Wind!!!!!

B

benelli-banger

Well-known member
Arrived yesterday in time to hunt a bit over an hour, got one shot at a rooster and got him luckily. Today I knocked down 4 of 6 that I shot at, recovered 3. Birds holed up in heavy cover, nothing out and about moving, feeding, etc, that I saw, until about 3:30 as I drove around scouting. #5 lead out of a 16 gauge S x S choked skt1/skt2 did the job.
 
Similar story yesterday. Most public land in my area has no trees. Most roosters were on private land, hanging out in trees, inaccessible to the public land hunter. They fed until nearly sunset & came into roost on the wrong side of the fence (from my perspective). By now they know exactly where they're safe & where they're not.
 
Wind was nasty here on Sunday and Monday. Hunting in high winds is not something I do anymore. And I hunt an area that definitely has more trees than out west, but I'll wait until it subsides.
 
gimruis said:
Wind was nasty here on Sunday and Monday. Hunting in high winds is not something I do anymore. And I hunt an area that definitely has more trees than out west, but I'll wait until it subsides.
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Maybe just once a year brake your own rules. Hunt early season when the crops are still up on public land, on a windy day. Just for an hour or two. It could be an experiment for you, and post your results here!
 
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I know of some willow or brush-type spots that you cannot see from the road. In high wind conditions - you can approach these spots and easily find 100 birds - most reluctant to leave despite the ensuing hunter threat.
 
Bob Peters said:
Maybe just once a year brake your own rules. Hunt early season when the crops are still up on public land, on a windy day. Just for an hour or two. It could be an experiment for you, and post your results here!
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You want to see me fail don't you lol

People around here are starting to toot their horns about ice fishing now. I'd rather be dead than do that again.
 
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We hunted pretty windy conditions on 11/21. I like a good breeze (within reason). In my experience I can get closer to the birds when working into the wind. I think it masks some of the sound of my movement. We had the most success on our windiest day. Of course, I also think a good part of that was that there were more birds in the area after we moved.
 
I remember being in Blunt South Dakota about ten or so years ago. When yo come from out of state and only have 3-4 days the weather really doesn’t matter. One day it was about 25 degrees and the sustained winds were 30+ with 40+ gusts. The birds would get up and struggle to get altitude then swing over your head and gone. I struggled hard that day. It was either blow them up at twenty yards, or let them get up and swing around and try to hit them at Mach 1. I finally got my three but it was not with 3 shells 😂
 
gimruis said:
You want to see me fail don't you lol

People around here are starting to toot their horns about ice fishing now. I'd rather be dead than do that again.
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I think you'd get a pheasant or two. Hunt that golden hour! And I love the ice fishing comment, totally agree!
 
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Ice fishing is a great time. I love figuring out crappies. I rarely ice fish more than 4-5 hours at a time and that includes drive, walk, and set up times. I mostly gave up ice fishing except one or two short trips each winter with my kids. Winter sports limited ice fishing. Not anymore. I mostly walk out when safe ice forms. For me right around New Years ... pheasants wind down, ice fishing ramps up.

Wind (above 20) generally sucks. I like to hunt wind once in a while, but it takes mental preparation and tends to take a lot out of you. Wind is manageable and you can usually wait for a different day.
 
Snow can be a bigger detriment to pheasant hunting and ice fishing. Too much snow too early in the season and it takes the fun out of both. Too often it creates places on the ice that either are too soft for man or creates massive areas of flooding and slush. Second half of last December was nasty on the too much snow too soon aspect. Unlike October and November snowfalls, it usually does not melt much and just creates the base for more snow to add on top.
 
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Ya I remember everyone bitching about getting so much snow before the ice had a good chance to form solidly on lakes. And it was then weak and slushy with all kinds of snow on top all winter because it never really got that cold and deep snow insulates it from freezing more.

Poor conditions like that on the lakes keeps the pressure way down though. I am all for keeping pressure down. Those fish don't need to be hammered by ice castles for 2 months straight.

I don't quite understand why any person on this earth would rather ice fish than pheasant hunt though. I can't figure that one out. When we get to January or February, then you might make a case for it. Not in December.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Ice fishing is a great time. I love figuring out crappies. I rarely ice fish more than 4-5 hours at a time and that includes drive, walk, and set up times.

Wind (above 20) generally sucks. I like to hunt wind once in a while, but it takes mental preparation and tends to take a lot out of you. Wind is manageable and you can usually wait for a different day.
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I did a lot of ice fishing growing up, but never hunted, maybe that's why I like hunting more. Also ice fishing around the metro is spotty at best. If I lived way up north different story. Also first ice is good, but by the time every yahoo and his brother can drive out the fishing slows a lot. Lastly, if it's a mild winter day, 30 or above, I'll go stream trout fishing or put my boat on the river. A great day on any mn lake ice fishing walleyes pales in comparison to an average winter day on the old Miss. I've whaled on so many walleyes over 8 pounds out there. It's fun and easy. That kind of stuck a fork in ice fishing for me.
 
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Gim: you just started hunting pheasants last week - so one week into your personal season. Many of us have been chasing pheasants for about 6+ weeks now. Add in grouse, prairie chicken, etc... I have been walking for birds for 75 days (albeit far fewer actual days than that).

The ice castle crowd takes far fewer fish than anyone believes. They are there to camp and party or ... take the kids out and snuggle with the wife or GF once they fall asleep.
 
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BRITTMAN said:
The ice castle crowd takes far fewer fish than anyone believes. They are there to camp and party or ... take the kids out and snuggle with the wife or GF once they fall asleep.
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This part we definitely agree on. Drinking beer, playing cards, watching satellite TV, and snuggling with the mrs is not ice fishing.

The guys that are mobile and move to active fish are legit. I'll give them props for that. Its a lot of work staying mobile and drilling new holes.

The guys that camp over one spot and just wait and wait and wait...not so much. That is quite often the crowd that leaves trash, refuse, and feces on the ice too.
 
I rarely even want to fish a portable. I prefer open air ice fishing

You don't have to move if you know the fish patterns and often many species (especially those schools on the feed) are moving ... often in a pattern. Many days I go out an hour or two before dark and fish to a bit after sunset. I usually only keep what I plan to eat, am pretty selective on size ... bet I keep fish a half dozen trips tops ...

I rarely can stand to be on the ice for more than a few hours unless I am on a "distance" trip. Same when I am in a boat. I will take two or three short trips in a day or a week vs. grinding out all day.
 
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Tough weekend for me with the birds. I thought Saturday would be a give me with the trace of snow but my son and I settled for four birds. I did have a misfire off a point and missed one other easy shot but that was about it. Roosters are getting thinned out and definitely educated but Monday seen well over fifty birds again in a quick one hour hunt close to home.
 
Windy again this am…hunted some CREP pieces that are not huge, one was small…contacted quite a few, had 3 moderate to tough shots…nada. Switched back to
small covers…dried creek bed full of cover that winds through picked corn…good #’s, plenty narrow for one guy with 2 dogs. Went 3 for 4, 2nd kill was a Hail Mary that the Remington XLR #5’s worked wonders on out of my beretta AL391 20 gauge. Finished early enough to have my tire patched locally after a bean field did its thing and gave me a puncture. Back out scouting by 3 pm…wind died, birds were out feeding. 48 degrees, beautiful end to the day. My shooting % would be respectable for Ted Williams at the plate, but no good for a pheasant hunter! Great day out here, not pushing the dogs too hard. Rarely hunt solo, but I enjoy it.
 
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