2015 Prairie Chickens Anyone?

[NoWiser]

Has anyone gotten out yet to chase these things around?  I drew a tag and am headed up Friday to give it a go with my faithful pooch.  We've never hunted them before so it will be a learning experience for both the dog and I.  Any hunting stories or advice before we leave?  It should be fun to try something a little different and we have access to a considerable amount of private land that at least holds birds at certain times of the year.  I'll make sure to post a few photos and a report when I return.

[rogrod]

We (2 of us) hunted last weekend in zone 809A.  We ended up with our limit of 4 birds.  We found the birds in the lightest cover around.  It didn't look like it had any cover to hold anything.  These were recently grazed grasslands.  Your dog needs to be close because the birds start flushing pretty easily.  Anything thicker we chased up some pheasants but very few chickens.

[NoWiser]

Thanks Rogrod,

I had a fun, but short hunt.  I saw a bunch of birds and was done by 9:00 on Saturday morning.  I also had my luck on recently (cows were still there) grazed grasslands.  The birds I shot were singles and actually held very well for the dog and I.  I was hoping for a nice mature male, but did not get one.  Hopefully next time I draw.  All in all it was a cool experience and I got a chance to hang out with a friend from up there for the weekend.  I can't wait to do it again.

 

 

 

[monstermoose78]

Nice Job NoWiser!! 

[brittman]

Sometimes you need to get lucky.  I shot a pair of adult males the first time out.  Actually watched about 8 glide into shorter grass maybe 600 yards off a road.  Britt had a nice point and I shot a pair.  

Not so luck finding them there after.   

Just here 

 

Edited October 6, 2015 by brittman

[NoWiser]

Very cool!  Were those males shot when they had the season in late October?  I think they bumped the season up a month starting a year or two ago.  On Sunday morning I snuck up to a flock of them feeding out in the open and watched them with binoculars.  Out of 30 or 40 birds I could only identify 2 or 3 males by their color.  I'm guessing there were more the way they were chasing each other around and picking on one another, but they looked the same as all the other chickens.  I'm thinking about heading to SD to chase them some more in November when they have their full plumage, but I'm having some trouble finding an open weekend.  I heard they are tough to get on later like that, too.

I also had to stop in Rothsay on the way up, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I took a selfie with that prairie chicken.

[brittman]

Later season.  

DNR did not listen to me when I said keep the later season.