Lac Qui Parle WMA ?

[Dano2]

since there will be no more ND pheasant hunting for this guy, I dedcided to start doing a little early phesant hunting research for this season.
I have actually seen a couple nice roosters run across the highway on the way out ice fishing this season, (around the downer or Barnsville area) and I haven't seen this in a LONG time.

Anyway, I was looking at the DNR pheasant hunting prospects map and see that south and southwestern MN seem to be the best atleast according to the roadside count.
So I went to the recreation compass and see there is one MONSTEROUS WMA called the Lac Qui Parle WMA and was wondering if anyone hunts it and how its been for pheasants or ducks too as far as that goes. Which rases another question, I know you have to use steel shot for waterfowl, do you have to use steel on WMA's or just WPA's?

If I pheasant hunt MN this season, are some of these areas producing birds or is it safe to say find private land?

And how tough is it to get land access from the MN land owners?

thanks alot

[Guest]

Dano,

Lac Qui Parle is a huge area and holds many birds. It gets a lot of pressure early on in the season. That area of the state (Ortonville, Danvers, Benson, Milan etc... is all good, but you will need a top notch dog. With all of the pressure it really pushes the birds into the deep stuff.

You will need steel shot in any area marked Waterfowl Mngmnt Area, but not in the WMA, unless you are hunting waterfowl. There is a ton of state land out their. I have found some private land to hunt, but getting permission can be hard. Seems like everyone has an excuse not to let you hunt. Fortunately I belong to a hunting club out there and we lease some land. Makes things alot easier.

If I can be of any more help, or you have more specific questions feel free to e-mail me. I have hunted that area for years, as my mom was from Appleton and my dad from Danvers.

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Paul
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Pwaldow123 (edited 02-17-2003).]

[gspman]

LQP get's absolutely hammered the first few weeks of the season. A few years ago my brother and I and my shorthair were out there for the opener and when we got to the middle, we looked around us and we were completely surrounded by hunters. We decided to get the heck out of there. For LQP (and any other WMA out there) you need a good dog and preferrably a pointer (I have a pointer bias) with some range to be able to find birds because there is so much ground to cover. Much of the cover is thin and the birds run like mad. The odds are against you from the start in LQP. Having said that, I think you should try it out at least once. It's big country and it's a riot. You can walk 2 miles and not hit a road or a fence. I almost always have a good time in LQP. The lip of the old river channel and the cover by the shore seem to always hold some birds. Give it a whirl and have fun but don't expect a limit of birds on a regular basis.

[thore]

if you are willing to drive a little further south of LQP toward Vesta (a small town on hwy19) there is plenty of public land to hunt all the way to the SODAK boarder. My simple piece of advice is take off work and go during the week instead of the weekend hunting pressure as you may already know is way down and always hunt with Brittany's

[Guest]

Hey Dano shoot me an email wcmnwalleye@yahoo

I farm so I am busy that time but I get out every sunday til the crops are out then I go more. I will take you out if you want I have a dog and some privite land, but state land has plenty of birds and not much pressure other than opening weekend and thanksgiving week.
No charge, I can get you on the right track in the appleton, danvers, ortonville areas this fall.

[Guest]

A good friend of the family owns land out towards Madison so we usually spend some time down that way. Another good area to try is the HUGE Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. It is open to all hunting except for waterfowl and holds quite a few ringnecks. It gets some pressure opening weekend, but there is so much land to hunt. There are also quite a few state WMA's in the area too.
Good Luck

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>"////=<
Gull Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/gullguide
Brainerd-Mille Lacs-Willmar
Bemidji-Ottertail

[Dano2]

Thanks alot folks,
its great to get that kind
of support (thats what I call it)
after learning ND limited there season
to NR's.
thanks again