Birds around Ortonville?

[nephen]

Hey guys, a friend invited me go to with him for opening pheaseant this weekend. We're going around the Ortonville area and I was just wondering if there are many birds around this year. Also I'll be shooting a browning BPS 12gauge. Whats the best size shot to use for hunting pheasents?

[greenman]

size 4 or 6

[sdstate]

There is always a lot of birds around Ortonvile. There is a lot of good public land around there and it is pretty good late in the year. As for shot selection, this early in the year i would definately go with 6 shot.

[Fish_Off]

I have been out goose and duck hunting every weekend this year and i haven't seen even half as many birds as I did last year. When walking out to our spot our dog last year would kick up about 20-30 birds. this year it's been more like 3 or 4. The recent rains have forced a lot of farmers to keep there crops up and there is a lot of crop still up and i'm thinking it isn't going to be a real good opener this year out west.

[ortonville]

i was born and raised here in ortonville.there just isnt the pheasants here that everybody thinks there is.if feel there are less pheasants here this year than last.if you want pheasants around here go south of the refuge. down around marritta naussa louisberg or bellingham.if you get north of town and you dont have to go vary far north just a couple of miles the #'s are real bad.it was just to cold and wet this spring.i dont know where they get there counters form but we dont have the pheasants from ortonville north like last year