# Hunting during the holidays



## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

A friend and I are planning a North Dakota hunt during the holidays (Christmas to New Year's). This will be a trip in addition to our usual trip, which typically occurs in mid November. Where we have focused our November hunts is very un-crowded. Let's just say it's in the NE quadrant of the state. We rarely see other upland hunters, although sometimes we see a few deer hunters. And we find excellent numbers of birds in November, hunting mostly public, but some PLOTS and some private lands. We work hard for our birds, usually in thick cover where you would expect to find them; and, by day's end, we often have gotten our limits.

So without giving away our "honey holes" or even the general area where we go, I'm curious about the amount of hunter pressure we can expect during the holidays. Will we see fewer upland hunters than we see in November, about the same number, or more? I know we can expect more challenges from the Weatherman this time of year, but should we expect to encounter more or less other bird hunters?


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

I'd expect that you would encounter almost the same or even less pressure in that quadrant of the state during the post holidays after Xmas. If anything you'll encounter some guys out bowhunting deer or predator hunting if there is snow on the ground.

Most guys don't go out hunting much up there that late in the year for upland...

Good Luck

Ryan

.


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

Very little pressure from Dec. 15th on.........in most of the state actually.

That is my FAVORITE time to be out chasing ditch parrots! :beer:


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

When you hit the night life, all the college girls are home for the holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Definatly Less pressure! However, more and more people are hunting later in the year, now that it seems we have less snow every year!


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Lemme guess...you found out about Pembina? :lol:

I PM'd all these guys giving away MY secret spot (you know who you are :evil: ). With all the pressure, I head up to Neche now, not as many birds, but good walking.

Seriously, you should have little pressure at that time of year everywhere. Its one of my favorite times to hunt.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

njsimonson said:


> Lemme guess...you found out about Pembina? :lol:
> 
> I PM'd all these guys giving away MY secret spot (you know who you are :evil: ). With all the pressure, I head up to Neche now, not as many birds, but good walking.


Sorry Nick! 

I shoulda kept quiet about that secret spot...


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## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

I disagree. Over the holidays our high schoolers are not in school, teachers that love to hunt are not in school, and many of our college students are back home wanting to get a few walks in as well.

I guess it seemed like many more took vacation time over Christmas break because family was home.

Last fall over Thanksgiving and Christmas break I saw many, many hunters that I hadn't seen since the beginning of the season.

But it appears I am the minority posting and maybe it was just a coincidence for me and I wasn't hunting the extreme NE part of the state.


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## ND decoy (Feb 1, 2003)

I have to agree with live2hunt. The last 4 or 5 years I have noticed that there has been alot more pressure around the holidays. I think that thanksgiving weekend and christmas depending on when it falls can really up the amount of hunters in the field. With deer (rifle) season still going on over thanksgiving this year I think you will see alot of hunters this year over thanksgiving.


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## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

Thanks, guys, for the feedback on hunting pressure over the holidays. I suspect you are all correct. There's less pressure because it's toward the end of the bird hunting season and there's more pressure because lots of us have or take time off around the holidays to be with family or recreate.

My hunch is we'll go, because we have not run into that much pressure around the area we like to hunt, even last year when we arrived on Thanksgiving weekend. To tell you the truth, just about any period of time bird hunting in North Dakota is better than bird hunting in Washington State. I like to joke about Washington having a liberal 3-bird bag limit for pheasants, since the last 3 roosters were long ago shot or died off. We do have some good grouse, quail, turkey, and partridge hunting, however.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Too much snow might put a damper on a late season hunt so if you have a shot at an earlier date, I might be tempted to take it. We have been spoiled for many years so we are bound to pay our dues and even a normal amount of snow gets to be pretty tough hiking that time of year.


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## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

Thanks for the advice on the weather being if-fy. We have an earlier trip planned for mid-November, so this late December trip would be a 2nd trip for us. We've had some rough weather even during our November hunts to ND, with snow and temperatures at -15, so I realize that a late December hunt can be riskier in terms of the weather. I plan to take a close look at the weather forecast just before I leave. It's not the weather in ND that worries me as much as the interminable drive across Montana!


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Somebody mentioned that the last 4-5 years there has been more hunting pressure over the holidays to which I agree but it only makes sense because more people are pheasant hunters now that the birds are back in the SE and a lot of people have dogs whereas it wasn't too long ago when we were coming of the winter of 97 when there really were not that many hunters and particularly hunters with dogs around this part of the state. We hunted a lot during vacation time and saw very few hunters. There is just flat out more pressure period, no matter what time of year you are out in the field.


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

Are the Rattlesnakes gone by the Holidays???? I just hate the thought of swishin thru the switchgrass thinking my next step is gonna be on a diamondback.. When do they go into hibernation?


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Never.... and they love to bite the guys from out east...... :wink: They think they taste a little like chicken!!


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

Pheasant season only lasts through Oct. 31st !!!!!! The season is closed during the holidays!!!!

~ Remmi made me type that, she likes all the birds to herself!


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

HAHA Very Funny.. OK tuff guys, you keep them snakes outa my way when I come out your way, and I'll keep you safe from the gangs when you come back east.... Cuts both ways boys..
Fuggetaboutit. :lol:


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

jurso, bring snowshoes. No kiddding, when it gets deep here nodak boys don't get very far from the road. If we get real snow the birds will bunch in heavy cover away from the roads. They'll pop up like they came out of a catapult. Good times.


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

THANK YOU KIND SIR, DM...!!
Sounds like a plan..
A couple pair of bear claws, will be loaded in the truck for sure..

THANKS AGAIN!!


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Jurso,

Only one problem with your it cuts both ways comment...who would actually WANT to go out east?
:lol:


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

DAK,

You chicken?? wanna hunt some real game??
Out here the birds spit razor blades, and shoot back, and the deer ride coyotes down the street..
Come on down..


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Jurso, "blades" and "shootings" yes that does sound like"Jersey!"


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Jurso,

You haven't lived untill you've seen a band of a 4-500 killdeer peck away at the tendons of a whitetail until it can no longer run. After its down they swarm over it untill the bones are picked clean. Rumor has it they are will to take on all comers from East of the Missouri.

:lol:


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

You guys are all sick!!
Hey, now I have real question..
Got the 06 PLOTS guide in the mail the other day.
It looks to me like a lot of them have no road access to them...
Are there gravel roads that just arent shown on the maps??
Just wondering how to access those PLOTS when I come out..
Killdeer or not.. Hey, I heard that town is a good un to hunt too.
LOL


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## fox412 (Mar 18, 2005)

Most will have prarie trails. Good luck I hope its not -10 with a 25 mph wind for you. But if it is you won't have much hunting pressure


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## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

How did u get the guide in the mail ??? Have been looking for a way to get one in advance of the season. But I don't think the state will mail them out.
any suggestions ???


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

All I can say is the cats in Bismarck are so sick of hearin from me every day, they sent me one to shut me up..
I'm gonna grease the skids a bit as I head west, with maybe a lunch offer for the folks that were most helpful.
"The sqeaky wheel always gets the grease"
And thanks for the prairie trail tips... Im assuming they allow you to drive on these trails as long as it's dry enough.


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

All I can say is the cats in Bismarck are so sick of hearin from me every day, they sent me one to shut me up..
I'm gonna grease the skids a bit as I head west, with maybe a lunch offer for the folks that were most helpful.
"The sqeaky wheel always gets the grease"
And thanks for the prairie trail tips... Im assuming they allow you to drive on these trails as long as it's dry enough.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Jurso...

All the best PLOTS are by the interstate... :lol:

Seriously, the prairie trails or two tracks are generally passable. Snow, mud, plows, or a variety of other things can make them a challenge at times 4WD or not. :beer:


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

Thanks all!!
So if a landowner has some PLOTS in the middle of his property, do they guarantee acess to it?? 
I guess we have to get out there first and check out the situation beforehand.
It just looks like some of these parcels are out in the middle of private, posted lands..
I gotta get the DeLorme i guess.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

all the plots re easily accessible if theres no snow. They have two track trails on almost every sectionline and the sectionlines always border the plots.

You'll get the hang of it
you learn to count section lines from a real raod to figure out where stuff is.

North Dakota is one of the most beautiful places in the world when viewed through the eyes of a bird hunter.

Later in the season after deer season don't be shy about asking permission either many will allow hunting even on posted land at that time of the year.

I hunt it in a two wheel drive van and normaly have no problems getting around although if snow is deep It hurts my ability to travel. So I get as close as I can and walk


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## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

Are section lines considered public property like in South Dakota ??


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

You have access,but if it is posted on one side ,you can't hunt that side....if posted on both sides you can't hunt it at all.


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2006)

I was out near rock lake a while back and the trail was kind of wet. My cousin the Doctor was in the box of the truck with the snow/blue decoys and my pop and uncle were in the cab of my f150 with me. If the truck didn't have positraction (limited slip for you youngins) in the front and back, I would not have made it through that road! Doc was really flying with those dekes when I looked in the rearview mirror. I would not attempt it with my little toy ranger I have now. They get greasy boy. :beer:


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## jurso (Aug 8, 2006)

Thanks BobM.
So those little tan sqares on the maps are actually lanes I take it..
and the dotted ones are two tracks..
Do you park the truck on these, or is it legal to pull to the side and park?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Pull out of the way so others can get by and don't block access to fields farmers may have to get into to harvest ect.

You are worring about nothing you can get around just fine use a little common sense because everthng is far apart in ND.

When you get there it will be apparent what is appropriate.

Be courteous like anywhere


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