2011 Pheasant Hunting Season

[herm]

Oldest son and I got back in the field today now that deer season is done. He bagged 1 and we both missed another rooster. Also kicked up about 10 hens. Thought that was pretty good for this point in the year and the new snow. All birds were in thick cover and holding very tight. We hunted 2 different public spots. Dog really loved it, due mostly to the 15-degree temp!

[grey ghost]

I got out twice over the weekend. Yesterday our group got 3 and I went out by myself today and took 1. Had about 10 birds pointed between the 2 hunts and they all held nice and tight. Saw more hens this weekend than maybe all season.

[djlong]

I watched the forecast for days and wanted to be out for the first snow. Woke up early on sat and headed west. Drove past Benson and hit snow. Hunted some good winter habitat and had a blast. Something about that first snow that makes phez hunting so good. Had a rock solid point within 5 minutes and had about 10 hens get up and 3 roosters. Bagged one and passed on the others as I didn't want to be done. Passed up on a few more before getting to cold and wet and taking another nice bird. God I love pheasant hunting.

[CodyDawg]

we hunted Saturday in the snow and also took part in a long tail contest. We took 4th, so that was cool.

we have 2 farms that are managed for wildlife. Each year they produce about the same amount of roosters and this year will be no exception. Down a little, but still birds. One of these we deer hunt and we KNOW there area some birds there. So we started out at the non-deer hunting place and in 2 hours, 3 of us bagged 5 and saw more. Decided to try for that last one on the deer hunting place and we couldnt find a bird! They are there, but they were tucked in. If I didnt know better, I would say there are no birds on that place. So keep trying guys, sometimes a place doesnt produce, but that doesnt mean there are no birds there.

[2thepointsetters]

So keep trying guys, sometimes a place doesnt produce, but that doesnt mean there are no birds there.

Get a dog, then you will know if there are birds there or not.

[pureinsanity]

A dog increases your chances by 10979217349174071203 %, BUT, it doesn't mean they might not hold or run around you and your dog.

[CodyDawg]

We have 2 very good, very experienced dogs. But hunting in the middle of the snowstorm, I believe those birds were hunkered down and the dogs just didnt get their scent. Sometimes that is just the way it works. If the dogs go around the bush the wrong way and are down wind of the bird, they arent gonna smell it. that is just the way it works and why they call it hunting.

[brittman]

Wild pheasants are simply unpredictable. Sure a car door slam or a voice can make many flush wild. But how many didn't?

I have walked the same little spot on a WMA four times (well twice - there and back, there and back)consecutively and picked up roosters on passes two and four. I knew birds were walking around me because I could see fresh tracks in the snow on each pass. In this case the dog point birds on each pass. I guess the only reason I stopped at four was I had my two birds for the day.

I have watched birds leave a slough and run across a road while hunters and their dogs were heading into the same slough. Dogs had no idea.

I have watched pheasants leave a grassy creek bed and run across a plowed field (black dirt)? Hunters or dogs did not seem to notice.

There are more examples, but I will stop with these for now.

[herm]

Hunted solo for about 4 hours today. Got 1 rooster, flushed another wild and kicked up 8-10 hens. Hit 2 public spots. Didn't see any other hunters - and I drove by several public spots in my travels.

[TylerS]

Well, got out Sunday for some pheasants. Each time I go out, it seems like we see less birds than the previous excursion.

My uncle, a good friend and myself hunted sunrise to darn near sunset and bagged two birds. It was dismal. Should have had one more, but that was about it.

Highlight may have been the weather. Boy, if it could be mid-30s with a slight breeze until January, I'd be one happy camper. Talk about ideal conditions!

We did witness some excellent dog work. The GWPs are brothers, and are just 18 months old. Here's a picture of my dog, Remy, backing my buddy's dog, Asic:

After the first spot was a bust (well, not a total bust, we did flush about a half dozen hens) our next spot was a bit better. My uncle walked the edge of a cattail slough as me and my buddy pushed through it with our dogs. I meandered my way to a little berm where I had an advantage point. Wouldn't you know it, my buddy flushes a rooster right at me, and I toast it on the second shot. It landed out on the ice, and Remy was on it in a second. I can definitely tell his progression from the beginning of the year. There was no hesitation in this retrieve. He got to the bird, grabbed it, brought it back to me, heeled, and plopped it in my hand. Force fetching pays dividends!

I always seem to stumble across some ancient piece of farming history while I'm out and about. Whether its an old dump site with ancient cans of beer, or this little gem I found in the middle of Sunday's slough. It was on a small outcrop of grass. Made me wonder what else the dense vegetation hid. Pretty neat. I had to snap a picture:

We hunted two more spots, and I wound up with the group's second rooster, as well. Remy got super birdy in a small piece of cattails. He was stopping, then moving, then stopping, then moving. About 20 yards out the rooster flushed, and I had about a millisecond to react before it was out of view. Luckily, the shot connected, and Remy got to make another great retrieve.

But that was about it for action. Except for a rooster that flushed behind my buddy and that we all collectively missed, birds were few and far between. The final spot yielded some more hens, and a couple very jumpy roosters, but that was it for us. As I said, compared to years passed, this one is markedly different when considering bird numbers. But some birds are better than no birds, and I'd rather spend an entire day tromping through the outdoors than inside watching TV or completing a growing honey-do list. I'm looking forward to a bit of snow for our next foray, but a guy sure could get used to this weather. Season goes until January, so you can bet I'll be out a few more times before then:

[grey ghost]

Just got in from my 2nd solo hunt over the past 3 days. Bagged a total of 3 birds. One was a nice mature bird with a 23" tail and 9/16" spurs. The other 2 were this year's birds. They were all in thinner cover than they had been the couple weeks before. The great weather can stay through December if it wants to!

[Jameson]

Heard one today. One. Last year on the same deer stand it was nothing for me to see three roosters and a couple of hens in half the time.

[fivebucks]

Got one rooster (only one seen) and flushed 4 hens last Saturday in central/west MN in 4 hours of walking. I worked off that turkey and pumpkin pie at least and the bird tasted good on Sunday.

[Musky Buck]

Boy I was hoping when the crops came off this year we'd start seeing the usual amount of birds but that's not been the case, have yet to see a hen this fall, that's not good news, I usually see 10-20 per day driving the gravel to work and after work, this year it's a stretch to see a rooster a week, unfortunately. I don't hunt pheasants either however I've bought the stamp every year just because.

[no bait nate]

Took my dog out today with the snow falling and we had some fun. She got birdy instantly into the thicket. I had to hit my whistle a few times to get her to stay close and low and behold THREE roosters flushed about 30 yds ahead of us. They cackled and gave the whole show. I didn't shoot as my dog didn't flush them and wouldn't have know what was going on so we were off again. worked the field edge and then she goes on point hard. clicked the safety off and all but shouldered the gun as I was commanding her to get the bird. She gets up a rooster about 10 yds in front of me and I follow with three big holes in the sky around it. It made it to the neighbors property safely and is probably nested in tight for the night. Oh the look of disappointment from my dog was terrible. She did great today in the snow, I just wish I could have held up my end of the bargain... Hopefully this snow will bring more success for us soon.

[CASTnBLAST]

Man I love my e-collar,don't even carry a whistle anymore. Especially important on late season birds, money well spent!

[Arago]

Quit wasing my ecollar when dog was 4 or so. Shouldn't need a whistle or ecollar at some point with a dog. Whistle alerts any bird within a mile that your there.

[CASTnBLAST]

So your dog never starts hunting too far out? Hmmm, maybe it's because I hunt more than one dog together. I rarely have to shock my dogs just a reminder with the vibrate mode is enough to make them pay attention....priceless.

[Stringerless!]

Mille lacs area/ Grouse till 9. Never flushed a thing . Saw one rooster in ditch before 9. Flushed 2 hens out of cattails. Quit at 1. That was all we saw.

[CASTnBLAST]

Evansville north,fringe area for pheasants. 1st spot 3 hens,2nd 2 hens,last spot 4 hens and 1 rooster. Dogs did their job, I didn't.

[herm]

3 of us (and 2 dogs) hunted a couple of spots today. Flushed a half-dozen hens and one rooster. Took the collar for the first time in a long time. Also, saw more hunters today than any other Sunday this season. What's up with that? (I'm thinking 2-10 Vikings and not enough ice on the lakes...) Still, love being out there. Only a month left!

[IceHawk]

3 of us hunted west central mn yesterday we ended up with 5 saw a total of 7 roosters and 8 hens not a bad day. Nice to see a few hens havent saw very many this yr. This yr has been alright we are getting some birds but you have to work for them (walk a ton) thats for sure. We also noticed alot of hunters yesterday!

[Augusta]

3 of us (and 2 dogs) hunted a couple of spots today. Flushed a half-dozen hens and one rooster. Took the collar for the first time in a long time. Also, saw more hunters today than any other Sunday this season. What's up with that? (I'm thinking 2-10 Vikings and not enough ice on the lakes...) Still, love being out there. Only a month left!

Vikings poor season??..could be...it certainly couldn't be because of all this internet chatter about how everyone is seeing and taking pheasants lately....

[pureinsanity]

I got some new tires for my car a few weeks ago so I decided to head out in the am and see how it handled on some country back roads. To my surprise I saw 6 birds in one shelter belt and a half a dozen other birds scavenging in a field.

The only down fault was it was very close to a game farm so its hard to know if they were wild or pen raised. They did seem to run away as soon as i stopped instead of just starring at me.

They also had some good size to them. Lets hope they are wild!

[Farley]

We shot 4 yesterday in a few hours walking some RIM land and we also got out in the cattails on the duck slough. Saw a mix of hens and rudis , probably over a dozen or so total.