Solo and dogless

B

BakkenRoosterMan

New member
It would appear that I will be hunting solo on opening weekend, which wouldn't be so bad except I don't have a dog. can any of you guys give me some advice on what I should look for to maximize my chances? What kind of habitat should I look for, hunting tactics, anything that will help me bag at least one bird by myself on opening day. western North Dakota has a lot of public land and conservation plots to choose from, so finding a place to hunt shouldn't be a big difficulty.


Thanks in advance!
 
avoid opener... get a dog... lock up some private land if u must hunt opener... all idots out opener hunt mid wk... go scout find some birds b4 opener... locate private un posted lands with birds u can hunt them in ND... wait till crops off fields... hunt edges grass cattails windbreaks near corn soy beans wheat oats sunflowers etc. get to ur spot early be 1st there early early on opener...

theres a start... ND kicked my butt last year i cant bring my self to go back did as good in MN last year ND was a real upset last year no comparison to SD more like MN
 
Last edited:
Alone and without a dog...challenging, but not impossible.

You might try ditches that are next to cut fields. Usually there are a few young birds that may hold for you, as you drive the ditch.

I would avoid large, public areas. If you are forced to hunt them, work the edges and walk slow.

You may find a group on this site that would enjoy your company. They may need an additional hunter...

Good Luck!
 
Just find cover that isn't very wide. like fence rows. So birds can run around on you. Earlier the better as birds will be dumber right away, which will help. I shoot a lot of birds every year in ND without a dog. its not that hard.

also I like to find small sleugh like areas --about an acre in size. just go to the middle and wait a bit. birds tend to panic.

also its way easier to get permission to hunt private land by yourself. ask the farmer if he wants to join you(u never know). Its way better than showing up with 8 guys asking for permission.
 
Hunt the edge or fenceline of good cover adjacent to croplands near sundown. You may even see some birds hopping the road or flying in thet you can attempt to flush.
 
U shoot 3 inch steel 2's or 3's. Make sure they are dead! I try to push them to areas were they have to flush like lakes or wetlands but field edges work too.
 
Weed patches, cattails, cover along crop field edges, and draws. There's a big public area called some ranch south of Martin (and walk-in too) that had hundreds of birds a couple of years ago. Better get out there early cuz I imagine the sports love that place on opening weekend.
 
Last edited:
Don't let the absence of a dog spoil your desire to hunt. I hunted over 20 years in southwest Kansas without dogs and have shot tons of pheasants. You should do well the first few weeks of season hunting in areas where there are an abundance of hunters. First get out early and try to catch pheasants moving to feed and on roads picking up grit. after that late morning hit small cover that you can shoot across or weedy ditches. Early season hunting pressure will scatter birds everywhere. Any cover could hold a bird. Just concentrate on what you can handle. Good luck have fun !!
 
i hunted pheasants for years with no dog also but bird numbers were at a high but in these days of slim pickings not having a good hunting dog is a major disadvantage trust me u see way more birds with a dog...

in ND u can blast birds at sunrise thats a major advantage if u have no dog watch wear birds roost & ambush in morning???? cant do that in MN/SD but mite work 4 a solo hunter???

remeber when ditch hunting in ND if lands posted cant hunt it
 
Hunt slowly, stop frequently (makes birds nervous), take good shots & mark birds down well.
 
Ditches next to cut/harvested fields is a good suggestion and smaller CRP areas too. Plan where you want to go and get there early. You might hear some roosters crowing giving you an idea where to head. Still, without a dog or some fellow hunters it will be harder. I hunted a lot solo with/without a dog...it's much more fun/productive with a pup, even just a pet.

Good luck and enjoy your opener!
 
I had to hunt solo for almost 8 years.
I hunt private buffer strips about 50 feet wide
here are a few things that make a big difference.
-Stop often, and sit still for minutes at a time. Birds will typically know your location based on the consistent sounds you make. when you take that away from them they will often flush. I'd say this accounts for 40% of my birds
-WEAVE BACK AND FORTH
-HUNT ON WINDLESS DAYS, IT HELPS A TON WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE BIRDS RUNNING VIA MOVING GRASS.
-SNOW IS YOUR FRIEND, birds tend to sit tight, leads to less runners = good for you.
 
wapsijim said:
Ditches next to cut/harvested fields is a good suggestion and smaller CRP areas too.
Click to expand...

I agree. I hunted solo for a few days in 2005. Ditches saved the day for me. Definitely manageable for one guy:).

Nick
 
ditches or fence lines with cut row crops adjacent, as someone said, you can only hunt ditches where land is not posted behind them....especially between 1-3 pm.
 
Mott North Dakota

You could buy our hunting cabin in Mott. It comes with a connection with best land on the Cannonball River!! Only $50.00/day. Our group has been going there for twenty years, but most of us are now too old to go. We shoot them over our pointing dogs from South Carolina!!
 
No birds in Nort Dakota??

Go to Mott and you will forget South Dakota. If you see 300 in one covey rise, which 3 do you shoot??? Plus, you can hunt all day. Most landowners charge $50/day and want hunters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top