# Field Hunting Coots



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I saw a first this weekend, and no I'm not crazy as there was another half dozen witnesses.

2 coots came into a stubble field and landed (if that's what you call it).

Anyone else ever see this?


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I have seen them land in the field right next to the water we were set up in and they are not graceful at all. Most of them actually tumbled several times and actually appeared shaken up after the fall. It really was hilarious to watch!!


----------



## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

That would be really funny to watch. :withstupid:


----------



## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

How many beers did you have the night before?


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Severalteen.....This was a long time ago before I had kids and became even more of a lightweight!!! :beer:


----------



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Did they make 3 or 4 summersaults? :idiot:


----------



## ylwlab (Sep 8, 2004)

My hunting partner "Skippy" shot a couple last year, thought they were mallards. :eyeroll: He ran an awesome coot field spread.


----------



## Jicama (Sep 8, 2004)

I hear you have to look at their eyes to tell the difference


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

haha, i watched two coots try and land on the water one time, they must have not known how fast they were going because each of them hit and did a few skips then a flip or two before finally coming to a stop, it was hilarious


----------



## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

i don't think they find it any easier to land on the water than they do on land.


----------



## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

I saw a couple of coots in downtown Denver not to long ago. They were window shopping.


----------



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

My only coot story........2 years ago we were out grouse hunting and stopped in Velva for gas and pizza. Ran into a couple of guys and asked them how they did. They were excited and told us how easy duck hunting was (it was their first time, young Air Force members) because they just sat on the water while they shot them!?!??!?! looked in the back of their brand new Don Bessette Mazda (still had dealer plates) to see a bed full of coots.

Didn't have the heart to ruin their excitement...........but sure was funny!


----------



## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

my dad saw the same thing with some guys from 3m. they thought they got their limit of pheasants. when my dad looked in the back of their rig, they had a big pile of crows. as my dad was trying to hold back his laughter, they went on to explain how tough it was to get their limit.


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

haha, nothing wrong with someone killing a few crows every now and then.


----------



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

I can understand guys misunderstanding good ducks for coots, but crows for pheasants????


----------



## jbaincfl (Feb 5, 2003)

My one experience was hunting a slough one morning in the fog and the coots actually got up and were flying around. My friend was way on the other side and was piling them up thinking they were ducks (it was his first time to ND). I had to explain to him the concept of identifying the duck before shooting. It was rather funny though, the dog wouldn't even go pick the coot up.


----------



## MOSSBACK (Jun 10, 2004)

I did not know that coots (slough gophers) could fly. I thought they rode on the backs of swans for their migration.


----------



## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> I thought they rode on the backs of swans for their migration.


 Nope!! They load em up in Tractor trailers and truck em south!!! We saw a few Thanksgiving last year that must have overslept and missed the bus!!


----------



## WARDEN247 (Sep 7, 2004)

6 Years ago I saw 50 to 100 coots frozen in a rice patty near Brainerd MN. Coots usually take to the south before any type of freeze up.. Just so happened a cold snap that evening came in.. 90% of these coots were still alive and 20% live through the ordeal.. By mid morning the water thawed enough to let their feet go free.


----------



## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

On a Thanksgiving day( around 1987) my family was on it's way to Gackle to have Thanksgiving dinner with the Gackle crew. We were traveling via HWY 46, heading west about 15 miles past the HWY 281 intersection. With my father driving (as he usualy did), we came upon a slew that we have to drive through (both side of the road are covered by water) to find the water half frozen and about 300 coots on the road. The stretch is about 1/4 mile long and has only 1 option. So we start laughing but they don't fly away. They stay sturn in the spots, no matter where they were. We proceeded down the road zigzaging this way and that way trying to dodge them, but it seemed like they wanted to commit suicide. They were literally flying at the car. At the end of the stretch we probably took out 10-20?

It is forever known as "Coot Slew"

Mav...


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Mav..... You were a little kid and fell asleep and dreamed te whole thing and your parents don't have the heart to tell you it never happened!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

I did sleep alot as a kid........... :lol:


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

What do you mean as a kid.... I have never seen a guy come out of a deep sleep firing the gun as many times as you have Tayler!! :wink:


----------



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

We also have a slough that we refer to as "Coot Slough" and we give directions using that as a place of reference. As a matter of fact, I will be hunting grouse precisely 2 miles east of our "Coot Slough" Which is just northwest of Benedict!!!


----------

