# MN Hunting



## mnswd

I am not able to get out to ND any more this season - Any reports on birds closer to the Twin Ciites.


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## tjay

We've had some luck in the Wilmar/Khandiohi area. Any closer to the twin chities and the pressure is too much, unless you are consistant at 50-60 yards.


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## Shu

From my standpoint, there is no reason to go to SD or ND for pheasants. Just hit the southern half of MN and you will be amazed at the number of pheasants that are around!!


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## dieseldog

I agree with SHU hunt in MN. Can there even be any pressure in Mn with all the MN hunters in ND.


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## mnswd

I would love to stay here in MN
.
Can I find birds on public land?

In ND I can hunt any nonag. land if it is not posted, I an unclear on MN rules.

What area would you recommend ( county) .


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## Shu

All I hunt is public land. Try Murray, Pipestone, Lincoln, and Lyon counties. After the crops come down the public areas with good cover concentrate the birds.


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## BIRDSHOOTER

Shu,

Heading out to Ivanhoe the weekend of the 10th. Never hunted the southwest part of the state. Maps show a ton of public areas in Lincoln county, hope this latest storm moves them into the heavy cover. Also, just curious have you had much success getting on private land this time of year? Seems like until deer hunting is over it can be difficult.


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## Shu

I've asked permission for duck and goose hunting and have never been turned down. Haven't asked for pheasants. I think it would be a little tougher but your chances will still be good. Good luck!


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## gandergrinder

My dad has been shooting pheasants pretty consistently all year in the counties Shu is talking about. He has access to private land so I don't know if that makes a difference or not but there are pheasants in Minnesota. CREP has helped a great deal in the last few years as I understand it.


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## mnswd

Tjay - you have had kuck in the Willmar area - did you hunt public or private?

North south east or west?

Willmar is a reasonale day trip. DId this area get hit hard by the storm?


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## Shu

Heading out tomorrow for a quick 2 day trip. I'll post results when I get back. Should be fun in the snow!


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## tjay

mnswd,

I only hunt state land there. I focus on the sw corner of kandiohi off of Hwy 7 to the north. I was out sunday and the snow wasn't bad at all. Picked em up out of the cattails. Don't know about the snow last night/today though.


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## BIRDSHOOTER

Anybody been out near the South Dakota border from Pipstone up to Wheaton. They had some nasty ice., wonder how the birds made it through.


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## mnswd

Went out on Saturday morning to some public land just west of cities off Hwy 5 - Saw two hens - thats it and lots of orange. A party of 4 and two other parties of 1 . Think of heading out further west towards Willmar. ANyone heard how the weather and hunting has been out there.


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## BIRDSHOOTER

Just got word today from someone who was in southwestern minnesota over the weekend. Says the birds are really bunched up in large groups, but extremely jumpy. This is that time of year that you need to pull out every trick in the book in order to get in range.


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## mnswd

Lookig to go down to Murray county this weekend - anyone heard how it holdong up with the weather so far this yr.


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## BIRDSHOOTER

Everyone done already....... someone's got to be still killing ruddy's. Hunted out in Ivanhoe Minnesota in the southwest last weekend. The snow and the cold really bunches them up, but are very hard to approach. 2 of us shot a two day limit, but had to pull out all the tricks to get decent shots.


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## pheasantmaniac

I'm heading out Friday...if I can find someone to go with me. Will probably hit the Benson area....I'll post my success, hopefully!!


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## goose nuker

sauk center area is holding alot of birds on public land


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## seabass

I went hunting near Morgan, MN this last weekend. Quite a few birds where you can find cover. Took a while to find good structure for them though...


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## dieseldog

I was just wondering how long has it been legal to shoot pheasants in MN with a .22? Is this something new or has it been on the books for awhile. Seems kind of ridiculous to me.


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## StLCardsFan

Was in western MN Saturday near Appleton. Tons of birds everywhere. All along the road and in the fields. Only problem: as soon as my buddy and I stopped the truck and grabbed the gear, the birds would have run 100+ yards across the snow top, or over a hill. We could never catch them. If they would flush, they would be 100 yards away, usually. Only a couple of hens were flushed after the dog got a good point on them. So we came home empty handed.

A month before we were out and another pair of hunter were using an electronic Hawk screetcher. In this late season and with snow advatage the birds have, does anyone think a Hawk screech would keep the birds pinned down long enough for a hunter to drudge his/her way through the snow to catch up and get a good shot off?


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## DeerScarer

Report on my first pure pheasant hunt (As in, the first time I haven't had the sock on my gun walking to the duck pond when they flushed, or some other dumb thing):

Went to SW Minnesota as planned. It was a beautiful day, sunny, no wind to speak of, and 40+ degrees. Everything you guys have talked about is correct as far as I observed; the birds are all bunched up, the birds are extremely jumpy (no flushes under 100+ yds except hens), and they have come through the recent storms in fine shape. _And_, there is no reason to look outside MN for birds! I saw more pheasants in a one mile stretch of public land (and adjacent corn fields) than I've ever seen anywhere else, including in South Dakota.

No shots. But did learn something about myself; I can have the gun to my shoulder, cheek on the stock, hammer thumbed back and bead on the bird within the time it takes a pheasant hen to fly about five yards after flushing. AND I can still stop myself from pulling the trigger when i realize it's a hen!

The day wasn't a total loss; I achieved my secondary objective of falling through the ice along a creek. :lol:

-Dave


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## BIRDSHOOTER

DeerScarer said:


> The day wasn't a total loss; I achieved my secondary objective of falling through the ice along a creek. :lol:
> 
> -Dave


Oh.. by the way, did I forget to mention that the creeks and cattails did not freeze deep enough, and are not too safe yet because of the snow on top. :huh: :lol:


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## farmerj

I left ND and the 1 hour drive to decent hunting. 

It's now only about 15 minutes away for pheasant or Coyote.


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## pheasantmaniac

Tons of birds in MN this year..get out and take advantage of it!!


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## BIRDSHOOTER

Nice Pic Maniac,

Your right there are birds out their to be had if your willing to walk a bit. Hunted today between Sauke center and Paynesville on public land, and took a limit over solid points. Roosters holding in small cattail patches. If your hunting public land, find those out of the way areas back away from the roads and parking areas. Places that might not look too inviting. Hit any small cattail patches or creeks that have willows or grass surrounding them. Seems like these birds have been pushed to the far corners in areas most hunters aren't willing to walk to. Not much time left, good luck everyone.


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## mnswd

Going down to SW MN for one last time - open to where .

Any suggestions?


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## BIRDSHOOTER

mnswd said:


> Going down to SW MN for one last time - open to where .
> 
> Any suggestions?


If you live in the Metro area I don't think you need to travel that far. Wilmar area would be a nice day trip. I hunted south of Sauke Center on some public land and saw enough birds to satisfy my thirst. With this fresh snow things might be pretty good. One thing I might say is hunt the edges of cattails, and especially small patches of cattails that are surrounded by CRP. I didn't find anything in the CRP, everything in or around cattails..... Good Luck.


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## farmerj

BIRDSHOOTER said:


> mnswd said:
> 
> 
> 
> Going down to SW MN for one last time - open to where .
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> 
> 
> If you live in the Metro area I don't think you need to travel that far. Wilmar area would be a nice day trip. I hunted south of Sauke Center on some public land and saw enough birds to satisfy my thirst. With this fresh snow things might be pretty good. One thing I might say is hunt the edges of cattails, and especially small patches of cattails that are surrounded by CRP. I didn't find anything in the CRP, everything in or around cattails..... Good Luck.
Click to expand...

Was out walking around today and the dogs didn't hit on anything today. I know they are there, just really tight with the weather.


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## aylor70

I'm from SW MN and there are pheasants all over the place. Trouble is they're so spooked you cant get within shotgun range no matter how good you are.


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## farmerj

Friday during the snow, not many birds to be found.

Saturday on the way to town, Actualy saw about a dozen hens and 4 roosters.... In the middle of a field. 

Today when we went out, they were coming out of the deep cover and looking for food it seemed. The daughter was caught up in the moment and now wants to spend more time on the snowshoes.


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## mnswd

Went down to Bufflo Lake WMA area. Saw tons of birds ,but...



> I'm from SW MN and there are pheasants all over the place. Trouble is they're so spooked you cant get within shotgun range no matter how good you are.


Walked in cattails, around the edges of catails, through cattail, saw lots of tracks. It was tough walking. Saw a bunch of birds in the CRP - but that was posted. Doesn't seem right that we pay with tax dollars to keep them from farming it - then they turn around and lease it agian to some luck hunter.

All in all Flushed 15 birds within range - 14 were hens. Got the one rooster. Didn't get many flushes from in the cattails, mostly outside along the edges in the brush and trees.

Nine more months till it all starts over again - Cant wait.


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## prairie hunter

Minnesota pheasant hunting was one for the record books. Personally put more that 2 dozen birds in the hand in MN. Not bad considering the 2 per day limit. New pup did nice learning on the job, but my old girl showed that experience beats energy most every time.

Saw many more birds in MN per hour hunted than my trip to NoDak. Yep - trip. No need to return back to NoDak this year. Just hope the population can hold on this high until my son gets a season or two under his boots. Just a year or two away from BB gun to shotgun


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## BIRDSHOOTER

A very incouraging year at that. Though it just goes to show that given the right weather conditions and a mild winter what pheasant populations can do. My only worry is what is to become of the set aside acres (CRP) when these contracts come due in 2007. If many of these are not allowed to renew or additional acres not qualified, it could and will be a doom to pheasant populations. One question that I would pose to the DNR is what our neighbors to the west have adapted. Why not adopt a Walk on program like South Dakota or Plots lands like North Dakota along with more state public areas. I realize these are valid questions and generally soley dependent on raising the funds to start such programs. I've read many a posts regarding the public lands we have now are being overun by hunters. Seems everyone is fighting for a place to hunt even if that means more than one party hunting the same parcel at the same time. Maybe its time to take a look at how other states can manage these programs, and not have to be solely be dependant on mild winters and good hatching weather to carry birds over to the next year.


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## get the net

A great year to chase roosters in MN. These last few years have been excellent, especially late season. Fewer folks out and about. Special birds when you harvest a late Dec. longtail


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## swany25

Anyone seen a rooster like this one?


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