WI Opener

T

Tilkut

Member
Always try to avoid crowds opening weekends. But it's fun to get out to get some excercise. So I drove to some public ground yesterday, ariving about 1/2 hour before opener. Parked in an area away from the general parking lot, and was pleased that nobody was to close by. Started off at 9:00 with the idea to work down one side of the piece, and then back up. About 15 minutes into my hunt I realized there was a guy that must have come in after I left hunting right behind me. Not a good feeling wondering where that guy is going to shoot when a bird gets up. So I angled to the right trying to get out of his way. It appeared at one point he saw me, and headed off to my left. Getting towards the end of the field I could here a dog beeper working down the far edge in my direction. With grass over my head, it was almost impossible to see who was following the dog. So I decided to loop around and head back the way I had come. After just a few minutes, another dog beeper in front of me. And then a series of 6 shots left me ducking in the grass. Turns out I think the same guy had worked back behind me. That was enough to for me. I will stick with weekdays and early mornings.

I don't want to dictate where others can hunt. But I wonder what the guys plan was when he Parked near my car and waded into a sea of grass 6 feet tall. How would he ever know who was out there? How many of us were there? What direction we were traveling? With no clue to all those questions, how would you know where it would be safe to shoot? Or didn't it matter?
 
It's always a good idea to avoid openers on public land, though I have to give you credit or giving it a go:D
 
I think it's 1300. I do admit I was going to hike to the end of the dike road, just to get away from the crowd. But when I got there and there was nobody on the edge piece up top, I figured that would work out for a quick down and back. Even when I started, I was nervous, because of the tall grass and expected crowd. Very conscious of which way a bird might flush, and where I would not be comfortable shooting. And that's when I could assume there was nobody else in front of me. I would never park in the same area as someone else, and just stroll out and start blasting without knowing where the people were that parked there first. It must have been Dick Cheney. FYI, he had Illinois plates.
 
I think it's 1300. I do admit I was going to hike to the end of the dike road, just to get away from the crowd. But when I got there and there was nobody on the edge piece up top, I figured that would work out for a quick down and back. Even when I started, I was nervous, because of the tall grass and expected crowd. Very conscious of which way a bird might flush, and where I would not be comfortable shooting. And that's when I could assume there was nobody else in front of me. I would never park in the same area as someone else, and just stroll out and start blasting without knowing where the people were that parked there first. It must have been Dick Cheney.
 
When I lived there, I had a piece of Pheasants Forever land in the Kettles about 3 miles from my house so we used to use it to tune up the dogs for the trip to SD. It's hilarious and scary what some guys will do for a pheasant you have kick to get to fly.
 
Once again, I passed the opening weekend. It helped that it was drizzling Saturday and warm and sunny on Sunday, which I guess means I won't hunt opener on public come rain or shine. :)

Mick and I did walk the crik in search of waterfowl, but the current renter planted the bordering fields to the brink of the slope to the water and the birds that were there flushed far ahead. Mick liked swimming, so it was a good thing.

The puppy will be worked harder this year, and I've started leaning on her more consistently to act mature. She's 2.5 yrs now, and I know it takes GWPs a while to grow up, but I am not sharing her joy of life these days as much as I had. :)
 
Growing up in Burlington I was blessed to have relatives and friends on farms with good habitat, so we didn't have to hunt public. The two times I remember hunting public we got pelted with shot.

Since moving north in '77 I hunt grouse and woodcock on public lands. Very seldom run into a situation like that described in the beginning of this thread.

I took a couple limits on woodcock again this weekend. Grouse numbers are down. I had only one grouse flush on the weekend. But woodcock are fun to hunt with a good pointing dog.

Iowa opens in 2 weeks and I can't wait for the annual trip west.
 
Its hard to sit out the opener but I hear the same thing year after year.. plus there's a 1 rooster limit on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Ranger Rick, what areas do you go to in Iowa? My kids in school there, and my in laws are from NE corner. Thinking of trying it late season.
 
Tilkut said:
Ranger Rick, what areas do you go to in Iowa? My kids in school there, and my in laws are from NE corner. Thinking of trying it late season.
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We're in NC part of the state, not far from Ft. Dodge. We hunt farms owned by my buddys' father in law and he's got some quality habitat to hunt. I've also hunted some on public land after the opening weekend blitzkrieg. There are birds on public, but you have to work for them.
 
My opener was on the fourth day of the season, avoiding the first day folks.

Took the puppy, Tinker, out to the State Park on what was a day so warm I was in a T-shirt and a vest and still perspiring. Tink has only been with me since she was a year old, and untrained and with the bounce of a Jack Russell Terrier. Today, she was working slower in the heat.

But she did fairly well last year and today, worked five birds, three of which were 200 yards away when they decided they wanted the shade of the woods on the property. I took her over there and found some of the worst combination of multiflora rose and some barbed seeds on a fine vine which cling to every bit of clothing they encounter. Those bird vanished.

She also worked slowly. My GWPs have not enjoyed hot weather, which is not often a problem in Wisconsin. However today was in the low 70's; both of us were trying to conserve our strength.

Tink pointed three birds which I flushed; one cheated and flushed about 10 yards in front of me, as I looked for it to go up 25 yards or more away. I hesitated so I didn't mangle it (12 ga single Winchester with Mod choke,) and expertly shot underneath it.:eek:

The next two went up away and went down. She found and retrieved smoothly. I think she's got the program down, if not polished.

But my legs were limp after 2.5 hours of walking and going through that tangle patch. I don't know how much longer I can do this stuff. With the doubts I had going out, it turned out to be a good day for the pup and my two connecting shots made me feel like I still had some small skills.
 
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Kismet said:
But my legs were limp after 2.5 hours of walking and going through that tangle patch. I don't know how much longer I can do this stuff.
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Ah. Come on Bill. Just find a younger hunting buddy and have him push the thick stuff for you.:D
 
1Pheas4?

It's the younger hunting buddy that's getting me out there! She's 2.5 and really smoothing out.





I'm quite pleased that she is all business under the gun. I'm pushing myself to spend time afield so that she can learn all the things I couldn't expose her to in the house or the yard. There's a fair amount of trailing I couldn't imitate at home.

I got lucky.:thumbsup:
 
In response to one of your original questions, any responsible, ethical and decent hunter will honor another hunters lead. When a car is parked in a field lot you dont start hunting there. Same as if they were parked at the end of a 2-track in Grouse country. Those that jump right in without caring or knowing where the other hunter is are D-bags. Unfortunately there are way too many of those types out there so keep an eye out.
 
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MinnHunter said:
In response to one of your original questions, any responsible, ethical and decent hunter will honor another hunters lead. When a car is parked in a field lot you dont start hunting there. Same as if they were parked at the end of a 2-track in Grouse country. Those that jump right in without caring or knowing where the other hunter is are D-bags. Unfortunately there are way too many of those types out there so keep an eye out.
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Now, don't start beating the etiquette drum. It was established by all the "experts" (perhaps you would consider them D-bags) on the " I shot a Hen" thread that etiquette is yesterday's news and anything goes.
 
Kismet,

Your dog is beautiful. I have begun thinking about getting a pointer again. I have access to many farms around me that have quail and I won't hunt them with a flusher or a retriever or whatever it is I have. Yours sure looks like a keeper.
 
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