What's a crowd?

W

watermen

Member
Last post and answers got me to thinking. What is a crowd when hunting. Dove season opened the first here, I went before work to watch, I counted 14 guys in a 6 acre patch of mowed sunflowers. I knew two of them. If you knew what you were doing it was not terribly dangerous. I personally don't do it (too crowded). Hunted with PW on an invite Sunday night and had a great night shooting doves and Bull. Tip of the day, beware a guy who shows up to shoot doves with a little sxs 410 and 2 1/2 in. shells. He can make fun of your big cannon 28 and probably out shoot you. Anyway I move to the next parking spot or away from other hunters on public if I see them hunting. I figure 100 acres per party of two to four is plenty of room. About an hours worth of hunting, but I hunt slow for pheasants. If the other group blows through cover I'll hunt behind them from a different direction quietly. 100 acres or smaller plots with another group and I move on, it's public. I've hunted with a line of 20 in SD many times, got invited for the dogs I had. Too crowded and hectic to enjoy myself. but there is a challenge in handling the pandemonium and dogs. I enjoyed it at the time. What is too crowded for you to enjoy the hunt. In a practical sense it takes minimum 3-5 guys to efficiently hunt and block a typical piece of cover in my experience. If killing birds is the primary objective. IMHO. What is too crowded?
 
Depends on the parcel of property and size , as a matter of educate , I hold off hunting the walk in hunting tracts in our state if another group is on a tract 160 or smaller . Usually just go to the next one . Mainly hunt private the busiest times .
 
If we are "together", one other person dog combo. Although we sort of do our own thing in tandem. On public ground I dont like others about. Too many bad experiences. Usually go during the week, so crowds aren't a problem. I dont think id like the SD group hunt thing. It always amuses me to hear people screaming "rooster" at the top of their lungs. When i am out by myself with dog, i may not say anything for extended stretches. Loud screaming would be a little much.
 
I don't like hunting in a field if any other groups are in it regardless of size. I don't like not knowing where their dogs are or where they are shooting. I have had several bad experiences the last couple years with guys parking in the same lot as me after I am already hunting. More often than not I didn't know they were in the field until we ran into each other or I heard shots.

A couple times I have joined a groups or had a group join me and we hunted the field more as a group. I have enjoyed this approach and we have been successful.

All things being equal I like having things to myself. I enjoy hunting alone with my dog. It's probably the main reason I pheasant hunt and what I enjoy most.
 
I live in SD and have only three times in 20 years driven and blocked. I hunt by myself or with my dad or a friend. Have averaged 20 days a field since graduating college. So it's not all that style. Other options are available if you so desire.
 
I've only group hunted a few times, didn't really like it. It was too structured, and controlled, which it should be, but it wasn't for me.
 
Nobody!! Lol. I couldn't get away last year. This year I hope. It's just flat out great hunting. Nothing in the states compares.
 
I always enjoy hunting with my dog, by ourselves.I do hunt with one other guy at times, but we split up, get our own rooms usually, split the gas, we've know each other 40 years.I don't need to pay 3 grand, to stay in some lodge for 3 days, and drink martinis.The plsce I stay, is 90 bucks for a week, and it's a great motel.
 
I used to have this mid west guy yelling rooster all the time. I stopped hunting with that rube. No need to yell anything, at anytime, unless to let the other guy know where you are.
 
watermen said:
Last post and answers got me to thinking. What is a crowd when hunting. Dove season opened the first here, I went before work to watch, I counted 14 guys in a 6 acre patch of mowed sunflowers. I knew two of them. If you knew what you were doing it was not terribly dangerous. I personally don't do it (too crowded). Hunted with PW on an invite Sunday night and had a great night shooting doves and Bull. Tip of the day, beware a guy who shows up to shoot doves with a little sxs 410 and 2 1/2 in. shells. He can make fun of your big cannon 28 and probably out shoot you. Anyway I move to the next parking spot or away from other hunters on public if I see them hunting. I figure 100 acres per party of two to four is plenty of room. About an hours worth of hunting, but I hunt slow for pheasants. If the other group blows through cover I'll hunt behind them from a different direction quietly. 100 acres or smaller plots with another group and I move on, it's public. I've hunted with a line of 20 in SD many times, got invited for the dogs I had. Too crowded and hectic to enjoy myself. but there is a challenge in handling the pandemonium and dogs. I enjoyed it at the time. What is too crowded for you to enjoy the hunt. In a practical sense it takes minimum 3-5 guys to efficiently hunt and block a typical piece of cover in my experience. If killing birds is the primary objective. IMHO. What is too crowded?
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That little Brazilian 410 is pretty sweet huh!! I love that little gun. They made fun of me of north here too when I pulled it out. To answer your quote: I've done both, but if there are 4 shooters I usually dont carry a gun. I'm in it more and more for the dog work the older I get. How's that little dog doin? She miss me yet?
 
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