Who is having a good year?

I had a pretty good year, I just enjoy getting out there, and getting exercise, and letting my dogs hunt. It is nice to get some birds and get some shooting, I don't really like getting skunked, but the older I get the more it happens, but that's okay. Yeah it's been a good season and South Dakota is still open and I think North Dakota is still open.
 
Got a grouse trip to Michigan in, son shot his first one. Got 2 trips to Sodak in, had a ball. Getting birds here at home. New dog working pretty good.
 
Just got back from new year’s hunt in SD -Jan 1,2,3. Drove thru the night Wed night and hunted public thurs and Saturday. Only encountered 6 roosters, and 30+ hens.

Scratched out a rooster on public on the first field Friday morning, and then hunted private with a local friend that afternoon. Ended up with five man limit in drainage ditches and a cattail lake bed on Friday afternoon before the sleet set in for the evening.
 
gps4 said:
Just got back from new year’s hunt in SD -Jan 1,2,3. Drove thru the night Wed night and hunted public thurs and Saturday. Only encountered 6 roosters, and 30+ hens.

Scratched out a rooster on public on the first field Friday morning, and then hunted private with a local friend that afternoon. Ended up with five man limit in drainage ditches and a cattail lake bed on Friday afternoon before the sleet set in for the evening.
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I'm going to have to try that ditch hunting, I've never tried that before I've done a little bit of it in Montana.
 
Had a great year! My 3 yo Brittany made great strides in the woods and prairies holding birds and backing, she isnt retrieving but will point cripples and pin them when im close.. My French brit pup had a phenomenal 1st year hunting. She is a solid pointer and backs naturally. She is retrieving and has done a great job finding cripples. She pointed, woodcock, grouse, pheasant and quail. Was able to hunt with good friends from both the forum other states.
 
Sunday was my 20th "hunt day" of the season. It's been a tremendous year, but was too warm for afternoon hunting many days.
I weighed my dog tonight....I thought she was a very fit 4 year old American Lab and weighed 62lbs at the beginning of the season. Tonight she weighed 58lbs. I'm more confident saying she's a very fit (and happy) lab.
 
Goosemaster said:
I had a pretty good year, I just enjoy getting out there, and getting exercise, and letting my dogs hunt. It is nice to get some birds and get some shooting, I don't really like getting skunked, but the older I get the more it happens, but that's okay. Yeah it's been a good season and South Dakota is still open and I think North Dakota is still open.
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My 3-year-old lab did some good retrieves this year, a few water retrieves, he is coming along well. My other dog is basically retired but I still take her with me.
 
We have had a very good year and Maggie is learning every trip out. The numbers weren't as good as we thought but we shot well this year and were able to shoot a few limits.
 

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Best pheasant numbers in IN/IL I have seen is at least 2 decades. Plus did a 5 day hunt in ND for the first time. Very good year, but did not get to duck hunt in WI due to scheduling conflict. But duck hunting at my place there was the worst it's been in decades. Too warm!
 
AtTheMurph said:
But duck hunting at my place there was the worst it's been in decades. Too warm!
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Waterfowl hunting has been in decline here in MN for a decade. I used to be an avid waterfowl hunter myself for about 20 years. The birds just aren't there anymore, and the migratory pattern has shifted west. Plus add in constant drought and warmer falls, well, you get the point.

It's kind of too bad, I enjoyed it while it was good.
 
I was telling someone this hasn't been a good season as hadn't been going out much as too warm and very little snow. When I did go out and got to hunt with my son a couple different times at Thanksgiving and again before xmas we did always get birds.

That was a week ago Friday and that night we got 2"s of snow. Had great hunts Sat.Sun.Mon.Tues.Thur.Fri.Sat.and again today. Yesterday was 20 below windchill. Today zero was the windchill 19° to 15° with 25 to 35 mph wind.

Had some phenomenal hunts with my favorite setting of snow in trees and 8' willows. Lots of points and great retrieves.
Had 3 dogs in a 12' circle on point on 3 different birds. Got the lone rooster. Then 2 of the dogs went back on point and a hen came out at my feet and a rooster at my buddies feet. He missed twice which means he got badgered the rest of the day.
 
Weimdogman said:
I was telling someone this hasn't been a good season as hadn't been going out much as too warm and very little snow. When I did go out and got to hunt with my son a couple different times at Thanksgiving and again before xmas we did always get birds.

That was a week ago Friday and that night we got 2"s of snow. Had great hunts Sat.Sun.Mon.Tues.Thur.Fri.Sat.and again today. Yesterday was 20 below windchill. Today zero was the windchill 19° to 15° with 25 to 35 mph wind.

Had some phenomenal hunts with my favorite setting of snow in trees and 8' willows. Lots of points and great retrieves.
Had 3 dogs in a 12' circle on point on 3 different birds. Got the lone rooster. Then 2 of the dogs went back on point and a hen came out at my feet and a rooster at my buddies feet. He missed twice which means he got badgered the rest of the day.
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That sounds quite chilly! Don't mind the temp but the wind is what gets me.
 
Just barely above zero today with a 5 to 10 mph wind. The "badgered" buddy and his 2 dogs and my 2 dogs scratched out another 6 birds in less then 2 hours. He was so proud that he didn't miss today .😉

My Reba made a excellent retrieve on a cripple. It isn't so easy to trail a bird when the ground is full of scent from other birds. Saw a hen today that was about the size of a pigeon. Seemed like it was full grown as it didn't appear like juvenile birds do.
 
I can say this was one of my best years in many. Had great dog development from my 3-year-old and my pups first fall of hunting I couldn't ask for a better start to her career. I was able to chase birds in Michigan, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska and South Carolina. Good split between pheasant & quail and grouse & woodcock. Also able to hunt with some very good friends in some of those states as well. 2026 has started off pretty well with my hunts in Nebraska and most recently in South Carolina, hoping the upcoming fall continues on what we started in 2025.
 
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