First ice pheasants??!!!

[BLACKJACK]

First ice pheasant hunting can be very good, the birds have learned to get way out into the cattails to avoid hunters, now with the new ice, we can walk that water edge and "Surprise". Who's all going to get out and test that ice and shoot a few roosters this weekend? Even with a high on Sat of 15 degrees? I know I'll be out!!! Normally first ice calls for hip boots, but as cold as it has been, I think regular boots will work - just have spares in the truck!! And watch for water running in and stay away from rat mounds!! It should be good!!!! In hindsite, I wish I would have taken the afternoon off!!!

[brittman]

The ice in the cattail sloughs always seems to have some weak or open areas. With the current drought - the amount of accessable cattail sloughs has already been very high this fall.

[Sartell Angler]

we'll be out for sure one of the days this weekend for some cattail roosters!

have to get the ice gear ready and the duckboat put away and also do a little goose hunting, but sunday is for sure all stomping time!

SA/wdw

[Bigfife]

I will be trudging through that cattails this weekend. Suprisingly, Swift county and south actually got a decent amount of rain this year. I got wet quite a few times trying to get in the cattails after the birds.

[BDR]

I was out yesterday, Marshall area, and was expecting the areas in the catails to be soft around the stalks yet. Very surprised everything we found was plenty solid. now we just need a little snow to push them in there in groups.

I did stay a good distance from current areas and Beaver lodges/runs.

[mitch]

I walked through some cattails today and they were very firm. We saw a ton of birds but no shooting. The birds were very skittish. They got up 200 yards away as we were getting out of the truck, but we were able to kick a lot more up once we got in there.

[grab the net]

I got out in cats today. Don't mind saying it was kinda chilly. WPA I went to had plenty of trucks but only single hunters by the looks. I only saw one other guys from across the slough. Bumped up a few suzies and had one shot at a roodie, but he hit the jet stream and I am sure I was more than a few feet behind. Very skittish birds in a very big area. We should have all teamed up probably would have had better opportunities, heard the guy I saw shoot twice, hope he scored. Ice was very solid, clear dark ice, estimate it to be at least 4 inches maybe more. Lots of people ice fishing today on smaller lakes in the area. Roosters are very sneaky in the cats, had more than one sneak away and get up behind us way out of range. Very good fun, lots of guys with the same ideas at least in that WPA. No birds for me today. Maybe tomorrow.

[Snag]

It was coooollddd yesterday. Got up two hens and 1 rooster. Didn't get any up in the cattails, maybe they were running around. The ice was thick enough in the WPA I hunted. The rooster was hiding under a cedar tree. I forgot a face mask at home, luckily I wore a turtleneck and could pull it up over my nose. I agree we need some snow to bunch the birds.

[MNUser]

We walked the cats yesterday. 2 guys no dog. One rooster taken and two others got up and caught the wind and were gone. We kicked up about 20 hens. They were sitting so tight I once stopped to get the cattail [PoorWordUsage] off of me and had a hen get up right beside my boot. Wish it would have been a rooster.

All in all, a good day. I will be back next Saturday. We only saw two other trucks at a couple other WMAs. We hunted both private and state land.

[Rooster Chaser]

Dumped a rooster out of a dry cattail bed this morning five minutes into my hunt. That was the only bird that stayed in heavy cover today. Dog ran three hens out of cattails, eventually put them all up in real thin stuff, but you could tell they would rather have not flown. Little cold out this morning, but now is when the fun begins.

[BLACKJACK]

Had luck on Sat, got two roosters and missed three others in the process, two of them cacklers, on the big WPA that I was hunting. I can blame the thick gloves and cold hands for the first one but the others were just poor shooting. The bad news was that I was at the faaaar end of the WPA when I got the second one, it was a 55 minute walk back to the truck. Jumped another shootable rooster on the way back. Ice was good and solid except for one spot that had some water flowing in, walking thru 4 inches of water at 10 degrees is kind of nerveracking. Typical late season hunt, jumped 8 hens in one spot, 5 in another, with long dry spells inbetween. The roosters were actually hanging out together, twice I jumped two in the same area.

Made it back out Sun afternoon, didn't fire a shot but still came home with a rooster, my old lab came out of the cattails carrying one!!!

Now the decision for later in the week is go back out pheasant hunting or go ice fishing??! Decisions, decisions!!!

[DigitalFisherman]

I feel your pain BLACKJACK; we decided to do both... phesants in the morning and crapies in the evening.

It realy is the most wonderful time of the year.

[Stratosman]

Got out on Monday on some private land, very thick and swampy, It's a spot that needs to freeze over before you can even walk it. Flushed near 30 birds, most too thick for a shot. Missed two in the wind, which was brutal, and finally managed to drop one, my lab pointed about four or five birds, one was the rooster I ended up getting, had time to set up downwind a bit and get ready. Other roosters were flushed and up and outta there in a heartbeat. Dog jumped a deer also that about ran me over, scared me as much as I scared her...Next time there will be a few dogs and a couple more guys with. A blast none the less.

[Sartell Angler]

sounds like a good hunt stratosman--I didn't make it out in the wind this past weekend but will be out regardless come saturday.

I've always wanted to hunt over a pointer but I guess a flushing dog beats none at all!

SA/wdw

[ret swabby]

I made it out sat and sun hunted wma got up a few hens but no rudies. Will try going further west this weekend.

[Rooster Chaser]

Roosters were definitely in the cattails today. Shooting was not my finest day this year, went one for four. All together I saw 7 roosters, and countless hens. Now my only problem is my legs cramping up from bustin through the reeds. This is what the late season is all about. The name of the game today was hunting slow and letting the dog work. Birds were running circles, backtracking, and trying to get to the swamp edges, what a blast.

[2thepointsetters]

Best weekend of pheasant hunting I have ever had in Minnesota. Saw well over a hundred birds on Saturday alone. Lots of roosters left and great temps.

[Ely Lake Expert]

Quote:

---

Best weekend of pheasant hunting I have ever had in Minnesota. Saw well over a hundred birds on Saturday alone. Lots of roosters left and great temps.

---

But did you shoot any without me there to shoot them for you??

[fivebucks]

It sure was nice to be able to walk all over the sloughs without having to worry about breaking thru. 2 of us got 2 birds but should have had limits. A couple of birds missed due to poor shooting and a few birds just plain out smarted us, even though we were on quiet mode. Saturday was a fun day. All told we saw about 50 birds, had 20 close flushes (including hens) and saw about a dozen roosters. My 2 1/2 year old yellow lab had the light bulb go on this year and has turned into a very good bird dog. FUN!!!!!

[DRH1175]

I was out on Saturday and did see a load of birds in the cattails. Half hour before quitin time seen close to 100 hundred birds flying back and fourth in the tail. Won't be going to LOW this year so I will spend xmas week getting in a good hunt instead. I look forward to it.

[Stratosman]

My cousin and I went out near Aberdeen for a Saturday and Sunday hunt, still unbelievable numbers of birds...they were very jumpy and bunched together so when one jumped they all jumped, made for difficult hunting, but we managed 6 birds each for two days, a couple of chokes as well. A couple on private land but we did our best on a chunk of public land. Very few hunters out either. The weather was unbelievable.

[LovenLifeGuy]

Got out yesterday and had my best hunt of the year. We were a bird short of our limit but had many chances to get that last bird. Birds were holding tight in the cattails. It seemed that the melting frozen rain made it much easier for the dog to pick up sent all day long. It was great to see! It seems that it has been really dry this year and the pup had been having trouble keeping on the scent until today. A lot of fun!

Anyone know of a good pair of waterproof field pants? I got a little wet early today with the melting frost and rain.

Thanks, LovenLifeGuy

[MDD]

LLGuy~

Get yourself a pair of Filson Tin Chaps. I love them because they keep you dry and you can take the chaps off if they are wet or muddy before you get in your truck.

[LovenLifeGuy]

Thanks mdd. I thought of that in the past but didnt like the way they feel. I think I may have to invest.

Thanks

[Snag]

They were bunched up pretty good today in the cattails. My Dad went 0 for 2, otherwise we would of both had a limit. The big groups of birds were spooked easily, once one went up, it was a domino effect. Saw a dozen roosters today. Today was going to be my last day, but I think I will have to find another day off next week or go over Christmas. I can't imagine how many birds will be in Minnesota with another mild winter and good spring.