Anyone seeing any roosters?

MuleyMadness

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Pretty bad in SW ND. I drive a lot for work and usually see hundreds if not thousands throughout a couple months before season. Anywhere from Dickinson south to Scranton and Belfield area. This year I have seen 13 pheasants. And 5 were roosters and that is if you count the 4 hens I had on my trail camera. I am shocked they did not at least lower the limit to 2.
 


KDM

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I wonder how much egg predator control is being done in the more traditional pheasant and other upland bird areas of the state. Not just coyotes and foxes, but raccoons, skunks, badgers, and the like that are huge egg predators. The folks I know that are putting the pressure on these egg predators seem to be the same locations that have fair to good game bird numbers. Might be something to ponder, if one has some ground and would like to improve bird numbers.
 

Up Y'oars

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For work I was out traveling this week and speaking to farmers all across NW NoDak, from Crosby/Wildrose (northern edge) to Powers Lake (eastern edge) to Epping (western edge). I asked each of them how they've been seeing their pheasant populations. Every one of them said they've seen very few birds at all, even when combining. The Williston basin is usually flush with birds and the consensus is NOT THIS YEAR!

I think the population north of the lake is down way more than the NDG&F estimate of 3% decrease. That may not be as bad south of the lake, I dunno. Overall it is lower than last year, and that sucks. Our group will probably hunt less often to allow the birds group up as the season progresses.

My dog is in his ninth year and I can already see he will begin his progression to hunting less than a full day after this season. Most likely I will not replace him with other dog. That will be a day I won't want to cross the bridge, but know it has to happen sooner or later. :(
 

Ponyroper

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I wonder how much egg predator control is being done in the more traditional pheasant and other upland bird areas of the state. Not just coyotes and foxes, but raccoons, skunks, badgers, and the like that are huge egg predators. The folks I know that are putting the pressure on these egg predators seem to be the same locations that have fair to good game bird numbers. Might be something to ponder, if one has some ground and would like to improve bird numbers.

I think there has been a bumper crop of raccoons this year. I see 2 or 3 road kills every time out and have seen 3 family's dead on the highway, two of a mama and 2 babies and one of a mama and 3 babies. I think they are really tough on nesting pheasants.
 

Ristorapper

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pheasant numbers: SW ND; I know it is a general area but talked with my BIL today. Not seeing many pheasants down there. Talked with a farmer taking canola last week off his land he rents to him and there they were. Lots flew up at the end of the field on the last round. This weather is going to leave lots of crops standing yet so it may very well be a struggle to find roosters out there this weekend.
 


Fritz the Cat

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Reading Ristorappers post, I panicked.....WHAT.... the pheasant opener is tomorrow. Holy shit. In the past I have always had a least 10 guys here for the opener. It was a big fun deal. This year we have made zero plans. The numbers are that bad.

It's wet out there. If you're driving on a section don't drive in the same tracks as the vehicle before you and the vehicle before that. It makes ruts. Stagger or drive on grass.

The gravel road past my place is a mess. I'll probably do a short drive, then take the dog for a walk. Road hunting is going to suck. But then again I've seen this before where roosters like to sit on the road as it is dryer than hiding in tall wet grass.
 

Fritz the Cat

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Got two on the first walk and then it took me until noon for the third. Did not hear even one distant shot gun blast. Nobody out.

Have an excellent English Setter and without him it would be hopeless.

I thought the pheasant opener was always the second Saturday of October. They probably bumped it up as October would be half gone if they did it on the 13th.
 

Allen

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Tough hunting today. Walked a fair amount of some cover that should have held a ton of birds, didn't even see a track. This was generally a bunch of low areas within a pea field with peas laying everywhere. Very disappointing.

Then went over to a friend's place that had put a good share of his 30 acres into a taller mix of weeds and corn. Saw about 40 birds there. In short, I only shot 4 times, knocked three out of the sky, recovered two. Oddly enough, my hunting partner did almost the exact same except I think he shot five times.

Also, the birds we got were small. REALLY small.
 

Mort

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I''ll brag bout my one bird bag today. if that makes anyone feel better, should have limited out, hunting private posted land..and yes.....section line roads are messy, soft and muddy! Even walked in mud too...at least 40 lbs mud on the boots wears a guy out. Walking next to food plot corn on the outside of it, had some tall weeds, alfafla whatever you call it, couldn't walk in that legs starting getting tired in the first 20 yds of that crap, so I heading towards the very outside, which was pure mud. Well lets just say I was wore out on that little walk when got back to pick up. Birds are there, just tricky getting to them.

It needs to freakin dry out!!!!! And look like part of Sun-Mon we suppose to get another round of wet snow!!! You gotta be kidding me! Cmon mother nature knock it off....
 
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Hookin8easy

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Went on a solo mission w my elderly(9 year old) lab just to satisfy his needs way more than mine. Took on a walk around a smaller dried up slough surrounded by beans. Birds were in the thick of it that’s for sure, cattails to the chin, took our time and worked em, kicked up 15-20 hens, dropped 2 of the four roosters we got a look at, back in town for baco n eggs by 930, win win for us.
 


Bowhunter_24

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I took my 4 year old son on his first hunting trip away from home with the boys. He's found out he loves billiards and darts at the local watering hole. One rooster got up right at his feet, that was the highlight from yesterday morn.
 

riverview

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i was surprised with the roosters that we saw, defiantly had a better hatch than last year.
 

dean nelson

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the real question should be has anyone seen any pheasant Hunters! Put on a couple hundred miles the last two days checking out new areas for antelope and today I bet you I saw at best 10 groups of pheasant hunters and that's counting the ones on the highway. I only saw two groups actually out walking. Just no one out and I was near the hart of the best pheasant ground in the state. That said I saw twice as many groups walking for pheasants as I actually saw pheasants in 2 days so that and the weather definitely added up to a lack of people being out.
 

Vollmer

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We did okay over the weekend. More birds around than expected.
There seemed to be quite a few that were really young as well.
 

Bfishn

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We did alright, Got our 21 birds by early afternoon SW. There were a few more birds than expected and we saw a ton of hens which is good. Hopefully we can get another mild winter and good spring hatch and i think we will be back to half way decent numbers. On our way home we saw at least 10-15 other groups of hunters still out walking/driving around.
 


JakeV

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We hunted in the SW portion of the state over the weekend and bird numbers seemed similar to last year or slightly down. We saw very few other hunters.
 

Mort

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@BfishnHMMMM. you got 21 in the SW, how many in your party..holy bat man....pillage much...lol.....but you got a pile, then everyone else saying there none down there...summin aint right willus.....
 

Bfishn

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@BfishnHMMMM. you got 21 in the SW, how many in your party..holy bat man....pillage much...lol.....but you got a pile, then everyone else saying there none down there...summin aint right willus.....
21 was our limit. To be fair it looks like people that actually went out are reporting better than expected numbers. Its the people driving around before season who were reporting not seeing much. The numbers are definitely down overall, but better than last year. There are pockets of good birds on good land.
 

roosterfish

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How about PFF start stocking more birds?? last time I checked they were not native. And as far as cover goes from what we have walked so far this year their appears to be plenty. The birds that were shot in my area were helped by surrounding stocking I am certain!! East side of missouri river.
 

DirtyMike

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We found a few. Last time I listen to a bird population prediction from the G&F. We could have been done by noon.
 


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