Is Minnesota pheasant hunting worth it??

[tacklejunkie]

I'm not much of a hunter save for grouse but I picked me up a pup(lab) this fall and an aquaintance is helping me train him and I hope to take him grouse hunting next fall. He will mostly be a house pet and a fishing buddy.

Anyways, I overheard some guys at the store discuss pheasant hunting but gave little details. I would like to give it a shot next fall with my new boy along with the grouse. Never hunted pheasant. From what I've been reading here, it sounds like it's been a poor season. Is that the norm or is it usually pretty good except for this year?

[Chef]

No

[ac777]

yes, if you know where to go and what to do.

[pureinsanity]

yes, if you know where to go and what to do.

Hey, delete your pms! you are full. I have been trying to PM you!!!

[pureinsanity]

I haven't been out much this year to say its a poor season. The birds are down EVERYWHERE because of the harsh winters and wet spring. If we have a mild winter, and a mild spring we can expect to have good hunting.

Its worth the trip to head to sw minnesota where some of the best bird hunting is for pheasant. Everyone starts some where when it comes to hunting or fishing. If you don't get out there and try and learn from doing it you wont learn anything.

You can learn from your mistakes, to learn where birds flushed and see the habitat and figure out what drew them to that location. Once you figure out there is cover, there is water, there is nesting grounds and there is food near buy you can narrow down to where birds are... Good luck

it doesn't hurt to go hunting with someone that knows how to pheasant hunt to learn a few things either.

Get to the pheasants forever HSOforum. They have a boat load of information regarding pheasants and their habitats and hunting them.

[djlong]

This year has been very difficult but it is always worth it. You are going to have to put some miles on the boots and work out a plan to trick the smart roosters but I think that it makes the birds you get that much better. I don't know why people always think that they have to trip over hoards of birds to make it worth it. I have been out serval times this year and I have bagged birds on most trips but its watching the dog and being with friends that is the most satisfying. Also, the more pheasant stamps that are sold the more habitat can be purchased or rehabed to ensure better years in the future. A couple of easy winters and good hatches and we are in the good years again.

[muc33]

It is a slower season with nesting season very wet and the fact that we have had two very snowy winters. But there are still birds and the SW corner of the state. And traditionally that is the highest bird counts in the state every year.

[Musky Buck]

There is also a pocket in east central MN that rivals bird counts in the SW corner when I moved here I thought I was back in the Morris/Benson area, didn't realize how many birds were here. Then again, many perished during the last year.

[Ryan_V]

The fun of pheasant hunting is working

This year has been very difficult but it is always worth it. You are going to have to put some miles on the boots and work out a plan to trick the smart roosters but I think that it makes the birds you get that much better. I don't know why people always think that they have to trip over hoards of birds to make it worth it. I have been out serval times this year and I have bagged birds on most trips but its watching the dog and being with friends that is the most satisfying. Also, the more pheasant stamps that are sold the more habitat can be purchased or rehabed to ensure better years in the future. A couple of easy winters and good hatches and we are in the good years again.

Couldn't agree more! It's absolutely a blast being out there working the dog, hanging with friends,

[Ryan_V]

The fun of pheasant hunting is working

This year has been very difficult but it is always worth it. You are going to have to put some miles on the boots and work out a plan to trick the smart roosters but I think that it makes the birds you get that much better. I don't know why people always think that they have to trip over hoards of birds to make it worth it. I have been out serval times this year and I have bagged birds on most trips but its watching the dog and being with friends that is the most satisfying. Also, the more pheasant stamps that are sold the more habitat can be purchased or rehabed to ensure better years in the future. A couple of easy winters and good hatches and we are in the good years again.

Couldn't agree more! It's absolutely a blast being out there working the dog, hanging with friends,