# Unguided hunt



## jurso

Looking to try the PLOTS lands around the SW corner of the ND sometime in Late November.. will be two sports, and 4 dogs and really want to hunt on our own, working the dogs and such..
Im not against paying a few bucks to access decent land, but are the Public lands posted clearly in ND??? Is it geared more to having to hire a guide there???
I'll be contributing to the economy with lodging and meals, but I just would rather not hire a guide this time.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. 
We will be trying to find areas where we will have opportunity at grouse, and huns as well as the big roosters.


----------



## Rick Acker

Plots land in SW N.D. can be good late in the year...It gets hammered pretty good early in the season...Be prepared to see a lot of hens with a few roosters mixed in...Most of the best land will be tied up...However, it its possible to gain access depending where you are hunting...Even places like Mott will sometime offer free access to those who ask. Wish you luck...Sharps are fairly common and Huns less common, but that was last year...I'm hearing the Huns are up...


----------



## djleye

You will find plenty of posters in that area of the state. There should be no doubt as to what is poated and what isn't. You really will not have to pay to access land for upland hunts this year. There should be planty of birds for all. Make sure you stay mobile and if you want to stay in the SW and not travel too far from there be prepared to pay for getting on land. Hunting is big business in most areas there. There are pockest of land out there that are accessible but you will need to put on miles to find them. Good luck and enjoy ND!!


----------



## g/o

Any particular reason it has to be the SW? Would you consider the SE?


----------



## Turner

no birds on the SE side.


----------



## Scott Schuchard

what do you mean theres no birds on the SE side thats were I hunt and there are plenty of birds down there.


----------



## mburgess

I haven't hunted the SW part of the state for almost a decade now. I've heard the PLOTS and public land gets absolutely pounded, because it has all become pay-to-hunt out there. When I was younger it just wasn't a hunting season unless we put in our annual trip to Dickinson with family and friends down there late in the season and we never had trouble finding birds then. I would wait it out until after deer season and I would imagine access to private land will be much easier. Birds will be anywhere in ND south of the interstate 94 with fairly good numbers. Mott area is usually thick with birds but fee hunting is pretty standard in that region due to the Cannonball Co. leasing up much of the land in that area.


----------



## ShineRunner

> what do you mean theres no birds on the SE side thats were I hunt and there are plenty of birds down there.


One of my friends and myself have been hunting for the past 4 years in the SE and have killed almost all the birds in that area! There might be 3 hens still there. :homer: :fiddle:

You are on the right track, the people in ND are great and will take care of you. Take your time and you will make a lot of new friends. :beer:


----------



## jurso

Thanks all for the excellent replies.. Ive heard good and bad on that Cannonball operation.. Lots of hand holding by the guides, and kinda acting like your shadow.. That is what we DONT want.. let us work our dogs and miss and mess up on our own.. I dont want an audience..
No particular reasoning behind targeting the SW portion of the state..
I was just doing what research online I could, and it seems that part has the most public access, or had.. 
So landowners that charge a fee, or are hooked up with Cannonball, will really be worth asking permission for FREE access during the later season????? That is hard to believe.

THANKS ALL ONCE AGAIN!


----------



## rowdie

If you want a challenge for your dogs, hunt the corps land that has been left high and dry form low water conditions. If your traveling from the east, just go south of Bismark. All the way to SD along both sides of the river are acres of major cover and lots of birds. Find a road to the river and its all public hunting once you're on corps land. If comming from the west, take a day and drive east a little further.


----------



## Rick Acker

No, more than likely it would not be worth asking for permission from Farmers who charge...However, there are some that don't...You'll have to pound on doors till you find em'...You can usually tell by the way the land is posted...if it's fee hunting or not!


----------



## holmsvc

Tony Turner,

Good Post! If people want to hunt the SW part of the state we certainly don't need to stop them.

jurso,

Late November is not a good time access land it is deer hunting season. You would have much better luck getting on land in December.


----------



## Field Hunter

g/o,
now don't be telling those boys about the few pheasants we have in the SE.

:beer:


----------



## g/o

jurso, By now you must realize that is site is not friendly towards Outfitters or Guides. In fact most are against any type of pay hunting, there loss .
Some questions and some advice for you.

1. Is your heart totally set on SW ND if not I would strongly advise you to consider SE ND. First of all there are more birds in the SE than you can shake a stick at in fact they have become a nuisance.

2. Do have your vacation days set aside yet or is that yet to be arranged? November is by far a good choice especially in the SE, corn will be off and the birds will be pushed to heavier cover. Like as said on this site come later, you really don't want to be here for the deer hunting opener. Rick Aker is the only one I know who hunts during this time.

3. As far as open land PLOTS and etc. you will find much more in this part of the state. You find a lot of land that is not posted, plus a bunch of friendly farmers that are very receptive to non resident hunters.

If your interested in hunting this part of the state we would love to have you. Let me know how many days you plan on being here, and what days. I will be glad to help you out and point you in the right direction. Free of charge of course


----------



## Dak

Definitely go SE. All pheasants are there...access easy...no other hunters...vehicles run on virtually no gas there...doesn't get cold...never snows...

:lol:


----------



## Field Hunter

No way....go to the SW. You won't fnd a nicer bunch of guys that want to take your money for the privilege to hunt their land. Bring LOTS.

There are many areas of the state to hunt pheasants....the SE is good but the NW is good also..then there's the North Central and the South central....I guess you'll find birds pretty much everywhere in the state except the NE. I'd base in Jamestown or Bismarck and do a little scouting in any direction.

The SW has made a decision to have Pay Huntng and pretty much only pay hunting...the sportsmen from the east and central areas of ND have stopped for the most part traveling to the SW as the outfitters have taken control. I would think that any public land in the SW is virtually hunted to death.

Look to the WPAs...they can be a great habitat in which to find pheasants and not many people are hunting them. Also take g/os advise.....did I really say that?...and come to ND in November after the first weekend of deer season....most NRs have come and gone and the birds will be way more concentrated after the crops come down.


----------



## Dak

Field Hunter,

I agree...ALL...res and non-res...should avoid the SW at ALL costs.

The NW is good but too close to the SW. I would stay east or even in MN.

:wink:


----------



## holmsvc

g/o said:


> First of all there are more birds in the SE than you can shake a stick at in fact they have become a nuisance


Yep just like the guides and outfitters.

jurso,

Any where you go in the state land access is going to be more of an issue during deer hunting.


----------



## Bagman

drdeerhunter said:


> what do you mean theres no birds on the SE side thats were I hunt and there are plenty of birds down there.


Wooooooosh! :withstupid:


----------



## jurso

Thanks All!!!

Ok, first of all, No, my vacation dates are not written in stone..
I just thought I could gather more days, by going around Thanksgiving week, what with having the 4 day weekend and all..
Secondly, in looking at the Fish and Game site for ND, it seems like the best areas ( PRIMARY RANGE ) of Pheasant, Sharptail & Hun, appears to be in the SW areas..
3rd, I prefer running the dogs without having to worry about potential Rattler problems, so thats why late season, after the freeze up, seemed to be a good all around choice.
My choice was to try for either Kansas or ND, but ND seemed to be the least pressured, and most open to hunting on our own of the two.
Should I hold out for December??? would the weather be to chancy the later I go???? It's going to be a 2000 mile drive, so i want to at least get some hunting in after a the long haul..


----------



## Rick Acker

Even November could be a crap shoot...We are due for a bad winter...There have been seasons where even Thanksgiving was not possible to hunt because of 4 feet of snow on the ground...However, it has been several years since that. Thanksgiving should be safe, but as always check the weather ahead of time...The last few thanksgivings have been nice...I'll see you out there!


----------



## Springer

I guess I would ask you what kind of dogs you have and what kind of cover have you previously hunted?

If you have dogs that like to bust the cattails then later after we get some snow is a good choice. If you have pointers that like to run then earlier when they are still in the crp fields.

I have hunted during the deer hunting season and there are always some road posters waiting for you to kick up some deer. This year the deer season is from November 10-26. 
I would avoid the first two weekends for sure and over Thanksgiving there are also alot of farmers that have family out and like to pheasant hunt so I would pick the next weekend after for the best chance to get on some land.

If you want a mixed bag I would start in Jamestown and go south and west from there, or start in Bismark and go any direction from there.

Good luck.


----------



## Jiffy

All the birds in the SE corner died from the drought.....its really, really disappointing. :roll:

Try Pembina..... :beer:


----------



## KEN W

I wouldn't worry about rattlesnakes.I've never seen one while pheasant hunting in the SW.


----------



## gmangriff

Myself and 3 others did a self guided week in the SW/Mott area last fall from Oct. 23rd-28th and had a great time. We hunted PLOTS only and had plenty of bird contacts along with 3 porkies?? In that weeks time we never had a field that we had another hunter on the same piece on property, only on Friday did we even see other guys out driving around. We take our hunts during the week just for this reason and going during Thanksgiving I'd think you would run into more hunters.

We did ALOT of driving and looked at PLOTS from Mott all the way to SW of Scranton some 70m away. There was some good action down in that area and saw a place that must have been a pay to hunt and had food plots, but the number of birds moving around there was unreal.

We havn't gotten our trip set this fall but more then likely we'll be going back. Just Get the PLOTS book and start driving, it's worth it.


----------



## jurso

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE.. EXCELLENT TIPS HERE!!!

We run Vizslas.. Not show stock... these are the real deal outa Hungary..
big runners and can take the cold if it hits..
Ok, so to narrow this down, this is what Ive take away from this string..
1. Try to avoid deer season, Nov 10-26
2. Get the latest PLOTS guide and concentrate on areas SOUTH ( But not always SW of I94 )
3. Hit a diner or two in the towns along the way to learn from the freindly locals.. 
4. Dont worry about Snakes
5. Have Fun..

THANKS ALL!!


----------



## Field Hunter

To get the TRUE flavor of the SW make sure you ask every farmer you see if you can have permission to hunt. Although gman had a great hunt the general concensus is that the SW has sold out to outfitters and has even asked the game and fish to not put anymore PLOTS into that area of the state.

Try some other areas of the state...there seems to be pheasants everywhere this year...ASK the farmers for permission..you'll meet some great people and have amuch more enjoyable trip. Except for the SW where outfiting is king, the rest of the state has more public land and the farmers are more likely to let you hunt without paying through the nose.

One thng that I've noticed on this site is that many of the NR hunters have a hard time asking for permission to hunt. I assume this is due to the fact that they cme from states where it is very hard to gain permission due to lack of public ground and most land either being tied up by outfitters and/or leased to the highest bidder. ASK FOR PERMISSION....The farmers in the rest of the state tend to be much less selfish when it comes to sharing the resources that are on their land....in fact one of the outfitters on this site, g/o, actually helps guys find places to hunt....sometimes I wonder how he makes any money.

Anyway....look to the NW, SE, NCentral, and South Central and DON'T limit yourself to just public land.


----------



## Rick Acker

FH... it's not as bad as the picture you are painting in the SW...Maybe in a 3 square mile area of Mott...I've been going there every year of my life and I love my SW experience...Every year I usually find another NEW place to hunt...Farmers may not be as friendly, as say in the S.E. in general...But, I have met some great landowners out there...And every now and then it's fun to see fields "Moving w/birds"!
And reports of birds being way down because of the drought are highly exagerated...I think other than G.F., Pembina and Neche...You could shoot pheasants easy this year...Can't wait!


----------



## Field Hunter

Rick,
I'll admit I'm talking from personal experience. I've had a very hard time getting on land in that part of the country. I had contacts that we had met long ago that simply said they turned everything over to the outfitters. Left a sour taste in my mouth...and I'll be perfectly honest, I don't care if I ever hunt in the SW again. The second thing that turned me sour was the year they had virtually no cover left in that part of the state due to snow cover and cold temps and they had the nerve to ask for help from the sportsmen of the state to feed the birds.....I contributed at that point and when I mentioned it to the farmers they said thanks but Cannonball controls the land.....call them. No thanks....I'd hunt on a shootng preserve before I'd travel to Mott and spend any money. Just my opinion.

I'm not saying that you can't get on land but you'll have to admit its a lot easier to get on land other than in the SW.


----------



## Rick Acker

No doubt on your last line FH...Have a great weekend, and I'm sure I'll see you down in Gods Country this fall!


----------



## jurso

Great Tips all!!! Thanks again..
Hey, worst thing that can happen is I blow a day lookin and asking around.
if that fails there's always the federal lands out that way or else hop back on I94 and head east.

Thanks again!


----------



## pheasantslayer

First of all, I am glad to hear you want to do a free lance hunt. There is nothing like going out and finding your own birds and I applaud you for looking around and asking questions. Not all the SW people are the greedy bigots that ruin pheasant hunting and blah,blah,blah. I hear that thousands of times on this forum. I am from the SW part of the state and I will tell you the times you are talking about coming out are a good time to hunt. Yes, you will find more hens in the plot lands, but what most of the people on this site don't realize is you will get a lot of permission from people if you knock on doors. Do you think farmers and ranchers like it when winter comes and you have thousands, yes thousands of birds in the yards. That is a reason why a few will let you in. Also, most farmers are educated and know that if you have too many roosters and a tough winter does come, the roosters will kill the hens by forcing them out of limited feed stock. Most people out here only charge for the first month or so and then let people on after that, that is their gravy train. No one is around pheasant hunting in December and that is when the birds group up and you can see pheasant hunting at its best. Write me a pm and I will show you that not all SW residents are not the pay to play people and that there are still quite a few of us that hunt because we love the sport for what it is. I can promise you one of the best hunts in north dakota where you will flush up thousands of birds in a half mile walk. Hope to hear from you soon and have a fun time planning your hunt.


----------



## Jiffy

Wow jurso that's a mighty fine offer pheasantslayer just offered to you. I'd take it up with him if I were you. Good luck this fall!! :beer:

Just stay out of my Pembina area.... 8) :wink:


----------



## mburgess

Another thing that plays into the equation is what kind of dog you have. The plots in the SE and South Central were pounded pretty hard last year, more so than years before and I still managed a limit off strictly plots the last day of the season. Sure, bird contacts were few and far between and mostly hens, but if there are hens on that chunk of land you know there are roosters as well. If you are still getting birds off of plots land late in the year you know you have a bird finder in the truck. Good luck!


----------



## DJRooster

If I decided to go salmon fishing to Lake Michigan on a once in a lifetime trip I would hire a fishing guide and a charter. If I were going fly in hunting or fishing to a lodge in Canada I would hire a guide at least until I get a feel for the country. If I were coming to North Dakota on a once in a lifetime pheasant hunt I would be tempted to hire a guide. If you plan on coming back after you have gotten a feel for what is here you could probably try a freelance hunt. Fee hunting and guides are a personal choice and can enhance your experience. If you think you are up for the task go it alone. It's a long way from NJ to Nodak. Hope you enjoy our state. One man's opinion.


----------



## Field Hunter

Pm me if you wish......I can suggest a good guide or I can tell you how to freelance and where to look for places to stay. ND is Gods' ****ry when it comes to hunting and you CAN do it very easily either way.


----------



## Norm70

DJ, Get to work :beer:


----------



## ryanps18

You wont even need to get out of your truck get on county road send your let your dogs work the ditch. You will be in the bar by noon :beer:

Just kidding.

I would try north of Dickinson there are plenty of farmers that are going to let you hunt there land that time of year. Give them a few of your birds and you will be fine. Granted I have not lived around there for a few years now but I don't think that much has changed. Not everyone out there are as big of jerks as some of the guys on this forum are having you believe.


----------



## Rick Acker

Several new tracks of PLOTS land around Mott this year...Just got my new plots map!


----------



## deacon

Good news new plots, but have these acres been bailed. Some areas it have been done and reduced the cover available significantly?


----------



## jurso

Can they send out the PLOTS GUIDES?? Or only available at sporting goods stores in ND??


----------



## Bobm

go here

http://gf.nd.gov/info/plots.html

Pick the ones you want and print them


----------



## Rick Acker

I believe the most they can hay is 50%...Correct me if I'm wrong...Sometimes that's better, than dealing with a sea of CRP. SW birds have a much higher I.Q. than birds around the rest of the state. They wise up a lot quicker with all the pressure!


----------

