Anyone Been Out

[bottomdweller]

Hows the hunting been lately. I am going to try western mn this weekend. It will be my first time trying for pheasants except the game farms. Any pointers for a newbie with a fairly decent dog.

Thanks.

[gurkster]

Hit the thick stuff. Cattails are good this time of year.

[BLACKJACK]

Make sure you have dry boots and socks in the car!! Be quiet, no slamming doors, get rid of the whistle, no yelling or loud talking!!! These birds have been hunted for 2 months and will be gone if they hear you coming. Knock on a few doors, that nice cattail slough 1/2 mile from the public area will have all the birds that have been run out of the public area.

[311Hemi]

Make sure you have dry boots and socks in the car!!

Ain't that the truth. Went through over the top of my boots 3 times in the past two full weekends of hunting. Twice two weeks ago when the ice was still somewhat thin in west central MN (my buddy went through once that weekend).

Once this past weekend in SD, went in up to my waist for the first time. That was a cold, one mile walk back to the truck!!! Luckily it happened on the very last walk of the day.

Oh.....and I agree 100% on the being quiet this time of year!

[paintbrush]

Was out today down in the Morris area. Hunted only those spooky public land birds. 2 of us managed to get 3 roosters. Lots of walking. They were not in the cattails at all. Most of the birds were in tall grass on the edges of the swamps, or else they were in willow brush. Went by one unpicked 80 of corn, and the pheasants where thick around that. Private, couldn't find the land owner.

[brittman]

Out there today on public land. Shot two, missed one. Saw a good 20+ hens.

Watched a guy walk a creek on private land, multiple pheasants left the cover and ran across the chisel plowed field towards the road. These birds evidently knew the drill.

[jigging-matt]

Will be heading to SW minnesota this weekend for X-mas with the in-laws. Plan on trying to sneak out a couple of times. Hopefully some of the land I have permission to hunt hasn't been hit to hard.

[mudslinger]

Could only find hens on Sunday morning. Looks like the roosters didn't like -2F either. BUT watching my buddy chase his disobedient dog, that ran away and ended a few muzzel loader hunters season on a GREAT note, kept me warm. A firey rage warm, but atleast I was warm..... what a cluster F###!

[memyself@I]

Was out in W MN for a day and a half of hunting. No private land, just public. Tough hunting. Its important to be quiet, hunt into the wind with or without a dog, but its impossible to be quiet when pushing cattails, unless you walk really slooooooooooowwwwwwwww!!

Lots of hens, missed a cake shot and got 1 (2 of us hunting)Only roosters we saw on public.

I've had some good hunting late, but often its just push a lot of cover and hope you cross paths with that one rooster..........and don't miss it!!

[BLACKJACK]

HATE TO MISS THOSE EASY ONES THIS TIME OF YEAR!! You walk so many miles to get that flush, then they scare the he11 out of you - and then you miss. Grrrrrrrr. The other bad one is when your dog gets so excited because shes finally on some pheasant scent - and gets up the only rooster you've seen in three hours at 70 yards!!! And since this is MN and birds are few and far between you watch where that bird flies to and go after it again. Got a love it!!

Taking this afternoon off to go hit a big swamp, then will be out again Sunday morning. Have to walk off some holiday food!!!