Pheasant Opener

[marine_man]

Anyone make it out?

I heard it was tough in most areas... with lots of hope for improvement when the corn comes off. Too bad we got the rain yesterday and today... harvest was clipping right along this year!

marine_man

[TylerS]

I put a report in the upland forum. From what I heard it was worse than bad. I'm waiting for November and snow before I chase roosters. Just not worth it now.

[huntnfish]

A friend of mine drove from Fargo to Bismarck today and he didn't see one pheasant. And from there he went to Beaulah and didn't see any on the way there either. He did see 5 goats though. Its not going to be a good year.

[UMC]

Even in the good years I only occasionally saw pheasants when driving I94 Fargo to Bismarck, but no doubt the numbers are down big time, especially the more east you go. We limited both days of opener even though we weren't in the SW part of the state but it was just me and a buddy and we both have good labs. We walked for about 2-3 hours each day to get our 6 birds. Definitely will have to work for them this year.

[fivebucks]

We were in the middle of the state and 4 of us just about got limits each day. We had to take young birds when we saw them and put some work in. We would walk a long ways without getting flushes and then get into a good pocket and pick up a couple of birds. There are still birds around but not the numbers of last year from what we saw.

[LMITOUT]

My pheasant opener is tomorrow. Truck is packed and will be heading west towards south central ND bright and early with the rear-view mirror tossed in the back seat.

[cbrooks]

Good luck

[Gusser88]

We were out opening weekend in the south central portion of the state and estimate pheasants are down 80%+. Two things were very disappointing. When we walked good cover next to cut fields there were not nearly as many birds as there historically has been. Additionally, when scouting for ducks at or near sundown we saw about 4 pheasants in three nights and hundreds of miles of scouting.

[LMITOUT]

Good luck? I'm thinking a witch doctor and some sort of sacrificial goat are in order. A priest and an exorcism might work too...

Been out here since Saturday and haven't fired a shot. Well, except for at a coyote one evening.

Last year even with the late harvest (they were just getting into the cornfields at this time last year) you could scratch out some birds everyday, but they are well into the corn and many sunflowers are down already and I can't buy a rooster.

Dog has had some nice points but they were hens and the few roosters I have spotted were in posted land or around farmsteads. Nothing like past years. I think that if you head SW there are better numbers and they said the roadside counts weren't down as much as the rest of the state.

I guess that's why they call them the good ol days, because these surely ain't it.

[Gusser88]

Anybody else running into alot of skunks? We had 3 of 4 dogs hit in our group and heard about other hunter dogs getting hit also. Someone mentioned the skunk population is significantly up with the overall wetter conditions? Not sure if that is true?

[cbrooks]

Hate to hear that the pheasant numbers has taken a drive. The game and Fish warn hunters before the year I guess. Just to add to what you said about the SW corner of the state is better. Earlier this year(late May) I was working halfway between Bismarck and Hettinger(SW ND). Saw lots of pheasants from the road everyday going to the jobsite. Lots of turkeys as well.

FWIW I know grouse aren't as covenanted as roosters but I have found some high contration in the McVille area. I know there has to be some more the further west you go.

[LMITOUT]

Finally! Got my three this morning but not without the help of my GSP. They were holding extra tight and she also helped recover two that went down in some very thick cover, one of which was about 200 yards away from where I shot it. Usually those deals are a lost cause but I thought I hit it pretty good and since it was potentially bird #3 I figured I would see if the dog could pick up on it. We made our way to the area where it looked like it had landed and after a few minutes of circling around the dog went on point and sure enough there it laid, dead. Perfect! I hate dropping a leg on a bird and watching it fly away, knowing it most likely won't make it. Glad one time it worked out.

Oh, I don't think the neighbor will miss one goat, right?

[LMITOUT]

Yesterday the dog and I struck out to the spot where we dropped the three birds to see if maybe they had moved back in. Sure enough they had, and more of them. The dog was having a field day with all the new scent and we were kicking up birds fairly often, getting our three for the day in less than an hour and ending our trip for the week with six in total.

I had worked this piece of land about a week ago with nothing to show for it, and again a few days after that but in a different part of the parcel...still nothing. I let it be for a few days and came back to it Thursday and Friday and the birds had moved in. No idea why, but just like that they decided to give me something to shoot at.

Can't wait to get back in a few weeks to try it again. With any luck the weather will hold off until then.

[cbrooks]

Good to hear you got some action Lmit. A coworker of mine had some luck in the GF area. I'll try to give it a go if I have some time this weekend. Will post a report if I get out. Finding them and actually shooting some is another story for me