upcoming season

[don novicki]

Well too,a ride yesterday to see what all is planted at a lot of my fields and the word is CORN, and plenty of it. Out of 5 different fields only 1 is soy beans, so things could look promising once the real season starts. Up here in the NW Zone we run from Oct-12 to Nov 29. Then close for deer and reopen Dec23- Jan 11. I don't remember the dates for goose but ultimately it runs until Feb 23.
Now all we will need is some real cold and snow along with a healthy NW wind. The last 2 seasons we have been cursed with a SW wind. I hope it does't go that way again. More fields to look over so I'll report again. Already seeing a lot of Doves.

[SpinnerMan]

I definitely prefer corn. What I have noticed is that once the snow gets any significant depth, it really makes no difference what is under the snow. It could be a parking lot and they couldn't tell the difference. But when there is little to no snow, it makes a big difference.

[don novicki]

Right on about that Spin..

[don novicki]

Broke my own rule of not buying anything more, but there was a Columbia parka on E-Bay that I just couldn't pass up. A lot of my clothing I can't wear anymore because the dryer shrinks everything (Yea right), but I love vintage camo patterns and this is Skyline Fall Flight and I couldn't pass it up. Hope my wife is out the day the package come.

[PorkChop]

Congrats on the new parka! I’ve heard nothing but good things about Columbia!

I seen a YouTube video where the lady is saying how the dryer shrinks everything and the man told her no it’s the refrigerator making everything bigger

[Rick]

I seen a YouTube video where the lady is saying how the dryer shrinks everything and the man told her no it’s the refrigerator making everything bigger

Bold move, that.

[don novicki]

August 1, countdown starts in earnest today. Generally I don't hunt the Sept season as it's too hot but maybe I'll try hunting a few evenings this season. Who's getting ready?

[SpinnerMan]

August 1, countdown starts in earnest today. Generally I don't hunt the Sept season as it's too hot but maybe I'll try hunting a few evenings this season. Who's getting ready?

I love the early season. Hot is obviously a big concern. Lots of mosquitoes. But cast and blast is the way to go. Set up before sunrise on a patch of grass overlooking decent fishing water where you'd expect geese. Fish until you hear the first goose. They tend to rise pretty early if they are going to rise. I used to hunt with 7 floaters before I had a place to hunt on land. Any more than a dozen is probably over kill and I really think even just 3 or 5 would be plenty. Superstition dictates an odd number. When it starts getting too damned hot, pick up your small spread and go on your way. Short hunts with a small spread. They won't be any dumber than they are on the opening day of early goose.

Evening in my experience, they don't fly until after sunset. Occasionally you get lucky, especially heavy overcast days, but generally nothing happens until you start picking up. Then the birds start heading back. I always put out floaters in the evening. They do tend to be very easy to get if they are flying before shooting time ends. Have had them try to land on top of me many times picking up in the evening. If they gave us that extra half hour after sunset in the evening, I would hunt every evening.

[don novicki]

I'll give the opener a try but it's going to be tough as there isn't much in the way of harvested crops then. All of the wheat and oats were picked in July and the fields are getting turned over long before Sep 1.. On another topic my buddy called and we are going to SoDak in Nov for pheasant hunting. That is something I have never done, shoot a wild pheasant. Looking forward to it but I have to get some blaze orange stuff as I have nothing in blaze.

[PorkChop]

Lots of oats here this year. In years past I have seen them here and there. Never spotted any birds in them though. Do you ever see waterfowl feeding in oats there??

[don novicki]

Canada's is all I have ever seen in them. The fields are long gone by the time the ducks come through.

[PorkChop]

Great! Hopefully they will do the same here as they have so many other options

[don novicki]

There's nothing else harvested yet, and corn is 4 months until harvest. I'll have to get out and scout a bit. Just got my truck back from getting new brakes. Ouch.

[don novicki]

Every honker in Western Erie County was in the cut oat fields, having a good meal. Too bad we are still a ways out from the season starting. I did check on all my fields yesterday and the corn is coming along nicely. It's still a long way until Oct 12th but I'm optimistic that this is going to be a great season.

[Rick]

Anticipation is one of the very finest parts of our sport.

[don novicki]

JUst talked to a buddy of mine and it looks like I will be making a trip to SoDak in Nov. to chase roosters. Never been there before to hunt so really looking forward to it. This will only be the second time in my life that I haven't taken a truck load of decoys with me. My last adventure, that didn't require decoys, was in 2016 when I went to Rhode Island sea duck hunting. That was really something. If you haven't done it give it a go. Regardless I'll have to get some upland gear as I'm thin in that area. E bay here I come. How many of you guys have been to SoDak hunting?

[Duck Engr]

Sounds like a fun adventure, Don!

I haven’t been in over two decades but plan to go at the end of October this year for waterfowl and pheasants. I’m excited for the adventure.

[Rick]

Looking that far back hurt my eyes, but "good boots and a light gun" still jumped clearly to the fore.

[5 stand]

Don, I'm excited for you Buddy...
The pups and I (three no longer with me) have been traipsing around up there yearly since 2004 (didn't realize till now it's been 20 years)...
Anyway, I'll add to "good boots and a light gun" a good dog, if a Rooster has legs under him he's running...
A good heavy payload of #5 lead will make those Roosters sick usually (if not dead)... I carry lead and non-toxic in the truck and if I can shoot lead, I will every time...
There is public accessible that will allow you to shoot lead, one that comes to mind is walk in areas...
Sorry I can't be more specific on what to do or how to hunt them, it changes daily (weather wise, and terrain) if that makes sense ?
I'm sure your buddy will fill you in on those details...
I will guarantee you this, you're going to meet some fine people up there, if you do a little visiting...
It sure is Special Country to me, hopefully when you get home from your trip, you feel the same...

[PorkChop]

Like 5 Stand said definitely recommend great walking boots! You may have days that you walk 150 yards and have your birds or you may walk for miles. Make sure they are waterproof as well.

Plenty of socks to change out of. Your feet may get sweaty. You never know what the temperatures are going to do. Sweaty feet also mean wet boots so ill boot dryer is also a good idea.

I personally do not wear brush pants however, every season I wish that I bought a pair. Never know when you’re going to end up in some Canadian thistle or other prickly plants.

Like waterfowl, pheasants have feeding times. They will feed at all hours of the day to include the dark. So initially, you’ll have to figure out the pattern of if they are feeding in crops or if they’re in their cover. Also, they get gravel off the roads. Once you figure out the pattern, you’ll know where to hunt and what times to hunt those areas. (hopefully that gibberish made sense.)

The wild roosters are cagey suckers. Not sure how good the dogs are that you were bringing but I’ve seen triple the roosters for the best of them. They will run around in circles and confuse the best of them. Definitely recommend the lead shot. I also recommend if you are not 100% sure that the rooster is dead in thick cover that you get over there quickly.

Don’t work the area too fast. Roosters will sit and I believe most hunters walk past more than they flush. I found the slower you go the more nervous they get and more likely to flush if you walk to fast, they’re gonna let you walk right on by. Not sure if you ever watched Bambi but there’s a scene in there with hunters and pheasants and it’s a pretty accurate.

Once again, depending on how good your dogs are, don’t be afraid to walk in the area that somebody else walked. Pheasants move around quite a bit.

I would say a good 85% of the time when wild pheasants flush, they immediately turn and go with the wind.

Anyways, just a little info from my experiences here in North Dakota. You may already know all that stuff. Growing up in Connecticut, All our pheasants were pen raised. There are a lot of released pheasants in South Dakota, even though they don’t really advertise that fact much but they will get wild quick. Definitely different birds than the ones I grew up shooting.

[don novicki]

Thanks for the tips fellas. I am going to take my Ithaca model 37 as it's a super light gun, although I wish it had a sling. Believe it or not I have plenty of high base brass #5 which I've had for decades so I will take that and some steel just in case. I've never shot a wild rooster. All we have here is pen raised birds that don't fly. I'm going to go out and hit the skeet range this fall before I go. I'm usually a half decent shot but a little extra work to polish things up can't hurt.

The dogs are not mine, but I know the guy that has 2 of them and they are steady on point, so that should be a big help. Something I read the other day is that you need to be quiet when hunting these birds. The article says that you should approach them like you would a turkey and be as silent as possible. That is news to me and I never would have thought of it.
I'm going to really chronicle the trip so that I can reliev every moment when I get back. November can't come soon enough.

[PorkChop]

We are not quiet. I’m always yelling and laughing and joking with the kids. A lot of people put bells on their dogs so they can hear them in the thick cover. I wouldn’t worry about being overly quiet. Sure you may spook some birds but more than likely those birds we’re going to spook anyway.

[Duck Engr]

Glad y’all mentioned boots, as that reminds me my turkey boots are long past their waterproof stage and my regular work boots likely won’t get along with my feet long enough anymore. There was a time where I didn’t worry much about my foot comfort. Those days are gone unfortunately. I’ll be cripple day 2 without something comfortable.

[5 stand]

A little video of Trigger having fun... As you can see these hens do not want to fly she has to drive them in the water before they get up...
As always if you can watch it in 1080 the quality is better...


There were a lot of birds in this draw, this is the end of a 17 minute video and I counted 19...

Some days my method of pheasant hunting is get downwind of said birds, kick little black dog out of truck and follow (shoot the Roosters)...

[5 stand]

PC text me and said he liked my video, so I'll post another one, it's a small glimpse of what might happen on your trip...
This video was from 2022 and was using my GoPro 7 at the time in this video you can see that the horizontal is off (the video is crooked) I worked hard at trying to keep it straight all the time but you can't do it with the head turn and I don't know why... Anyway the GoPro 7 made 17 minutes and a few seconds videos and then started a new one, this is the next minute after the video that is above (just got unlucky that they weren't in the same 17 minute time frame)...
The dog work isn't superb (neither is the shooting) she runs past this first bird, and on her behalf I'm going to claim that she gets excited just like her owner(i e wounded bird)...
But the reason that I posted this is if you listen to my words "oh that sucker is running.... He is running "
In The heat of the moment I thought the first bird was dead... PorkChop mentioned getting to your birds as quick as you can, I agree it can be prudent without a dog...
We got lucky, the bird fell in a couple inches of water and was dripping scent as he left and made the retrieve a whole lot easier ?

[5 stand]

I waited too long to edit and put this in the post above, so it's here...
Don't know if you can tell it but we had pushed these birds quite away and we get to this larger piece of water that gets close to the corn (I call it a pinch point) as a person that hunts by his self I use those pinch points to my advantage, water can be a great blocker or make a good pinch point...
Roosters will run right to the end of a piece of grass, or cover and sit there, and if you don't push it all away out (and walk away 10 ft from the end) he just watches you walk away and leave him sitting right there...

[don novicki]

Good videos 5, I'll watch these types of spots intently and maybe I'll get lucky. I wish my old Chessie was still around. He had boundless energy. After watching your dog I'll bet that was one tired pooch later on.....

[SpinnerMan]

Good luck. I'm jealous. I miss pheasant hunting. I had a great dog when I was young. She put up a decent number of birds for us in an area where there were not a lot of pheasants and most groups wouldn't see any.

When she was about a year old, I happened to drive by where the Game Commission had just dumped a bunch of pheasants for the upcoming season. I drove and got my dog and we chased those birds all over the countryside. After that my dog was hooked. She was a flusher, but really she was more of a herder. The last thing a pheasant wants to do is fly. She would circle ahead and cut them off and push them right back to us. Made for a lot of easy shots.

I was heading out one very nice fall day and my mom asked if she could come along for a walk. I said sure of course. My dog put a rooster in her face. I mean right in her face. She could have practically grabbed it. I still laugh thinking of her reaction with a big rooster cackling and carryon with my mom completely in shock.

Roosters will run right to the end of a piece of grass, or cover and sit there, and if you don't push it all away out (and walk away 10 ft from the end) he just watches you walk away and leave him sitting right there...

x2 on this.

I was hunting with a group of inexperience pheasant hunters. They got to near the end of the field and just stopped hunting basically. I was wait, we aren't done. Work the end carefully. Sure enough, there was a rooster tucked in to thick patch of grass when he ran out of real estate. Happens quite a bit. They run as far as they can, but won't run across open ground and don't want to fly unless forced to do so. So they hunker down at the end of the field. Also, just because you flush one does not mean that there is not another doing the same thing as well.

[don novicki]

I'll keep that in mind Spin. I've never really been on a designated pheasant hunt but am really looking forward to it. When I get back to Pa., I won't see a pheasant unless I'm right behind a PGC truck tossing em out.

[don novicki]

Getting cold at night up here with temps in the 40's. I did see 6 BW Teal sitting on a small pond that is across the street from a local McDonalds. Ordinarily we don't shoot a lot of those up here as they are usually gone when the real cold weather hits. I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come. Can't wait until Oct..