2018 pheasant hunt

Gator

Long Time Member
Messages
18,128
Right now the cold and snow is kicking some butt back there.
Putting in our order for the hen release that we do every year.
Hoping release 120 again this spring.
I will be headed back for a hunt 2nd weekend in Nov.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Hope the spring and summer fairs well for the birds, I'm looking forward to a good season when I am there. I hope I can meet up with you again this year for a hunt or two.

Lance
 
Sure hope you do.You are always welcome.
Jerry my Gunsmith/Blocker passed away 2 weeks ago.
Going to miss that one legged pheasant shooter.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Unsuccessful in Ut draw.
looks like it going long off season as far as Big game.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
I ended up with a pup Jerry had just brought, He's about 4 months old right now and got him retrieving dead bird already,

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Hi Gator and Huntfool2. Seen your post running here and hoping you two can bump me in the right direction. I missed my colorado elk draw which seemed like a sure thing. I always wanted to take my F Brits to South Dakota and it looks like this year is it as plan B. I plan to go the day before thanksgiving and run it through the weekend. Looks like that is the SD deer season. Is that an issue. I plan to run public lands DIY. Any tips would be appreciated.
 
Mat hope those pictures show what we can do back there.
Looking forward to seeing you, if you make it over on the second weekend of Nov.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Hey Gator,

Those pictures were awesome and got me pumped to head out for some ringnecks. Thanks for the tips..it's much appreciated. I'll see what my schedule does and if I can make it out earlier than planned I'll give you a shout.

Matt
 
They turned out over a 100 hens in April, so we hope they nested and hatched a few rooster chicks.
Several area's they held off cutting the grass/road ditches because of birds still nesting with eggs.
Hoping for those summer thunderstorms to drop water and get the bug count up.
Hoping for a good season this fall.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Heck middle of August and still see couple of week old chicks They wouldn't make though a winter not enough body mass.
But maybe some of the second hatch will start to turn before the pheasant season opens.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
AWESOME news Pheasant count up 47% that a huge jump over last years count.
Here it is August and they are still on eggs in nest's and still seeing couple week old chicks along the roadways.
THIS should be a Great year.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
That is good news! Looking forward to a late November run out there to see what the pup can shake up for me.
 
I saw that the counts are up this year, that is great news, November can't get here soon enough. Am going to get the dogs some work on some sage grouse and ptarmigan in the next few weeks.
 
The new pup did great yesterday with being shoot over(first time with shotgun) and retrieving doves.
Was really pleased on him finding a bunch of down birds in fields with thick cover.
Lance hope you can meet us up there.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
We will be there 10-16 Nov. so that a good thing.
Leaving here on the 9th,

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Alot of corn is being combined right now so by Nov most should be gone. They are seeing alot of birds as they combine the corn.
Should be a good year.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
They got a little bit of snow last week, But it has melted pretty much already.
You best be Think having cold weather gear for the later hunts for sure.
T shirt weather will be gone.
They are seeing good numbers of birds this year is a huge plus.
3 1/2 weeks will pass quick.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
A little snow in the forecast and Cold nights,
Come on Friday. Taking a couple of new dogs back this year.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Lots of cold and lots of wind, lots of standing corn.
The good news was we saw and hunted a bunch of birds.
Saw very few other hunters. Has a few good and outstanding days with huge bird flushes. Big sloughes had tons of birds in them and they was holding good until that first blast, just not enough walkers to flush them ALL out, BUT when we did it was some of the best shooting.7* in the morning 25 in the afternoon with 25-35 mph winds. 6 guys (4 walkers 2 blockers) end up with 56 birds. Would score it as a 8.9 out of a 10 for best hunt of this year for there.
New pup did a fine job pointing and fetching.

Saw some AWESOME WT Bucks in full rut.

Hope to see more guys out come next year.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Was 65 degrees yesterday in So.Dak, Now that's a warm December day.
That would been a great day to be hunting ditch parrots for sure.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
This winter is kicking the pheasant population in the A$$ pretty hard. Will need to get more hens back into the population by planting hens this spring.
A lot Midwest States got hit hard with winter loss of birds restocking will be going in several states, I'M sure pheasant prices will rise due the amount of birds the different states DFG will need to for restocking.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Nephew and Brother ordered in over 700 3 week old chicks,
Straight run order so the hens MIGHT nest this year(late Hatch) and if not it will give a boost to the next year crop.
Winterkill was pretty big in part of the state.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
They lost hens, But we found replacement hens that we have turned loose and they are doing pretty good so far. I think the Bounty on the coons has helped a lot.
Cutting the road ditches later will be a great help too that really help if there is a second hatch.
The area's that had the HUGE sloughes they seems to have saved a lot more hens from winter kill, Must been better cover from the cold and wind, they seem to see more hens around those areas during the morning drives.
My brothers think this year could be a good one for having a double hatch with the amount of water in the low laying area's which means more bugs that means more chick's will make it.

As you know only in SD can you plant corn one day and have it freeze that night. LOL

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Turned loose another bunch of half grown hens this week with a few roosters thrown in.
Doubt if they will nest but the price is right and more birds to spread out and help in the reproduction.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
I gotta ask, how are you raising and releasing your birds? I'm sure you know the success rate on pen raised and released birds. Have you tried the brood hen release? Netted transition pens? Banty hens? I applaud your efforts and think it's great! Just wondering about your success?
 
WE have been doing it for 8-10 years now with great deal success
To go long with releasing hens my family does a lot of fur taking in the winter months so that really helps those pen raised birds get a hold.
Yes we do release brood hens early in the laying season.
Large flight pen with lots of cover does get them ready to for the wild. This last batch are 1/2 grown hens that are coming from those flight pens with thick cover with a small corn field in it.
WE also try and turn them loose where we spot wild birds next to the roads early in the AM they seem to bunch quicker with them which seems to help keep them alive. We Believe that helps them find hiding places in that first day,By following the wild ones into the cover, Come on back and see how many hens you will see in a week hunting those areas we are releasing the hens in and tell me it not working LOL.
A lot of groups pull up to a slough and toss 10-15 birds and drive on thinking WOW I have really helped, first you have take out the predators that will be eating those birds that you will be turning loose to give them a chance of get wild.

We know that it works on the farms we own and land that my family farms because they do see them a lot hanging with wild birds until they get the same darker color of feathers and length of feathers.
I'm a firm believer that the predator hunting is want makes the big different is how well they survive around the farms we have,
along with the cover they leave for the birds and the winter feed they leave out for them.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Awesome! I was just curious... Sounds like you've really got it down. I've tried some where I live and you gotta laugh at the groups that toss a dozen pen raised birds in a ditch thinking its gonna work... lol
 
The opener sure is going to suck fields to wet to combine so LOTS of corn still standing.
Sloughs full of water.
Best bet is to hunt CRP plots, treebelts, etc.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Hi gator, I figured that the corn would still be up it will make the hunting challenging and I had heard that there has been allot of water compared to previous years, I have seen a few reports that people are getting into birds. No matter what it is still a fun trip. Are you headed over this year? I'm headed over late next week.
Lance
 
Headed out on the 8th of Nov. will be hunting on the 9th thru 16th.
They are just getting the soybeans done and have started on the corn.
TONS of water all the sloughs are full I'M HOPING for a hard freeze so I can walk on water in those sloughs.



"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Rooster count up 2% overall count down 12%
Since we only shoot rooster that is the only good news.
Dang it going to be cold and windy back there But when isn't in Nov.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom