Up in NoDak for two weeks: This just in….

[WhitewaterDuck]

Pheasants haul ass and can make you look silly. Hungarian partridge induce “pants shatting” reactions not unlike an enthusiastic and unexpected covey of SC quail exploding at your feet. Up here working, and when I’m not in the facility, I’m exploring the PLOTS land and a coworker’s land around town. This place is polluted with birds that never fail to put your heart in your throat for at least a second or two. I can see how this could get addictive and really expensive. Fun.

[Drylok]

Throw some pics in here when you get a minute. Especially a partridge…

[Duckkiller]

Have fun! Just got back from up there and we did well with the pheasants. They’re plentiful this year.

[huntinghagen#12]

I went further west for birds this year, I regret my decision after driving through the entirety of ND today.

[WoodieSC]

Hungarian Partridge are an experience all their own. They make Franklin and Sage grouse and pheasant look easy.

Have a ball!

[catawba]

Shhhhhh

[Boduke]

I've got an uncle leaving for SD today to go get on some pheasants

[WhitewaterDuck]

Ok...apparently I wandered into them just right, and it isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. They are onto me now. It turns out, the landowners "dumb as a brick" chocolate lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever is awesome, and will be my hunting companion whenever I'm here.

Day one, I go out and walk around some grass field next to a big corn field and somehow push all the birds into a corner. I figured they would just hold tight and blow up once I got too close. Well, they blew up. Hungarian Partridge (Huns), followed by pheasants. It was a shitshow that left me thinking I was going to head back to Wyoming with a truckload of tasty game birds.

Day two, I go out and walk that same grassy field and jump nada. I go over and walk the adjacent unposted corn field (I found out from landowner of grass field/hedgerows that I can hunt non-posted private land...weird, but cool). After getting halfway through this enormous field, I can't believe I haven't killed a limit already, and I begin to think that maybe there is more to this pheasant hunting than the initial 30 minutes of "birds everywhere" I experienced the day before lead me to believed. About the time I think that, I hear some strange vocalizations from birds on the ground near me, and I move a couple of rows and can see these birds (think they were grouse) hauling ass on the ground away from me. I can also see pheasants 125-150 yards down the row hauling ass away from me. At this point, I realize that I had gotten extremely lucky the day before, and I shoulda made those opportunities count. I walked the field out, but it was too wide and long for me to actually corral birds at the end, as they just cruised around me and never jumped.

After walking the field edge back to the property I started on, I decided to give the dog a try and went and got her out of the garage. We walked over to the grass field next to the corn, and I just decided to trail the dog as she ran about to and fro. Twenty yards into the grass, a beautiful rooster blew up out of the grass, and I knocked it down in the corn. The dog did not pull a "trained-dog" retrieve, but continued to run around playfully looking for a bird to flush or rabbit to kill. I knew the bird would hit the ground running, as I did not stone fold it. Dammit!

I decide to try to direct the dog some by walking toward where the pheasant went down and would have run, and I realized that the dog (Blue) was working the field in a 25-35 yard circle around wherever I was and wherever I walked. Hmmm...ol' Blue ain't so dumb after all. We go about 100 yards into the corn, and I hear Blue find the pheasant, and she was mouthing the very-alive bird when I got to them. After some serious positive reinforcement and loving, I put the bird in my vest and we proceeded North. From there to the end of the field, Blue jumped 8 pheasants that all flew back over me, but they were all hens. She jumped two groups of Huns or Grouse...too fast and low for me to tell or shoot at.

We both walked back south on the edge of the corn and a stubble field with Blue cutting into the corn for a few rows before popping back out. About half-way back, I can hear Blue coming to the stubble from inside the corn, and I look up as see a sharptail grouse running out of the corn. As soon as Blue hit the stubble, the bird flushed, and I killed it stone dead. I again praised Blue and let her get some feathers and blood on her mouth. I figured we were settling into a groove and were about to really get it going good, and that dog decided she was now going to not leave my side. I tried to get her to hunt, but nope, she was done. We walked back to the house together without her ever so much as looking into the grass or brush. I don't know if she didn't like the gunshots when she flushed the birds or if she was just worn out, but whatever it was, it was clear that she was done after that last bird.

After watching some YouTube vids, I now realize that the snow on the ground on the first day had those birds out of the open and in the cover of the hedgerows on Blue's property, and I had just happened to walk it in a manner that concentrated the runners in a spot they had to fly once I closed in on them. By day two, the snow was melted, and they could hide from the aerial predators anywhere there was a foot of grass. It is supposed to snow pretty good Thursday, so I am going to hold off until then before going back after them. I'm hoping ol' Blue is recharged and ready to go.

Day 1 Hun...


Day 2 Rooster...
;

Day 2 Sharptail...

[reeltight]

Upland bird hunting is about as fun as it gets.

[nitro5x6's]

One man driven bird hunting is tough.

Try to walk into the wind as the dog is gonna pick up bird scent as you approach. Don't walk straight up the field, try to cut pie pieced wedges. As far as the birds running ahead, that is the game. When there is snow on the ground, look for cattail and low areas later in the day where the birds loaf and stay in the warmth of the sun ..CRP and grassy spots near field edges produce as you have learned.

Wish I was there to block for you. Good luck.

[WhitewaterDuck]

One man driven bird hunting is tough.

Try to walk into the wind as the dog is gonna pick up bird scent as you approach. Don't walk straight up the field, try to cut pie pieced wedges. As far as the birds running ahead, that is the game. When there is snow on the ground, look for cattail and low areas later in the day where the birds loaf and stay in the warmth of the sun ..CRP and grassy spots near field edges produce as you have learned.

Wish I was there to block for you. Good luck.

I wish you were here too…and about eight other SCDuckers.

[nitro5x6's]

You are having a damn ball... I'm not. reeltight's comment is spot on.

When I was a young buck , it didn't take long to understand why the older gents took up the blocker positions.

[WhitewaterDuck]

Man, I’ve never smoked crack, but this pheasant hunting deal is making me think I understand it a bit. Killed two more roosters today, but one got away. Walked >10 miles, much of it tromping through head high cattails, reeds, and other leg-killing grasses. I’d see a spot that I thought looked good…my body was saying “nooooo!” My brain was saying, “listen to the body!” Then off I’d go, because I just HAD to have one more flush. I’m a beat old man tonight! NSAIDS will help me be a young pheasant-crack head tomorrow!

[WhitewaterDuck]

Nope...still a beat old man this am.

[Sportin' Woodies]

Try both at the same time for an awesome experience.

[WhitewaterDuck]

While I could use the decreased reaction time, I'll hold off on that combo hunt for now!

Upper 70s yesterday afternoon; 28 with a 25mph North wind this am. The Wingmaster 16 I'm using is the most forgiving, bird killing machine I've ever shot. Today, I missed a gorgeous rooster that blew up at 5 yards and just fluttered in my face for what seemed like 10 seconds. It was so damn beautiful and floppy and feathery that I was concentrating on taking it in more than I was concentrating on killing it. I would have killed it 5 out of 10 times with my freaking bow...and I whiffed. I ended up making up for it. The rooster in the pic hit a small water hole and skipped into the mud...so it looks horrible. The two grouse were both 100% suicidal; there is no good explanation as to why those birds ended up in my bag. Grouse were flushing just our of range from me on foot all day. Grouse were flushing just out of range from me in the truck all day. I quickly realized that I was not going to get within range before they flushed...period. Then, while I was preparing to walk a fencerow, a grouse got up 200 yards in front of me, caught the wind, hit 80mph, and flew straight to me standing there in blaze orange...when he could have flown anywhere else. I shot when he was a loooong way in front of me, and he hit the ground 10 yards behind me. The other grouse was in the middle of the gravel road just sitting there. I drove to 20 yards, opened the door, got out of the truck, and shot him sitting in the middle of the road...and he never budged. Weird. The dog was at 25 yards and looking away from the truck as I drove by. He noticed the truck about a second before I pulled the trigger. 25 yards with IC 16ga 6s, and I trucked him and he never moved after he hit the ground. It was on private, but I figured the landowner wouldn't complain about such a deed. When I got out the truck to get him, I flushed nearly a dozen pheasant that were 25 yards in front of where the dog died...he was flanking them well, and I just happened along and screwed up his day.

So, at this point, I've been online and have identified the pudlepointer breeder I'm going to get my next dog from; have my next shotgun purchase narrowed down to two O/Us and one pump 28ga; and have decided to join Pheasants Forever. I can only imagine how awesome this game would be with a good dog and a real plan.

[duckcommander727]

While I could use the decreased reaction time, I'll hold off on that combo hunt for now!

Upper 70s yesterday afternoon; 28 with a 25mph North wind this am. The Wingmaster 16 I'm using is the most forgiving, bird killing machine I've ever shot. Today, I missed a gorgeous rooster that blew up at 5 yards and just fluttered in my face for what seemed like 10 seconds. It was so damn beautiful and floppy and feathery that I was concentrating on taking it in more than I was concentrating on killing it. I would have killed it 5 out of 10 times with my freaking bow...and I whiffed. I ended up making up for it. The rooster in the pic hit a small water hole and skipped into the mud...so it looks horrible. The two grouse were both 100% suicidal; there is no good explanation as to why those birds ended up in my bag. Grouse were flushing just our of range from me on foot all day. Grouse were flushing just out of range from me in the truck all day. I quickly realized that I was not going to get within range before they flushed...period. Then, while I was preparing to walk a fencerow, a grouse got up 200 yards in front of me, caught the wind, hit 80mph, and flew straight to me standing there in blaze orange...when he could have flown anywhere else. I shot when he was a loooong way in front of me, and he hit the ground 10 yards behind me. The other grouse was in the middle of the gravel road just sitting there. I drove to 20 yards, opened the door, got out of the truck, and shot him sitting in the middle of the road...and he never budged. Weird. The dog was at 25 yards and looking away from the truck as I drove by. He noticed the truck about a second before I pulled the trigger. 25 yards with IC 16ga 6s, and I trucked him and he never moved after he hit the ground. It was on private, but I figured the landowner wouldn't complain about such a deed. When I got out the truck to get him, I flushed nearly a dozen pheasant that were 25 yards in front of where the dog died...he was flanking them well, and I just happened along and screwed up his day.

So, at this point, I've been online and have identified the pudlepointer breeder I'm going to get my next dog from; have my next shotgun purchase narrowed down to two O/Us and one pump 28ga; and have decided to join Pheasants Forever. I can only imagine how awesome this game would be with a good dog and a real plan.

What kennel are you using for the PP? I think that’ll be my next breed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Boduke]

^^^ What he said, I was also looking into the pudelpointers

[Cooney]

While I could use the decreased reaction time, I'll hold off on that combo hunt for now!

Upper 70s yesterday afternoon; 28 with a 25mph North wind this am. The Wingmaster 16 I'm using is the most forgiving, bird killing machine I've ever shot. Today, I missed a gorgeous rooster that blew up at 5 yards and just fluttered in my face for what seemed like 10 seconds. It was so damn beautiful and floppy and feathery that I was concentrating on taking it in more than I was concentrating on killing it. I would have killed it 5 out of 10 times with my freaking bow...and I whiffed. I ended up making up for it. The rooster in the pic hit a small water hole and skipped into the mud...so it looks horrible. The two grouse were both 100% suicidal; there is no good explanation as to why those birds ended up in my bag. Grouse were flushing just our of range from me on foot all day. Grouse were flushing just out of range from me in the truck all day. I quickly realized that I was not going to get within range before they flushed...period. Then, while I was preparing to walk a fencerow, a grouse got up 200 yards in front of me, caught the wind, hit 80mph, and flew straight to me standing there in blaze orange...when he could have flown anywhere else. I shot when he was a loooong way in front of me, and he hit the ground 10 yards behind me. The other grouse was in the middle of the gravel road just sitting there. I drove to 20 yards, opened the door, got out of the truck, and shot him sitting in the middle of the road...and he never budged. Weird. The dog was at 25 yards and looking away from the truck as I drove by. He noticed the truck about a second before I pulled the trigger. 25 yards with IC 16ga 6s, and I trucked him and he never moved after he hit the ground. It was on private, but I figured the landowner wouldn't complain about such a deed. When I got out the truck to get him, I flushed nearly a dozen pheasant that were 25 yards in front of where the dog died...he was flanking them well, and I just happened along and screwed up his day.

So, at this point, I've been online and have identified the pudlepointer breeder I'm going to get my next dog from; have my next shotgun purchase narrowed down to two O/Us and one pump 28ga; and have decided to join Pheasants Forever. I can only imagine how awesome this game would be with a good dog and a real plan.

I'm well aware that there are a lot of anti-Boykin people in the room. BUT, I hunted this year with a some high powered Pointers, Setters and Vislas. Them long legged, wide ranging dogs flush up Pheasants before you get there. The trusty Boykin ranges no more than about 30 yds and he can flat put them up. We killed more over him than all the rest put together. Pheasants just won't stick for a pointing dog, they run or they'll sit tight and let the dog run right by. The little Boykin with the slower pace seems to work better.

[WhitewaterDuck]

I was joking about having the breeder picked out…and the guns, but our Dalmation won’t be with us much longer, and I’m going plead my case for the PP. they seem incredibly smart and supposedly will bird hunt in the am, blood trail a deer in the afternoon, and curl up with the kiddos at night. I was joking because I can see how someone could go all-in and have an “upland-bird-hunting-problem” in a hurry.