hunt and one more quail hunt (S of Hartford tomorrow) scheduled for the season. I hope you all enjoyed the season!! Pray for decent spring and summer weather!!
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Man oh man - you guys live in pheasant heaven!!!! If I could SEE a TENTHo of the rooster that you guys SHOOT I'd die a happy man! lol! Here in Nova Scotia we don't have that kind of bird density - each and every one I harvest is a trophy! I got my first pheasant two years ago (1 rooster in 9 days of hunting, shot at three total), nine last year (hunted 18 days, shot at 17) and only four this year (hunted 16 days, shot at nine). This year I lost my first bird - dropped it on the far side of a pond and as the dog got close it jumped up on shore (too close to the dog for a kill shot) and ran into the woods. She got in there and put up a bunch of hens, so there was scent everywhere making it hard for her. I walked around and we went into those alders, the nastiest I've EVER been in. Spend a half-hour but no luck. Felt pretty bad about that. Later I realized that I'd gotten some shells mixed up in my vest and popped in a #8 grouse load in
UGUIDE
Active member
It ain't always about the birds
I got this feedback from group hunting one of our camps. It was similar to other groups feedback too. Problem was because there were so many birds they did not get to hunt their dogs as much as they would like so it was a negative. That was a new revelation for me and supports the diversity I read here about what various hunters value about their experience.
"First and foremost i would like to tell you that I honestly didnt know those kind of bird numbers existed anywhere in the country. The owners land and how he manages it is sure to explain bird numbers in the thousands in every milo strip we hunted. I mean flushes that would actually turn the sky dark with birds, something you would not even see on the television. "
So who would have thought that too many birds can be a problem?
I got this feedback from group hunting one of our camps. It was similar to other groups feedback too. Problem was because there were so many birds they did not get to hunt their dogs as much as they would like so it was a negative. That was a new revelation for me and supports the diversity I read here about what various hunters value about their experience.
"First and foremost i would like to tell you that I honestly didnt know those kind of bird numbers existed anywhere in the country. The owners land and how he manages it is sure to explain bird numbers in the thousands in every milo strip we hunted. I mean flushes that would actually turn the sky dark with birds, something you would not even see on the television. "
So who would have thought that too many birds can be a problem?
Bilbo Baggins
Member
Chris, at least it is a GOOD problem.
moellermd
Super Moderator
Web guy you should move this thread to the general area. It seems to be popular.
This year was the first year I kept a journal. I hunted 41 days and shot 111 birds. It was a really good year. I hunt an area in SD which has one of the lowest bird # in the state. GFP also said birds numbers were down 20% in my area. Getting a limit was far from guaranteed. I hunt with 3 other guys mainly and there were a few times we shot a limit. That was the exception not the norm. I kind of like that I have to hunt all day to get my birds. I do not think I will have another year like this one in a long time. I will say it is not about the numbers but the experience. What i enjoyed most this year was the number of times I got to go out.
This year was the first year I kept a journal. I hunted 41 days and shot 111 birds. It was a really good year. I hunt an area in SD which has one of the lowest bird # in the state. GFP also said birds numbers were down 20% in my area. Getting a limit was far from guaranteed. I hunt with 3 other guys mainly and there were a few times we shot a limit. That was the exception not the norm. I kind of like that I have to hunt all day to get my birds. I do not think I will have another year like this one in a long time. I will say it is not about the numbers but the experience. What i enjoyed most this year was the number of times I got to go out.
Somewhere between the range of 30-40 for me.
- 2 out of state SD licenses
- MN in state license
- Hunted some SD preserve as well
2009 isn't over. I'll be doing some preserve in SD in Feb & March, then heading down to Missouri for some snow goose hunting. Chad (aka kansasbrittany) is going to join up with me. Should be a good time.
- 2 out of state SD licenses
- MN in state license
- Hunted some SD preserve as well
2009 isn't over. I'll be doing some preserve in SD in Feb & March, then heading down to Missouri for some snow goose hunting. Chad (aka kansasbrittany) is going to join up with me. Should be a good time.
rwigg
New member
Well not my best year, harvested 18 here in Mich. Had to work hard for them, but that's what it's all about. Had alot of days with not seeing anything but my dogs a--! lol But had some good days also! Starting plans for next year and will have to travel farther but hoping it will be better!:cheers:
pheasantaddict
New member
FCSpringer brings up the best point that none of the birds were wasted! For some people shooting one bird for the season is enough and for others 180 is enough. It just depends how much pheasant you like to eat. I go hunting many days each week of the season to work the dogs and rotate them. There are manys days when I stop at one or two birds and unload the gun and keep walking. You should only take what you can eat.
UGUIDE
Active member
I haven't ever kept track personally but this year if all the 2008 UGUIDE hunters got limits they would have harvested about 3500+ native wild ringnecks in SD. I didn't factor in a cripple/loss % of about 25% to offset the groups that did not limit, to be conservative.
It trips my trigger to see what the land can produce. Harvest is measure of hatch and hatch of habitat. My farm is around 400-600 birds this year and I think we had a bad hatch so probably on the low end of that range. I want to see what that # can be by installing top notch habitat in place of marginal production acres for crops. I could see attaining a 1000 native bird harvest off a 700 acre farm if managed effectively.
It trips my trigger to see what the land can produce. Harvest is measure of hatch and hatch of habitat. My farm is around 400-600 birds this year and I think we had a bad hatch so probably on the low end of that range. I want to see what that # can be by installing top notch habitat in place of marginal production acres for crops. I could see attaining a 1000 native bird harvest off a 700 acre farm if managed effectively.
mnmthunting
Banned
I have killed many a rooster. Why keep track? Once a rooster is dead the fun is over. Like! why hurry to kill the limit why pile up dead birds?what is it you don't like about hunting? I like walking, working the dogs and finally when we're all tired out take the limit bird and a Lot of adventure home with me. What's the deal about who kills the most?
I have killed many a rooster. Why keep track? Once a rooster is dead the fun is over. Like! why hurry to kill the limit why pile up dead birds?what is it you don't like about hunting? I like walking, working the dogs and finally when we're all tired out take the limit bird and a Lot of adventure home with me. What's the deal about who kills the most?
That's like asking why they keep score at a baseball game. That the game should be played for fun and it shouldn't matter who wins or loses. I too enjoy watching bird dogs work, but I also like to put birds in the bag. I love walking behind bird dogs pheasant hunting, not just walking! The question wasn't meant to turn into a pissing match and it's not a big deal about who kills the most.