warmer
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Wink, Wink
5 day trip for pheasant in December. Where would you go?
- Thread starter NR_Hunter
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Ovis Venator
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As a SD native who lives is Eastern MT, I can say that I will kill more pheasants on East River public land in five days over Christmas in than I will over the entire season in Eastern MT. There is an appeal to going on long drives for the adventure of it but if getting birds out weighs your desire for getting away stop in SD.
Try Iowa the north central or north west. Go to the dnr web site and they have great maps on public hunting land. You have to use non-lead north of us80. A lot of pot holes that have lots of cattails to hunt in. The roads are not a problem if you run into rain. Have been their last 4 years and will be going back this year. Good luck where ever you go and be safe
I did it for an entire season in CO in 2018 when i lost both my pups in the course of the summer. You will learn a ton about pheasant behavior. One of my more poignant pheasant hunting memories was my first dog-less limit on Colorado Walk-In's. Kind of like hunting elk w/a stickbow versus a rifle.
Exactly. You have to drive right on past big grass and stripped wheat fields unless there's some kind of obvious barrier to push towards. Focus on shelterbelts, un-mowed pivot corners, cattails (if available, not many cattail sloughs in Colorado). Walk slow, stop for 15 seconds every 30 steps or so. As a big walking guy that had been used to hunting with big-running pointers, the 'walk slow & stop often' part killed me at first, but it works.
It's not the way I'd hunt them if I had a choice, but it's very educational and it does work.
Man... So my buddy is dead set on hunting around Matla, MT. I don't think there's gonna be any talking him out of it. He gets these ideas that just completely posses him and his eyes just glaze over and he loses all sense of reason. I really don't see why would drive past incredible bird hunting to get to average bird hunting.
2rocky
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I know what you are thinking. We drove to North Dakota from California. I was looking at Southern Idaho saying the same thing.
Just go and enjoy the TIME together. The Missouri River country is beautiful, and appreciate it for what it is. You aren't going to Limit out in the first 15 minutes and you will have a variety of birds to hunt. I'm wondering if a few hen pheasants I held off on were sharptails...
Just go and enjoy the TIME together. The Missouri River country is beautiful, and appreciate it for what it is. You aren't going to Limit out in the first 15 minutes and you will have a variety of birds to hunt. I'm wondering if a few hen pheasants I held off on were sharptails...
Benfromalbuquerque
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Freakin do it! Malta MT?!? My god man, that sounds like a shit town with one blinking stoplight that nobody ever goes to so the pressure will be very light. With the added bonus being if you want to go to somewhere for a reason he does not comprehend you can say “no man, I did Malta”.
haha, I've got a list of "No man, I did....." a mile long when it comes to fishing/hunting with this buddy since we were 16! Obviously it can't be that bad cause I still haven't learned my lesson. For example, for fishing opener he wanted to canoe what is essentially a glorified drainage ditch in Southwest MN, when he already lives in North Central MN, which has some of the best fishing in the country. Had to make an excuse up to get out of that one cause he wasn't hearing anything I had to say.
I'm gonna do it, especially since we are taking his vehicle out there. But I really feel like we can find a shit town with one blinking stoplight that nobody ever goes to somewhere west of the Missouri River in ND or SD.
Benfromalbuquerque
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Oh my, he’s that sort of hunting buddy. Well it’s good that you’re going anyway and I hope it’s worth it. Of course, not that good that he can justify a return more than once a decade.
Jmnhunter
Active member
I've only been to East river SD and West River ND; west river ND had alot of birds and little to no pressure in Dec. (granted this was about 4 years ago). I have always wanted to try NE or KS though. Your MT trip should be great with opportunities for a mixed bag
The old adage of "Theres not much hunting pressure during the late season" seemed more true about 5+ years ago, but I don't buy this anymore, I've noticed more and more pressure during the mid to late december hunts out in SD and Western MN.
With SD's new season structure I would be willing to bet mid to late January there will be little pressure
The old adage of "Theres not much hunting pressure during the late season" seemed more true about 5+ years ago, but I don't buy this anymore, I've noticed more and more pressure during the mid to late december hunts out in SD and Western MN.
With SD's new season structure I would be willing to bet mid to late January there will be little pressure
Jmnhunter
Active member
You could also do a couple of days in ND or SD on the way out or back!
The plan is to hunt ND one day on the way back. I bow hunted western ND for mule deer at the end of October. Saw tons of pheasants and grouse, didn't see a single other pheasant hunter the 7 days we were out there. What's frustrating is that I've seen with my own two eyes the amount of birds in ND, and my buddy still wants to drive past them.
Also, I agree with your assessment of pressure increasing in the later parts of the season in MN. This all just my personal experience, but I remember being able to hunt all day in December in Western MN and the only other hunters I would see would be a coyote hunter. Now, even in late December there will be fresh boot prints in the snow at every spot I try to hunt later in the afternoon.
I got some words for whoever let the secret out about how fun pheasants are in december.
2rocky
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I learned that in ND, if the land behind the ditch is posted the ditch is off limits.
South Dakota vs North Dakota Pheasant Hunting
Without naming towns or specific locations, I’m curious if you guys could summarize the primary differences between the two states as it pertains to pheasant hunting. I’ve never hunted in South Dakota and have just a little, distant past experience in North Dakota. My perceptions, which might not...
uplandjournal.ipbhost.com
In Iowa, that's not the case though. You simply have to be 200 yds away from livestock or an inhabitated building
BrentD
Well-known member
I hope you luck out on weather in Malta. I'd be thinking KS/NE myself.
But heck, I go pheasant hunting to hunt pheasants, not see 1-light towns of dubious reputation (which I have in abundance locally).
But heck, I go pheasant hunting to hunt pheasants, not see 1-light towns of dubious reputation (which I have in abundance locally).
Bigjay73
Well-known member
I've hunted 2 weekends in SW Ne, its a "meh" season
BrentD
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Okay. More for me.
Bigjay73
Well-known member
Oh, we killed a bunch, just not a banner year. Just trying to give a report, "you're welcome" would be acceptable
