Thanksgiving Day report

R

Rooster Shooter

Member
After a giant meal of all the traditional Thanksgiving Day foods it was time for an afternoon of chasing ditch chickens. Could not get any of the in-laws to join me, so off I went with "Dazy" and myself. Would love to report that it was a great day with an easy limit, but that is not the case. Snow seemed extra loud yesterday and all the birds flushed early, oh, by the way I was in west central MN. on private land. Did get two bonuses that made the day complete!!

1.) Watched a giant whitetail buck that was more concerned with a hot doe than me in his space(140+ class). Really a treat to see such a regal animal up close, and not deer hunting.

2.) Flushed a small flock of Hungarian partridge, have not seen them in this area in years.

So no birds in the bag but still a great day of stretching the legs. :)
 
I heard a flock of huns in a posted CRP field when I was hunting in Western MN on Tuesday.

What is a ditch chicken ?
 
I know what the term meant. Do not like any derogatory slang nicknames for the pheasant.

Don't shoot them that way. Find it hard to believe people travel to SD to hunt birds in ditches. I digress.
 
Waterfowlers tend to use those names because the majority of the birds they shoot are in ditches ????
 
WOW, seems a little high and mighty to me. I would guess most of the folks on this website are blue collar hard working people who enjoy the opportunity to get out, experience nature and work hard at the local level for the pheasant. More than likely you guys talk a big show but do very little for the bird you claim to hold in such high regard!!! Have a good day, I'm going to go check food plots, deliver feeder barrels and spend my own personal money to fill them to make sure that this beautiful "ditch chicken" lives for our children to hunt in the future.:mad::mad:
 
Waterfowlers tend to use those names because the majority of the birds they shoot are in ditches ????
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Years ago before CRP, (I'm talking back in the 70's and 80's) ditches were some of if not the most productive ways to hunt Phez. Iowa in particular it was quite common to drop one guy off and the other guy would drive down a quarter mile or so and drop into the ditch and then work back toward the other fella. There weren't large tracts of CRP back then, in fact no CRP pre 1985 and Pheasants used the ditches for roosting. Harvested lots of Pheasants walking ditches in those days.

The word "ditch" it would seem just stuck. As for calling them chickens or Parrots, we'll.... it's just a metaphor, no harm meant for the almighty Rooster Pheasant. We all know he's king...
 
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High and mighty? Talk a big show? Claim to hold pheasant in high regard??

All you know about me is that I don't like the terms "ditch chicken" or "ditch parrot". When I hear them used it's generally by guys who consider pheasant inferior game birds. I've hunted pheasants along SD rights of way and roadsides as Birdshooter describes, and don't criticize anyone who does. I just don't like those derogatory terms.

Seems to me the guy who's all puffed up is the one making a display of his conservation credentials.

Jay
 
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Rooster Shooter,
Thanks for the report. Love to see a big buck out pheasant hunting and some Huns that is like finding a unicorn around here. I got out Thanksgiving and didn't even see a pheasant. I don't think I would have shot one if I did see one for fear of shooting the last rooster in Carver county. Did see a few tracks so I put up a corn feeder there yesterday. Did see a good flock of turkeys though so I will have something to chase in the spring.
 
gunflint charlie said:
High and mighty? Talk a big show? Claim to hold pheasant in high regard??

All you know about me is that I don't like the terms "ditch chicken" or "ditch parrot". When I hear them used it's generally by guys who consider pheasant inferior game birds. I've hunted pheasants along SD rights of way and roadsides as Birdshooter describes, and don't criticize anyone who does. I just don't like those derogatory terms.

Seems to me the guy who's all puffed up is the one making a display of his conservation credentials.

Jay
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Thanks. I could not have written it better myself. :cheers:
 
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