Done for the year

[Tom7227]

My son and I drove from White Bear Lake to the Windom area yesterday. Tough drive down with black ice and the left lane snow and ice most of the way. We went to a beautiful WMA where there was a food plot of standing corn and a long windbreak of cedar trees. There also was 12+ inches of snow with drifts over 2 feet. The Brits were having a tough time getting around and the wind was biting. We bagged it after less than an hour. There was fresh snow from the night before and we didn't see a single track from anything while we were out.

I think even without the snow predicted for the next few days it's time to call it quits. Anything that's left out there is going to have a hard enough time over the next week without me busting it out of the cover and forcing it to move.

Anyone have any thoughts about it?

[mpester]

I am off work for the next eleven days. I think I will give it a couple of more days. I have low expectations but that is because I almost never get any birds. I am going to borrow or rent a pair of snow shoes and really work the thickest cover I can find. The dog will need to stay home if we get as much snow as they are calling for.

Your dog’s sure look like better behaved dogs than my Brittany. Our dog ate an entire bar of soap this morning. He should be farting bubbles by the time I get home.

[jigging-matt]

Probably had my last hunt last weekend. Was pretty hard on my Britt to. Had a good season, Dog did great. Now it is time to focus on Icefishing.

[Neighbor_guy]

I'm thinkingI still have one more shot at public landers for this season.

Then a "put and take" in feb is in order.... We will see how lakers is going, but Wanderer's dog should be healed up enough to play along by then.

[Fatty07]

Just got back from my last hunt.

Had a wonderful year with my new lab. We got 62 birds in South Daktoa (whole group) and mikko and I got 30+ birds here in Minnesota. Finished it off with two nice flushes and retreives in the snow today. Walking throw snow and the drifts is hard now good luck to anyone that braves it after another foot of snow. Birds are still around as we saw 20+ birds (only 3 rooster).

[fivebucks]

I want to get out one last time over New Years but my guy got a little frostbite on a certain exposed part (a non fixed male) and I don't want to hunt him until it's all healed up. I guess 2 hours in -4 temps a week or so ago was too cold. I think he got them wet and then... Poor boy - I feel for him.

[Determan]

It's really tough right now. All the places I know where the birds head in bad weather are vacant.

The birds I have seen can hear you coming from a mile away, and fly before you get near them.

Jigging-Matt has the right idea. Time to fish.

[crothmeier]

the birds are gonna struggle if we get all the snow they have predicted.

[2thepointsetters]

If we get the snow they are predicting I will be done for the year also. The last couple weeks I've had some of the best hunting I have seen in MN, lots of roosters and most were still holding like opening day. The area I hunt has had a real lack of hunters due to the crops still standing so the birds have not felt much pressure. I hope this storm does not ruin it for next year.

[grab the net]

I am hoping for at least two or three more hunts. This is when you bust out the snowshoes to make the walk into the cattails. Soft snow covers the noise you make and this the kind of stuff Labs were born for. Couple of different friends on two separate hunts in the last few days tell me about getting on private property that has only been hunted once or twice all year. Two guys, two dogs, six birds in 20 minutes, they flushed at least 9 more shootable roosters on the way back to the truck. Today, 6 guys and 15 birds in an afternoon hunt. Saw a couple hundred or more birds on just one property. So there are pockets of great hunting out there, just have to be fortunate enough to be able to gain access. Weather will keep the some guys home but the die hards will go to the bitter end. Looking forward to the next 10 days.

[tipup]

I am done also, went out yesterday and it was tough!!!! dog did good, but as for me, to much snow!!! I also agree that I dont want to be flushing them out of the safe areas they have found from the snow and sleet!!! There will be plenty of time to hunt next year!!! time to ice fish!!!

[MinnetonkaMan]

The dog looked at me this morning and I knew he was saying Im done. I agreed with him and put the orange away for the season. Even though I saw a pheasant fly into a tree line the snow bank deterred me from going. Wanted to get the permanent fishhouse out but no luck with that with water flowing underneath the snow on most lakes. Now have to wait for more ice so truck can go out. Good luck to anyone brave enough to push through that snow I know their is plenty of birds out there.

[NWBuck]

Anyone shooting birds around here now is grove hunting, and that's just not my thing. I've been done since the first round of big snow moved in. With this latest storm, we'll need a January thaw quickly or we're going to lose a lot of birds.

[Mclovin]

going to head out now

[Mclovin]

it was bad, some of the hardest walking i have ever done, this mornin driving to my hunting spots i saw birds everywhere in the feilds probabaly 30-40 birds, we only saw 8 hens hunting not to good for how hard the walking was.

[grab the net]

Got out this afternoon for the first time since the Christmas storm started. Me, my son and his father-in-law, on PP. Small cattail spots near unpicked corn field. Snow was knee deep in most place, some drifts were waist deep. Cattails were so thick you had to wade through them, no trails at all. Our lab does we he does best, bulldozed through and rooted two late season roosters up and out. Our aim was true and we brought those two home, along with one cottontail. Did not use the snowshoes on this trip but a definite must on the next trip.

[spearman]

Went out on sun afternoon got down in the river bottom and man was there a lot of birds ended up with six for three guys. walking was hard but great to be out there. With this wind we had it blew off the fields good to expose more food for the birds they won't starve yet thats for sure

[Double D]

This snow is not doing these pheasants any good, may be doing them a favor thinning the herd a bit more.

A lot of birds have already moved to the side of the roads. I drove to New Ulm and barely missed a group of about 10, all hens. When I came home 2 of them were already laying there. The layer of ice that is now in the middle of the snow will make their feeding impossible.

DD

[CRAZYEYES]

I'm going to make one last trip out Thursday and Friday. I have'nt been hunting since the sloughs froze up good so I'm gonna do one last MN hunt. I am also planning on a late season hunt in Nebraska in january. I just hope that we dont get too much more snow. Thats not good if the birds are already starting to stand along the roads. The only good thing is I know that where I hunt there were a lot of flooded beans that never got harvested this year and there's still some corn up so they should'nt have too much trouble finding food for a while.

[Tom7227]

I'm going to make one last trip out Thursday and Friday. I have'nt been hunting since the sloughs froze up good so I'm gonna do one last MN hunt. I am also planning on a late season hunt in Nebraska in january. I just hope that we dont get too much more snow. Thats not good if the birds are already starting to stand along the roads. The only good thing is I know that where I hunt there were a lot of flooded beans that never got harvested this year and there's still some corn up so they should'nt have too much trouble finding food for a while.

Good luck cause it's going to be tough walking. Snowshoes might help. Sure wish I'd had some last night chasing coyotes.

[CRAZYEYES]

Yeah I can picture my snow shoes hanging on the wall in the garage at my cabin 300 miles away right now so thats unfotunately not an option. The last time that I went out i was just starting to creep out on the ice so its been a couple weeks. I tore something in my shoulder and then got hit with the flu which was'nt too fun so I after bird hunting non stop since opener I took a nice break. I can just imagine some of the drifts out there after the storm. Hopefully the stuff isnt too crusty and hard packed yet, that makes the worst walking. I'm thinking about bringing the portable out and doing a little fishing if I get sick of walking.

[TruthWalleyes]

Will be going out for the first time this year tomorrow morning. Will post pictures of the results. My daughters first time ever. Should get some birds.

[MNpurple]

3 of us hunted today and got 3 birds. Wow, was the walking tough.

The snow was hard enough that it would hold you for a brief second and then you'd break through up to your knees in anyplace the the wind had blown. To be honest the easiest walking was in the south sides of the cattail sloughs because although the snow was deeper here it was still powder so you could push through pretty easily. I tried snow shoes on Tuesday and they were great in the open areas but in the thick stuff the snow was so deep you couldn't get your legs high enough to get them back on top. I also noticed that the snowshoes were just too loud and many birds flushed way out ahead.

THere is still LOTS of unsolid ice in the cattails that is now completely hidden by all the snow. Today in a familiar spot, I went through to the waist and for the first time ever was extremely scared for my well being as Im in water to the waist and the snow is stacked over my head. I had to just keep pawing at the snow and dragging myself until I got out of the channel and reached ice that could hold me. Thankfully I was close to the truck and had a change of clothes waiting for me. This is a case where ice fishing picks would do you no good as the ice is under 2 feet of snow. Be carefull out there guys, there are some real hidden dangers right now.

[Tom7227]

I'm not sure I've met a pheasant that was worth the risk you faced. Water to the waist and snow over your head? Were you alone? Not for me.

[MNpurple]

Your right, no pheasant is worth that risk. I had just finished explaining to the two other guys I was with who had never hunted this slough what areas they should stay clear of because of possible thin ice. And then there I went through. My point is, for the guys still at it, this deep snow makes things look different and hides some dangers you may not expect. Bring extra clothes and by all means let others know where you will be and when you should be back.