duckhunt
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I know you have mentioned that in the past. My rattling antlers are at home in my garage.
My 2024 Iowa season
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duckhunt
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We will call it last day anything goes deer.
duckhunt
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Up early Saturday morning all ready to go. I walked a logging road up on the ridge but I set up about 200 yards farther down than I set up the night before. All I saw or heard was squirrels, squirrels, and more squirrels.
Snack of champions.
During the day we did some running around in Wisconsin. Visited some old friends and I took my wife to the apple orchards in Gays Mills. Hoping to get back out hunting for the evening I'm in a hurry but am patient with the wife. Everyone knows how important that is. About 15 miles back from the orchards my wife can not fund her phone. We turn around and just so happens someone turned it in at the first orchard we stopped at. OK back towards the cabin we stop at DQ for supper and on the road. By the time we get back there's only about an hour left to hunt so I just chalk it up to an evening watching crime shows with the Mrs.
Snack of champions.
During the day we did some running around in Wisconsin. Visited some old friends and I took my wife to the apple orchards in Gays Mills. Hoping to get back out hunting for the evening I'm in a hurry but am patient with the wife. Everyone knows how important that is. About 15 miles back from the orchards my wife can not fund her phone. We turn around and just so happens someone turned it in at the first orchard we stopped at. OK back towards the cabin we stop at DQ for supper and on the road. By the time we get back there's only about an hour left to hunt so I just chalk it up to an evening watching crime shows with the Mrs.
duckhunt
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And yes I got fresh apple pie fresh out of the oven at the pie depot.
duckhunt
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On to Sunday morning, the last day. Either sex tag so anything goes. I walk up the logging road again in the moonlight and get busted by a doe across the drainage. I get set up on the same spot as the day before about a half hour before shooting light. The doe that busted me stood over on the other hillside blowing at me up until 5 minutes to light. Plenty of squirrel action again but then I see a deer moving my way. Gun up looking through the scope I think it's a doe. Doesn't matter, I'm shooting this deer either way. Qaurting to me I put it through the shoulder and it did the job. Only went about 50 yards and piled up. Turned out to be a little buck but that's OK with me.
That's as it lays, I didn't think about any more pics as it's time to start cutting. Only maybe a half mile down the trail and up the road to my place I carry all my crap back then back up the hill to pack out the meat. That concludes my big game hunting for the season. Off to chasing some pheasants next on my list.
That's as it lays, I didn't think about any more pics as it's time to start cutting. Only maybe a half mile down the trail and up the road to my place I carry all my crap back then back up the hill to pack out the meat. That concludes my big game hunting for the season. Off to chasing some pheasants next on my list.
Gellar
Well-known member
What a successful season for you guys! How are the numbers for pheasants in central Iowa? know around here if there’s habitat there is a few birds.
duckhunt
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From what I've seen it looks to be pretty good.
duckhunt
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Got the hunting clothes washed, shotgun oiled up, and bird hunting vest out. Ready for the Iowa pheasant opener tomorrow morning.
BrentD
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I'm ready too. Two guns in the car, orange, water, ammo, boots, etc. Just me at Dusty need to load up in the morning. Cannot even guess how it will turn out.
duckhunt
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Good luck. Buddy picking me up at 5 to get to the public early. I can't remember the last time I hunted the opener. Sounds like bird numbers are good this year.
duckhunt
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We got to the public land at 5 30 to get our spot. Well somebody already sitting in that parking area so we head over to another open area. Shooting time is 8 00 so we have a bit of a wait. Over the next couple hours we can see trucks filling up a lot of the other areas.
Beautiful morning
Theo and Toby ready to go
A quick 10 minutes into our walk a rooster gets up but I'm starring into the sun so no shot but my buddy Ray misses twice. Further into the field we bust out some hens and one rooster just out of range. Then up comes another rooster we both miss twice.
Dogs are working really well and bust up another rooster that I put down. Must have been a bad shot because between us and the dogs we can not find it even though the dogs were on the spot right away. I'm guessing he hit the ground running. After a little more walking and busting hens we head back to the truck for a snack and rest the dogs.
As we are taking a break we see some birds light in to some cover that we planned on hitting next anyway. AWSOME off we go again.birds start busting out but I'm being careful not to shoot hens, I hesitated a couple times and missed a couple. Ray bagged one rooster and missed another. I guess I have nobody to blame but myself since I didn't practice with the shotgun before season. Did a loop and saw a few more hens. Decided to call it a day after a few hours and 4.5 miles logged. The dogs were plenty tired for their first hunt of the season. Really a great morning being out except my shooting skills need some improvement.
Beautiful morning
Theo and Toby ready to go
A quick 10 minutes into our walk a rooster gets up but I'm starring into the sun so no shot but my buddy Ray misses twice. Further into the field we bust out some hens and one rooster just out of range. Then up comes another rooster we both miss twice.
Dogs are working really well and bust up another rooster that I put down. Must have been a bad shot because between us and the dogs we can not find it even though the dogs were on the spot right away. I'm guessing he hit the ground running. After a little more walking and busting hens we head back to the truck for a snack and rest the dogs.
As we are taking a break we see some birds light in to some cover that we planned on hitting next anyway. AWSOME off we go again.birds start busting out but I'm being careful not to shoot hens, I hesitated a couple times and missed a couple. Ray bagged one rooster and missed another. I guess I have nobody to blame but myself since I didn't practice with the shotgun before season. Did a loop and saw a few more hens. Decided to call it a day after a few hours and 4.5 miles logged. The dogs were plenty tired for their first hunt of the season. Really a great morning being out except my shooting skills need some improvement.
duckhunt
Well-known member
My son Connor that lives in Colorado decided to head back to wyoming for the last weekend of his antelope season. Missed a buck today, estimated 200 yard shot. Probably can't find his range finder. Tomorrow is his last day.
duckhunt
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Connor tagged out on a doe in wyoming
duckhunt
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Made it out fishing yesterday on the northern end of pool 9. Fishing was slow but did catch a short walleye and a short smallmouth. Idling around a rock shelf I managed to smack a rock pile with my motor, oh crap. Raised the motor and no damage.
2024 seems to be going by to fast. Between the wet spring and setting up the acreage I didn't get out as much as I would have liked. I believe that I'm pulling the boat home for the season tomorrow morning. I still plan on some pheasant hunting and will be getting the ice fishing gear organized soon.
2024 seems to be going by to fast. Between the wet spring and setting up the acreage I didn't get out as much as I would have liked. I believe that I'm pulling the boat home for the season tomorrow morning. I still plan on some pheasant hunting and will be getting the ice fishing gear organized soon.
duckhunt
Well-known member
Just under 4 miles behind my buddies bird dogs this morning. Very windy and no shots fired. Buddy believes the way the dogs were acting that the birds were running and not flushing. Probably because of the wind. Right at the end 3 birds did flush out of range.
duckhunt
Well-known member
I did make it out pheasant hunting again last weekend with dad. Birds were terrible spooky and flushed way out of range. Looking back at my hunt seasons on HT I realize that I haven't killed a pheasant since 2019. I'm bound and determined to break this curse soon.
duckhunt
Well-known member
I never did show the project that I have been working on all summer. I sold my trailer in Wisconsin and bought a piece of land land on the Iowa side of the big river. My land boarders thousands of acres of public land and also has a trout stream directly across the road, also Mississippi River boat ramp about 3 miles away.
Started with an empty lot and got water, sewer, electric, and poured concrete.
Purchased a 10x37 park model trailer and a 10x16 storage shed.
Then I did lattice around the trailer, steps for shed, awning on the trailer, gravel in the driveway, and a sidewalk.
That's my new hunting, fishing, weekend getaway in Iowas driftless region.
Started with an empty lot and got water, sewer, electric, and poured concrete.
Purchased a 10x37 park model trailer and a 10x16 storage shed.
Then I did lattice around the trailer, steps for shed, awning on the trailer, gravel in the driveway, and a sidewalk.
That's my new hunting, fishing, weekend getaway in Iowas driftless region.
duckhunt
Well-known member
Went pheasant hunting friday but only got frozen hands. saw one rooster but my hands were so cold in the -9 windchill I couldn,t even run the gun. Called it quits after about 45 minutes do to the cold. I got word that theres ice on the backwaters of the big river so I,m packed up to drill some holes for panfish.
duckhunt
Well-known member
Made it to the cabin tuesday evening and made plans to fish the next morning. Finally my schedule lined up with @Gellar and off we went to the frozen backwaters. First 2 hours we marked fish but didn't want to bite. Gellar landed one nice gill. Decided to head off a couple hundred yards and the bite took off. Gellar was on fire and I wasn't doing to bad myself. Had to sort through a few small fish but nothing crazy. Gellar got his limit and I ended with 13 keepers so we decided to call it a day.
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