pheasant hunting during deer season

[2thepointsetters]

Do people hunt for deer on WMA's in South Central Minnesota or is it still ok to go pheasant hunting next weekend. I am not sure what the rules are about this. Any input would be great.

[love to hunt]

It is public land so you can hunt birds anytime they are in season, but if it was me, I would just stay home and watch the football games. There are going to be a lot of guys out there and there will be lots of activity. I filled during bow season one year and had the same idea you have and wound up just leaving. Just way too many people were I was. Who knows you may get lucky and find a quite spot. Especially later in the deer season, there will be less going on.

I would caution you on a couple things.

1) Wear lots of orange and your dog too!! Like solid from head to toe.

2) Check your fire, keep an eye out for the guys in trees while your are shooting at flying birds

Good luck.

[mechanictim]

I have hunted pheasants on WMA's many times in southern Minnesota during the slug seasons. Just stay out in the open and wear the brightest blaze orange you have. Since pheasants are hunted after 9:00 AM, most hunters are starting to get antsy and looking to start drives, you won't be bothering most of them at all. Most slug hunters know that anyone walking the grasslands and cattails could be pushing bedded deer toward them just as much as a deer drive, and usually don't mind the pheasant hunters. Just try to stay away from wooded areas and any where the covers is as tall or taller thah you so you can be seen just to keep from surprising anyone and you have can a safe hunt. With most of the corn fields getting combined during this past week and next you should find plenty of birds. I usually don't hunt pheasants right up till sunset during the slug season just to let deer hunters have the last hour of the day to deer hunt.

[irvingdog]

I didn't start deer hunting until about 12 years ago. I was, and still am, an avid pheasant hunter (soooo hard to split time). That said, the one thing you REALLY need to concern yourself with is to adequately protect your dog. It's amazing, the number of knuckleheads out there that will shoot at anything with 4 legs.

Horses, dogs, etc.....

[2thepointsetters]

Quote:

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That said, the one thing you REALLY need to concern yourself with is to adequately protect your dog. It's amazing, the number of knuckleheads out there that will shoot at anything with 4 legs.

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Yeah I know all to well.... Last weekend I was pheasant hunting in North Dakota and my setter broke point and started chasing a rooster across a cut corn field. Well one of the guys (I thought was my friend) started shooting at the bird which was still running about three feet ahead of my dog. My dog made it through his four shots without being hit, but when I told him I didn't appreciate him shooting near my dog like that he flipped out and punched me in the side of the head knocking me to the ground. Once I was on the ground he punched me three more times in face and head.

I couldn't believe all that happened on the first day of our week long trip. After I got up I told him that I would be hunting by myself the rest of the trip because I didn't trust with a gun or around me. He got so mad he left and drove back to MN. Nobody missed him for the rest of the trip and we already had everything paid for so he lost his $400.

[tealitup]

Nice friend you have there. No one needs a hunting partner like that - hopefully, he will be on his own for the rest of his life.

A bird is not worth any kind of gun mistake. Saftey is not a mistake.

[irvingdog]

He's no friend, and if the shoe had been on my foot, he'd have left in a squad car, not in his own truck.

[almostthere!]

With friends like that, who needs enemies.

Some people never learn to use words instead of fists when others remind them what they are doing is wrong. Your so called friend there needed a visit from the COPs.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Dood, your "friend" was throwing you a beatin, after he shot at your dog, and you had a gun in your hand????? What a nim-rod. Him, not you.

First off I applaud your self control for not shootin the guy.

If he drove away and lost out on his 4 hundo it sounds like that was the smartest thing he did during the whole trip.

All I can really think is "wow."

If you want to shoot pheasants go for it. Like earlier stated, if you jump up a deer it's a bonus for the guys lobbin slugs. However, there will be a ton of guys out there. Most of them will be sane but you always have the not so normal dude that lobs a slug at anything so paint yoruself and dog head to toe orange and be aware of your surroundings.

[love to hunt]

If you where in a party and onthers saw this event I would press assault charges. That kind of dump shouldn't go unchallanged. He obviously has issues and they need to be adressed IMO.

Sorry to hear you hunt was spoiled and maybe the rest of the year will be better.

[catman71]

sorry about your "friend"

anyway, I have, on several occasions hunted out west (ducks and pheasants) and have had no issues with the deer hunters. I actually got a few invites to hunt birds on private land! Don't be suprised if some hunters start to follow you around looking for gifts your sweat in the cattails kick out! Indeed a guy with 2 dogs and fresh legs has a lot of friends next weekend.

I did intentionally stay away from WMAs with trees or high grass tho, I think you would never have a problem running well out in the open.

[2thepointsetters]

I wish I would have pressed charges now. But at the time I was so shocked at what happened I didn't even think about it. I did have some black and blue marks on my face the next morning so there would have been proof. It was a very scary ordeal, I cant describe everything that happened by typing on here. I really hope that he will get help with his anger problem before he hurts someone bad.

On a better note. Thanks to everyone the replied about my original post. I will not be hunting down south next weekend anyway because I took three overtime shifts for the weekend so the guys that really like deer hunting can have the whole weekend off.