# Observations '03 Season



## Dick Monson

It's all wrapped up now, just ten months to go before it starts again. Time to fix and clean the gear. Custom Gunworks here we come! 
The last weekend saw quite a few people out for one more go round in spite of bitter cold. Hard to believe we started off with extreme heat and ended with a wind chill of -60. It was so cold Suday afternoon the saftey on the shotgun didn't want to mooovvvvveee.
In my area the ratio of roosters to hens showed a pretty good harvest and everyone seemed well satisfied with the opportunities they had. People mentioned the expanded PLOTS and also that they enjoyed the first week. The range expanded over the state giving more hunter shorter drive times and increased hunting time. Birds aren't under much stress as there is good food and cover available. Every wheat bale that BCWF put out has birds on it so they got to the right place. Thanks to all you pheasant hunters for the tricks and tips you posted here. BTW-kept count the last two seasons-2% of my harvest were roosters older than 1 year. Kind of tells you about Mother Nature.

One thing I forgot to add: bioman said to keep a journal of your hunting days. Not only of times and places but how each hunt went as in years to come a hunter will treasure those memories. Seems like a very sound idea.


----------



## drjongy

I had my best year of pheasant hunting ever this year. In fact, this was my best year for upland in general. I believe this stems mostly to the availability of birds across the entire state...I didn't have to drive for 3-5 hours to find birds. I can't remember seeing so many pheasants and grouse around the Eastern part of the state than I did this year. Perhaps this is from the mild winters recently.

I just hope the trend continues.


----------



## njsimonson

Agreed all around!

An incredible year with family and friends in the field. Who could ask for more? Dick, you're a great hunting buddy, and Gus is quite a dog. Thanks for taking me along into the field these past few weeks. It has truly been a blast!

My favorite memory was when my cousins and I had 100-200 birds flush over the haybales near my grandma's farm in Watford City, and I missed six shots because there were soooo many birds I couldn't focus! Still managed some birds though! And opener out west was fantastic! 









Also finding Willie the pointing farm lab. What dumb luck to find a great dog like that, which my grandma's neighbor was happy to let us borrow. We had an incredible time hunting behind him too.

That and my cousin Dustin's first bird, finally he broke the ice and took his first rooster, enough to make anyone smile! We were all pretty proud of him that day!









And like Dick said, the opportunities around SEND were pretty darn good this year, we saw roosters around Moon Lake, even one on the interstate between Valley City and Jamestown. Needless to say, we had some great success stories around our area. My buddy Reid came down from school with me and had a great outing in November near Litchville. 









Lessons learned:
1. Get a dog for next fall.
2. GET A DOG FOR NEXT FALL!!!
3. While school is important, if you miss a few fall Fridays, there's always someone to take notes for you. 
4. Roosters don't make much noise in November or December. 
5. Hens provide about as much excitement as roosters. Now I know why so many hunters die of heart attacks in the field. 
6. With a little egging on, and bringing home birds, you can convince old hunters that they can still get back in the field (Right, dad?)
7. Fly tying becomes cheaper when the roosters give you the materials
8. Hunting is best enjoyed with friends, be they four legged or two.
9. A winged rooster will ALWAYS win the race across the cut bean field.
10. I need more treadmill in the off-season!

I can't wait to see you all again in the field next fall. We should really consider putting together a NodakOutdoors pheasant rodeo or something, where we all meet up, BS, and maybe shoot some birds next year!

All the best, and until next fall, shoot straight!


----------



## Brad Anderson

Lets hope this -10 degree weather passes quickly. I can't imagine how cold it must be for animals who spend all day outside in weather like this! Hopefully we dont get anymore snow either, deep snow is a killer.


----------



## Rick A.

I also had a fabulous season for roosters and I didn't have to spend hours driving out west to get em'! This is why I live here and continue to turn down jobs that I could make twice as much or more. I propose that next season we have some sort of tournament for NODAK OUTDOORS PHEASANT people, much like the Greenskins. Rather than opening weekend, when everybody is going to fill up, How about the week before or after :beer: Deer Season and two person teams with the longest tail being the tie breaker! Just a thought...What do you think Chris H.?


----------



## bigblackfoot

A pheasant tourney sounds good to me.


----------



## njsimonson

Dick...

Dibs on you and Gus as my partners?

What a great idea, lets see if we can get the enthusiasm built up for the first "Ringneck Classic" or something of that sort. If anything, it would be a great time to just hang out, hunt and meet some fellow NoDakers.

Keep in touch


----------



## DJRooster

I envy you young bucks for your energy and enthusiasm. There was a time when I was full of vim and vigger and intensity and would love the competition. I guess that is why I enjoy pheasant hunting so much because my dog and I are both getting a little older and so we like to set a leisurely pace and truly enjoy the moment and I truly believe that slower is better in most cases. I don't think there is a more relaxing hunt than a nice slow walk so the dog can investigate all the smells that he thinks are interesting. You don't have to be up at the crack of dawn and 1:00 in the afternoon can be as good as 7:00 in the morning. I think that a pheasant derby, fishing derby or duck derby are great ideas but this old fart will pass. After shooting close to 100 roosters myself this year I hope next year is better if that is possible. It is easy to give roosters and fish away and people love to get them but a little more difficult to find someone who may want a duck or a goose. With the lack of early snow in the southern part of the state it is setting up to be a return to the good old days. Without the winter of 1997, bird populations would be totally nutso. In my humble opinion the late season hunting has been even better than the early hunting. Great weather, no competition and unlimited access. We were lucky enough to limit 10 consecutive days that we hunted over Christmas. It is great to live in North Dakota and for our state and our landowners I am thankfull for a truly great year of hunting.


----------



## Bagman

One of the finest seasons since the mid 80s just came to an end. I made it out with my 13 year old daughter last week for one last crack at em. We didnt get down to the heart of rooster country till about 2:30 or so but still managed to see over 200 birds before sundown. I was amazed at the rooster ratio as late as it was in the season. Seemed like 3 weeks ago all I was seeing were hens. Not this last trip. Man were they jumpy...but I still managed to bag one dummy before dark. I could only imagine what a year it COULD have been with a dog. Count me in for the Rooster Roundup next season. Now its time to focus on rods and reels and tackle in preperation for that first case of BASS THUMB! :thumb:


----------



## GooseBuster3

Pheasnt tourney? I dont think so, only waterfowl for me. hehe :wink: :lol: 
Pheasant are to easy to hit :wink:


----------



## Maverick

Plus there is no calling in pheasant hunting! Well at least how I hunt there isn't!!!!!Web feet down for me!!!!

Mav....


----------



## FACE

How about just a long tail feather contest for Nodak members with prizes such as as gift certificates from scheels or cabelas that would be covered by a reasonable entry fee. You could have it where only one entry per member be entered say by nov. 1 and would have to be verified legitimately somehow to prevent "exagerating". Would be fun and would allow members from other states to participate.


----------



## GooseBuster3

Yeah but guys could go around and ask there hunting buddy's for the longest tails then pick and choose by the deadline to see which one is the longest.


----------



## FACE

True but I know of one bar in southern Mn that required the pheasant tail to be verified while still attached to the bird as in fresh kill and only one entry per person. It's done much like trout contests where you fish for 30 minutes and record two fish lengths once recorded too bad if you catch bigger one because you take the chance of also not catching any! Could change deadlines to a specific date also like opening weekend where hunting too. Anyway try not to bring us down GB3!!!!   :wink:


----------



## Bobm

Face what so you know about Arizona quail hunting this year could you PM me?
Thanks


----------



## Bobm

I meant to type " what do you know" to early in the am I guess!
Thanks


----------



## FACE

Depending on what quail species you are looking for it can be easy or very difficult!!!!! I just got back from Az hunting again and was very successful, unfortunately it was FREAKIN' cold!!!!! My family and I were camping but after three nights of 12 degree nights (yes 12 degrees in AZ!)we hung it up and went to San Diego and Tijuana (only 48 degrees for highs) for a road trip. Anyway each species has its own particular habitat all of which is easily accessable (mostly state and fed land) all of which if you know what to look for will bring successful hunts even when quail numbers are considerred down like they are now! Gambel quail and scaled quail season runs from mid Oct. thru mid Feb. and Mearns' quail starts late Nov. thru mid Feb. There is also ample ops. for dove hunting also that starts the same day as mearns'. Needless to say after growing up in Tucson this is a hunting trip I will always make typically around the Thanksgiving week since my wife is so busy with work it is a good time for me to go. One of these years though I'm going to have to recruit a hunting partner to go along.


----------



## Rick A.

Ohhh the cockiness of you Waterfowl Hunters! As the ducks are landing in your decoy's on opening weekend,(at the Greenskins) Due to your outstanding calling skills, do you use #2's or #3's to pot shoot them on the ground? Just curious! :sniper:


----------



## DJRooster

I've never found it easy to hit a duck that catches a 25 mph wind and if there is anyone around that can hit a rooster that has caught a 25 mph wind I'd like to meet him and find out the secret. A duck or goose that is locked up over a decoy spread is the next easiest target to a ground pound. Like any hunting the pleasure is not in the kill, it is in the art that leads up to putting yourself in a position to make the kill. Hunting is not killing!!


----------



## GooseBuster3

Ok guys you got me  :lol: 
But what about the opening weekend when you gus drive up to the roosters pop out and ground'em. :wink: :lol:


----------



## Rick A.

Hey a running pheasant in the ditch isn't that easy to shoot? Okay Goosebuster...You got me now! Take care bro! :beer:


----------



## GooseBuster3

:lol: :lol:


----------



## gandergrinder

I think you could have a pheasant hunt held. However there are some issues someone would have to address.
1)Someone has to organize it. This could be tough to do.
2) Land access. Many landowners don't care as much about waterfowl because they are here today gone tommorrow. Pheasants on the other hand are on a landowners property year round and many hold a "kinship" with the pheasants. If the group gets big finding land could be an issue.
3) To make it a legit deal you have to charge something. I think the money needs to go to some type of habitat project. What will that be. This would not be too difficult I don't think.
4) Where will it be held?

Just some thoughts guys. I think it would be a pretty cool thing.


----------



## Field Hunter

We wouldn't have to wait for next year.....I know some of you won't like this but hear goes......how about a February hunt at a game preserve.
Everyone that shows up buys 3 birds each. If we have 20 guys then put an extra band on 4 birds and have everyone put an extra $10.00 in the pot. So you would pay $45.00 up front for 3 birds and then $10.00 extra. 4 tags would be worth $50.00 each. Cold also have a hell of a pheasant feed with a few beers afterwards at the preserves facilities.

At least we cold see if GB3 could hit a flying rooster!


----------



## Brad Anderson

I refuse to hunt on game preserves. Hunting tame birds just doesn't seem very sporting. Not to bring you down, but I know of a lot of people that refuse to pay hunt, let alone hunt tame birds. Just my opinion.

As for a regular season tourney, I'm all for it. There is plenty of places to hunt pheasants, not to hard to find em' either.

In response to pheasants being to easy to hit, a greater canada is the easiest of all birds to hit. With a wing span the size of a 747, you had better knock em' down, otherwise ya look kinda silly.


----------



## redlabel

Excellent suggestion by Field Hunter. I usually try to get in a couple of game farm hunts in January and February. It helps one get outside and the dogs can't tell if the birds are pen raised or wild.

I'd do it soon though because most places start to run out of birds by late January.


----------



## Nodak Duke

I'd be in for a pheasant shoot although I will not partake in shooting pen birds... And yes, my dogs can tell the difference between penned birds and wild ones as they'll usually catch about half of the penned birds... :lol: :lol:


----------



## Guest

I'd go for it ifI was a res. Shooting once penned birds is rediculious. They're good for dogs just getting started, experienced dogs get most in their mouth without a shot being fired. That's just my experience, but I also have a very good lab from SoDak!!!


----------



## 1 little feather

We hunt a lot of pen raised quail with our puppies and started dogs. But whenever you put a seasoned dog on penned birds they get way too close. The pen raised birds do not flush like the wild ones, allowing the dog to get too close. This is a problem whenever you take the dog to wild birds. The dog then thinks that it can get that close to the wild bird resulting in flushed birds. Once the dog starts getting too close its almost impossible to break. There are enough wild birds for you guys in ND that you shouldn't even consider messing up a good dog.


----------

