Hunting Increased Snow Depths

[2 DA GILLS]

This is my first year chasing pheasants after any amount of snow. What areas are best to focus on? Cattails? Wooded Areas?

Thanks

[gspman]

Focus on thick, woody cover like willow clumps and buckbrush. Cattails, farm groves, shelter belts. Basically anything that sticks up above the snow and gives a pheasant shelter from the elements and predators. Some times they will be in sparse cover too but start with the thick stuff. Be as quiet as possible and hunt slow.

Also be careful when walking the sloughs. All this snow has prevented good ice from forming in some areas. Nothing worse than the lads getting wet!

[BDR]

GSPman covered it well. I was down in the SW 2 weeks ago right after the heavy snows. The cattails were really 1 big snowdrift. Not really huntable and the birds really couldn't use them. They were grouped up out in the open fields trying to scratch thru the ice to find some food. I talked to a couple larger groups of hunters that had real good success driving small wood plantations. Pines and evergreens seemed to be the best as they gave a little relief from the deep snow.

Good luck!!

[grab the net]

Hit the cattails, a few willows on the edges make it better. Look for a food source close by, corn or beans. Some of the cattails that look snowed in are really just a canopy over the top. Lots of room for the birds underneath. Walking slow is the key, be quiet, long pauses.

Hunted today, in the cats, birds held super tight. Took the dog almost 3 minutes to pin one bird down and then flush. This was in an area right in front of me about 30 feet square. About the time I was ready to give up, out jumps the rooster. Luckily I did my part. Get out and in the cats, be patient, let the dog work, you will find the birds.

[metrojoe]

Hey Brian you got any plans to head west before season end?

[2 DA GILLS]

I will be getting out Saturday. I am guessing that with the cooler temps they will be looking for some shelter. Last weekend I had my best luck with the cattails, especially Saturday. The dog had better success finding birds Saturday, but things were a little wetter and there was some wind. Sunday was dry and little wind. We missed on rooster for sure that held tight and got up after we passed. I definitely saw that I needed to slow down and let the dog cover an area.

[mistermom]

I was out yesterday for an hour or so walking in about 8" of powdery snow. I didn't see a bird or hardly a track. My guess would be that the birds were holed up in the pines and brush and were flying to get to wherever they were going. I don't see how they could easily walk in that powder. If I had found the birds yesterday I'm sure I would have found dozens. Meltdown coming this week which should help things out a little. Good luck!

mm

[Benelli_Shooter]

We went out this weekend 3 of us limited out both day we hunted slow let the dog do the work. we hunted some tree lines, drainage ditches, cattails. plus between us we have 4 dogs. Just have to walk slow let the dogs work

[2 DA GILLS]

Got out for a few hours Saturday. Saw a fair number of birds, but I did not take the safety off. They were in the ditches, willows and cattails. Numerous flushes were long distance, but had a few hens hold tight for some nice points. Should have had 2 roosters, but the hunting parnter had a glove issue and I could not get a clear shot.