# Was it a Good Season or Not?



## Townsend (Oct 12, 2004)

I thought it was a great year. The weather was beautiul and it was prefect to hunt almost every day. This year was as good as last in most areas. So how was it for you?


----------



## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

this year proved to be a good pheasant hunting year for me up in NE South Dakota. :lol:


----------



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Definatly a good year! For both birds and opportunity! Anytime you still can be hunting into late December and early January and still have a ligitimate shot at birds...It's all good! Can't wait til next year!


----------



## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

I think it was a pretty good year. From the posts, thoughout the season, it seems like the popular areas like Carson/Mott were not as productive. The areas I hunted, however, seemed to hold more birds than I've seen in years past. Can't wait til next year! Death to the Roosters! :sniper:


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

I don't think my area had the large #s we had last year, but it was still good hunting. Standing corn may have contributed to that. Had no bad landowner run-ins, and met some nice folks on the farms. Big thank you to them. If I could go back and change one thing, I would have switched to #2 shot in deer season. After switching there were no more crips and the birds weren't shot up either. A good year. Now just have to figure out this camera. :lol:

Barnes County Wildlife is haveing it's free Barnes County landowner appreciation supper Jan 5, 6-7pm Eagles, VC.


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

every season is good!

did have a good season, but the numbers did drop in our area(north central ND). had a ton of snow last year...


----------



## BIG BEN (Jan 4, 2004)

As long as i can hunt it's a good season. But the locals where i was said they'd never seen so many birds.


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I agree it was a good season. The weather and bird numbers were good, but the "times" with friends, family, and especially Remmi were ...... PRICELESS !


----------



## NDMALLARD (Mar 9, 2002)

All years are good, some are better, but none are bad. They all seem to go faster as I get older. Funny thing is I am not that old 38, So maybe I should consider myself lucky I realize this because it really helps me enjoy every day I get out in the field. Life is short and a good dogs life is a hellava lot shorter. Enjoy every day and don't sweat the little things.


----------



## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Yes it was a very good year! That is what is so good about the pheasant season. It is one of our longer seasons and you get to hunt a wide variety of conditions. From 80 degree days to below zero days and from wide open spaces to the heaviest cattail slough. About the only negative was that this is the most posted land that I have seen for a long time and possibly ever. Well over 100 roosters again this year so a guy has to count his blessings. I only wish that I could win the lottery and that my dog wasn't 13 years old but other than that "life is good!"


----------



## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Dick, all I shoot is 3 inch, #2 steel. Seems to do the trick. The biggest mistake I see people make on birds that get up at the hip is that they shoot too fast and then have to crank out a long one for their second shot . Get a good bead and one good shot will make for a clean kill. #2 steel does the trick for me. I started using it when my boys were young and then I didn't have to worry about steel or lead on waterfowl production areas etc. Early season I may use some #3 steel.


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I shot almost 90% steel this year as well. I seemed to have the same success with 2 3/4 and 3" shells. I had my friend (non-hunter) grab me 2 boxes of shells this year when he called me from Scheel's. He accidentilly grabbed 2 3/4" so I used them anyways. They had good knock-down/killing power.


----------



## NDMALLARD (Mar 9, 2002)

I have a buddy load my pheasant loads ounce and a half of lead fours. They blow right through the birds and I have very few pellets to pick out. Remmi my boy you are right about taking your time and making one good shot, But thats hard to do when all your buddies have quick fingers! :lol:


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Interesting note about drawing a good bead. If I keep my cheek on the stock I have a hit, head up a miss or a crip. But I can't say I aim, its goofy but I visual one of those big plastic bats that kids use, like swinging on a baseball, and I have a hit. Must be someting to do with timeing. Just sort of instinct.
Looking back on the year it was a good one. I had one chance at a double and connected, last year four. Some of the ones that got away will be remembered longer though. I was on a little narrow finger of ground that ran out into a slough. Clear bare ice on three sides. On the end of the finger were some cats with one Russian Olive. And a rooster that wouldn't fly. He'd been through this program before. Dog would move him over, back and forth across the cover. Had to step around the tree and he then blasted off-no shot. Salute. Had a run going of nine in a row with one shot each, then missed the next four. I hate that. :x


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Dick, last fall (2003) I got a triple on roosters just south of McClusky. I was driving to meet my father and saw a couple of birds fly from feeding down into cover. I met my dad and told him of the spot I found. We drove back to the area and started pusing this strip of cover. When we got to the end, it exploded with 7-10 birds popping out of 3 russian olives. I shot 3 times and looked at my father. I asked him if he got anyting and he said he missed everything. ~ The next day we went out near our cabin, my dad was 3 for 3 and I was 0 for 4 on birds :huh:


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

The best part of the triple is that my dad now refers to that strip of cover as our "Annie Oakley" spot! If I were to name all the places I had bad shooting...........I'd have run out of names by now! :wink:


----------



## pheasantslayer (May 13, 2004)

It definitely was a good year for us. Had one of the best memories i think i will ever have. We always hunt these tree rows that run into a small crick full of cattails. These trees usually hold around 500 to a thousand ringnecks in them. These buggers usually get smart on you after the second week and everytime you push them they run like wolves about 300 yards ahead of you everytime. Then when they get used to the blockers they will fly to their sides by about 200 yards. Once they got into the cattails all they had to do was either fly out the side and sit in the middle of a wheatfield or bust about a half mile ahead of you. Had a group of 8 college guys come out during the christmas break and it got ugly. Had 35 mph winds and a wind chill of 40 below. However for some reason we still decided to go out and walk the tree rows. We pushed the tree rows and got a two or three because the wind was blowing and they couldn't hear us and then as usual they flew by the blockers and into the cattails. Then for some unseen reason they just sat there. Whether it was because it was so cold out, or too windy I will never know but they got in those cattails and just sat there. The minute we stepped into this crick of cattails it seemed like every 10 steps you would take you would have about 6 or 7 pheasants fly up about 20 yards in front of you. They never all got up in one big bunch like the birds usually do late in the season but just in these small groups. Needless to say despite some super poor shooting in the wind, out group was limited out in 5 minutes once we hit the cattails. By far one of the best hunts I have been in on a while and a memory that will last forever.


----------



## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

With all those ringnecks, do you suppose there would be one in there with a 31" tail?


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I thought 31" tail feathers only grew near Watford City :jammin:


----------



## pheasantslayer (May 13, 2004)

Always were some nice tails, but as usual those big birds always knew the drill and would fly ahead about a half mile before you got there. Biggest ones i got this year were two 25's and a 25.5.


----------



## oklahomawatrfwlr (Jan 31, 2005)

I hunted NE sodak the past two years and had great success. We limited out just about every day we went. :beer:


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Yes, it was a good season when I got out. New pup, he learned quickly.

It was a bad season in terms of getting out. I only made four or five trips. Hmmmm...priority check time!


----------



## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

njsimonson said:


> I only made four or five trips. Hmmmm...priority check time!


Exactly! I have been in mourning ever since the season ended!


----------



## goosehunter09 (Jan 30, 2005)

I had a great season in SD here. I went hunting as much as possible. Its pretty good if you can still go out in late December and get your limit. I got my limit most of the time with just me and my dog. I think that over the whole season I probly shot around 60-70 birds. Pretty good year!


----------



## goosehtr4life (Dec 16, 2002)

Great Year!!!!!! Not quite as many birds as last year but still way above average. Went hunting with several different people and had a great time with all :beer:


----------

