# '09 Season



## Dick Monson

Hard to believe its almost time. Got the vest down, loaded it with shells, dug out the water bottles, dog dish, recharged the camera, oiled the Danners, permission secured, man I'm set.










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2. Ruffed Grouse
Opens: September 12 Closes: January 3, 2010
Daily Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 12
Shooting Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
Open Area: Bottineau, Rolette, Cavalier, Pembina and Walsh counties. Also that portion of the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in McHenry County lying south of the Upham-Willow City Road is open to ruffed grouse hunting.

3. Sharp-Tailed Grouse
Open Area: Statewide
Opens: September 12 Closes: January 3, 2010
Daily Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 12
Shooting Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Exception - Hunting for sharptails is not open within the North and South prairie chicken units (see map and unit descriptions), except by prairie chicken permit holders, and then only during the designated prairie chicken season, October 10-18.

4. Hungarian Partridge
Open Area: Statewide
Opens: September 12 Closes: January 3, 2010
Daily Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 12
Shooting Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.


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## Dick Monson

And now the forecast looks wet.

Friday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.

Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Monday: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 69.


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## cgreeny

At leat the dog wont over heat after the first walk with the cooler temps. :beer:


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## AdamFisk

Bring on the colder temps. If I have to put up with some rain, so be it. I'm so sick of 70's and 80's that I'm damn near wishing we had snow in the forecast, damn near.


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## drjongy

I don't like to hunt in the 70's and 80's, but this summer has been way too cool to be wishing for snow already. I wish we could go back to May and do summer all over again.

It said in the GF Herald today that grouse numbers are down 50% in much of the state, and partridge are down 65%.


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## Dick Monson

Forgot to take the camera and sandwiches but did remember to take a bunch of stuff I didn't need. :eyeroll: Foggy and wet right off the bat. Walked 4 1/2 hours and flushed 3 bunches. The two of us got 5,all young birds, missed two. Sam did a beautiful job of pointing pheasants but flushed all the grouse. :******: 1 flock was in a stubble field, 1 in a hay field, and 1 was along some standing crop next to an ungrazed pasture. We saw one other group of hunters. All of my bones fused together on the ride home. The afternoon was picture perfect early fall day in North Dakota.


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## muskat

Two of us walked about 6 miles of light cover. Didn't flush a single bird. Only saw one sharptail all day, and one covey of partridge.

Standing crops, wet weather this morning probably didn't help today!


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## mburgess

After flag football and little girls basketball saturday morning. Took my young son on his first sharptail hunt. It was warm and we were in big country. Dog was an absolute machine. Pinned 5 coveys of 4-6 birds in each. Thought my son was going to get his first birds, as they held perfectly all day for points, but it didn't happen for the little guy. He started getting pretty tired and I ended up carrying his shotgun half the way back to the rig. Still got my limit of 3.

Sunday, went out after the football game, only moved 3 birds and got 2. They were all singles, probably broken up from someone else hunting them. Great weekend, all birds were shot over points.

PS: Don't underestimate how well your 4 legged friend can get in shape by just walking him/or her. Usually I run my dog 3-4 times per week, but due to some recent health problems, running turned to walking this year and he didn't miss a beat all weakend, and it was hot and we were hunting some big hilly country. :lol:


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## Dick Monson

We arrived at our spot about 8 AM this morning and were filled by 8:30. Didn't walk 20 steps from the truck when my buddy shot a neat left and right double. We picked up a single too that folded quite aways out. Sam had a real hard time getting scent as it was warm and humid but found it after a bit. There wasn't much breeze, not even ripples on the water. Sam went by me on the corner of a stubble field and a grouse flushed behind him, didn't rise more that 4 ' off the ground as it flew over him so had to let that one go. As we came back to the truck we flushed a flock at distance and there were 3 stragglers that went in the bag. Just time for pictures and back on the road by 9AM. Should get lucky once in a while.


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## Hardsell

Awesome outing. Looks fun.


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## BNATT

Looks like fun. Have any of you been seeing any pheasants while you are out? I'm wondering if anyone has seen a drastic drop of in the places they hunt sharpies.


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## Dick Monson

We hunt sharpies on the coteau so it isn't really pheasant country, but there are some all over. I think pheasant hunters will have to work harder this year, with the fewer numbers and heavy cover. You can see a major difference in the amount of grass between 08 & 09, which is probably why the birds are holding better. That and the heat. The good grouse hunting is only going to last a couple more weeks. One thing I forgot to mention is that the hawk migration is going on right now. If you are interested in birding it is worth a drive just to see the different species.


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## wburns

I have been seeing the pheasant population as being spotty. I work around the various parts of the state and walk a lot of CRP and pasture land. It looks like some areas might be similar to last year while others are way down. I know the sharpies are down in certain parts as well. I have shot a few limits. Some areas were easy while other areas I had to really work at it.

Looks like a real nice hunt Dick. I like your dog. I have a wirehair as well.


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## schlag

We had 3 people hunting 4 days and on 1 day we had 4 people hunting. We were done in 2 hours each day. I had never hunted this early before. Can't beleive how well they hold for the dog this early. We did have 5 dogs though. Out of 39 birds about 32 were young ones. Some were really young. Didn't see many Huns though where we were. Did find one covey with young ones that were only 3 or 4 weeks old. Was surprised at the number of pheasants we saw. In some of the poorer grouse areas and good pheasant areas they were everywhere in the evening.


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## BNATT

Thanks for the information. It's good to hear from sportsman that have actually been out in the feilds. You can read all the reports and surveys that are done, but I think the best information always comes from fellow hunters. I don't expect to see the same amount of pheasants as in the past, but I do anticipate good numbers. I would like to see the sharpie numbers climb though too.


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## njsimonson

Gunnar and I hit the trails today and got three ruffies. Our best day together, by far. We flushed nine and had shots at six in a two mile loop, and then we were done! Two of them were young-of-the-year, but the last one G put up was an old red-phased male - beautiful bird.


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## mburgess

Went out on 9/19 about 4:30 and put in a good hour and a half of humping the coteau hills before getting into a few birds. After some good dog work and poor shooting ended up bagging 2 birds, should have had a nice limit. It is nice to get out and stretch the legs. We've had a nice September, almost too nice. Must carry water on these hot fall days for your four legged partner.


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## Dick Monson

Nick, I thought you'd have to saw the barrel off that long tom you're holding. Great picture. When the leaves drop I hope to get up north for ruffies.


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## njsimonson

Heh, yeah. The old trusty 28" Wingmaster my dad gave me. When I swing it after a bird, I knock down aspens like Paul Bunyan.

You should have a good hunt. Up here, it has been obvious from the past few days that the bird numbers are up.


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## 20gauge

Seems to be a lot of birds in Idaho this season. Went out opening morning (9/19) and killed 6 huns and flushed 11 pheasants in the process. It's going to be a great year for birds!! Can't wait to get out again.

I'm going to North Dakota next month for pheasants, any reports?


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