Hatch looks promising!

[tweedlap]

Traveling in the Watertown,Henry and Webster area last week I saw many clutches of young pheasents. Size varied a lot from a week old to the size of partridges. Looks like we got lucky. Fooled Mother Nature this year!

I talked some people from western Minnesota and it sounds pretty good there, as well.

Time to start tuning up the mutts.

Any other reports?

jim

[lawdog]

I really don't think we faired as well in SW MN. Had some very untimely rains and cool snaps. I've seen very few broods but the ones I did have lots of chicks. I think it will be very spotty around here this year.

[Guest]

WE didnt fair very well in Sibley county this year,as we had way to much rain at the wrong time.Im in the country most of the spring and early summer and maybe 30 percent of the hens have chicks with them and then only 3-5 each.BAD YEAR.

[woodview]

I've only been in the St. Cloud area for the last 4-5 years but I'm seeing way more clutches than I have the last few years. Last week I saw them ranging from about half the size of the adults to little chicks that couldn't have been out of the egg very long.

Any hawkers out there? Truck spooked a family of them up today - didn't see them until they were in the air. Slowed and watched them start across the field when WHAM. Looked like a falcon of some sort but I've never seen this bird before.

Had a black stripe across the eye that narrowed towards the back of the head. Silverish body, very sleek but a pretty good sized bird.

Got a decent look at it because it hit a chick but didn't get a good hold on it and then circled back up and around. Finally dropped down into the grass - I'm assuming he got it because even if he wasn't successful on the grab he hit it hard enough that he probably knocked the the thing out.

Pretty crazy sight.

[Sko]

I have been driving between Brookings and Marshall the past couple of days and am seeing about 3 to 4 broods each way. In addition, lots of old roosters. Broods look like 8 to 10 birds in each. One morning last week when there was a lot of dew in the early morning, I am sure I counted 50 birds on that route. So, there has been a hatch. I just do not know what a good year looks like compared to what I am seeing now. I would have a hard time thinking however, that the hunting would be any worse than last year, from what I am seeing.