Later Winters, an Idea- Would It Work?

[zamboni]

The past few winters have seen snow coming later in the year, snow, which is very important to pheasant hunting. Tonight I went to Mankato and seen around 65 pheasants, I would say 50 or more were roosters. My thing is, why not start the season a month later, and run it a month longer? Snowy Januarys are almost a given, Decembers and Novembers are not anymore. Any ohters thoughts?

[BLACKJACK]

I say no, I think the season is too long the way it is.

When you're late season pheasant hunting, you're driving the pheasants out of the heavy survival cover into the thinner cover where they are more exposed to weather and predators. That may not be an issue on a BIG cattail swamp but where the cover is marginal and you're hunting the only thick cover around it is an issue and a pheasant killer.

Yes it would be nice to shoot a few more of those 'extra' roosters but its the hens that you need to survive for next year.

[Eric Wettschreck]

What he said.

[Powerstroke]

Considering pheasants are actually more of a fall event I disagree that snow is part of pheasant hunting. It does tend to make it easier which really makes me disagree with your idea even more. Its nice to have a long season and few people do hunt later in the season, but getting those extra few birds a year is not worth the stress on the surviving birds.

[Flatlander]

When I started pheasant hunting in MN(moved here from northern WI), I didn't have a dog. Of the handful of birds I actually shot during those first couple years, all but about 2 were killed while tracking them through snow covered cattail sloughs. So, snow is a major part of pheasant hunting for the dogless guys. Even these days, I much prefer hunting roosters in the snow. I don't know if it stems from my first 3 years hunting, the lower numbers of guys in the field or perhaps the fact that landowners are much more willing to let you walk their land after Thanksgiving. With that being said, don't lenghten the season. And maybe something like a 2 bird limit until Nov. 1, and then 3 birds the remainder of the season.

[gspman]

There's no way I'd support starting a month later. I happen to like bird hunting without snow. When I was dogless I got birds without snow. Granted it was hard but I did it. And basing a hunting season on weather (something that is a random event for the most part) doesn't seem logical to me. There's no guarantee that there will be snow. This year there was hardly any snow until now.

[brittman]

ND has had late season pheasant hunting for 20+ years. It has no IMPACT on bird populations. The additional stress on these birds is minimal.

Regarding weather - Prolonged cold and deep snow and/or a cool, wet June are what determines how many pheasants are around in the fall.

Minnesota season is just right now. I would not change a thing.

The real issue will be loss of pheasant habitat nesting cover - CRP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Less hunting grounds too.

[zamboni]

Quote:

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There's no way I'd support starting a month later. I happen to like bird hunting without snow. When I was dogless I got birds without snow. Granted it was hard but I did it. And basing a hunting season on weather (something that is a random event for the most part) doesn't seem logical to me. There's no guarantee that there will be snow. This year there was hardly any snow until now.

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Here in southern MN we have had alot of snow since January- been a weird year. I am just un der the initial impression that a later year would be more fruitful, thats all.

[dstrey]

I wouldnt support this either, just because I cant wait that long to hunt pheasants.