End of Season

zoops

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Kind of a depressing day with the end of bird season. Was a pretty good year, bird numbers were similar to last few years I thought, just had to search around a bit to find areas with harvested crops. Late season weather was actually pretty good with light winds most days that I hunted and enough snow to get birds into cover but not too much to make walking absolutely miserable.
 


BP338

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I'm happy with my pheasant season this year. Biggest highlight is that my dog did really well for his first time. I was super worried about him, but not anymore! I didn't get to go out as much as I would have liked but I'm still happy with what I was able to do. Had some good times with my boy as well. Next year though, more birds on the ground...hopefully!
 

Duckslayer100

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Since I got my first dog 9 years ago, this was the last amount of pheasant hunting I accomplished. I went out once, shot 2 birds, Dog No. 2 had a seizure, then the snow came. Never made it out again.

Did shoot a fair amount of ducks and geese, though. And I got my buck on rifle opener.

So all-in-all, 2019 was a solid hunting year.
 

Meelosh

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Every season is better than the last, or at very least I appreciate it more. Brand new pup (moonshine labs-HIGHLY recommend) and he was very good in his first year. Waterfowl season was a struggle with early crap weather but we got some nice birds. Got as close as we’ve come to arrowing a nice bull in September but couldn’t quite get it done. I can still smell the rutting bulls if I think about it. Made up for it in November by killing a public land elk out in the mountains. Came back to ND and killed my best whitetail buck to date so the freezer is full. Got some late season geese in but pheasants were a bust where I hunt. Too close to the cows and since, I’m usually the one working them up close, I’d prefer they weren’t spooky from shooting around them. Closed out the regular season yesterday by taking my 6yo out squirrel hunting. Never seen someone so excited over bagging a squirrel but we’re excited to eat it. The freezer is stuffed, my back and knees are sore, my garage needs a thorough cleaning/organizing from not having time to unpack going from one hunt to the next while mixing in some fishing. I’m ready to take it easy for a little while. Catch a few fish, hopefully find some easy coyotes. Hope your guys’ season was just as good or better.
 


guywhofishes

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I focused entirely on WT deer and was successful w both bow and muzzleloader. I had a ball - but it was a LOT of work/travel.

But I'd have traded all that antler in to hunt decent pheasant numbers all fall/winter with a healthy Royce-a-Roni instead. :(

He's fine now after surgery - but I can't bring myself to "risk it" by taking him out. Am I being overly cautious?

- - - Updated - - -

Meelosh - don't be afraid to brine that squirrel.
 

Meelosh

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It’s not up to me. I’ll lay out a few recipes for my kid to pick from and that’s what we will roll with.
 

db-2

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No deer again this year.
Have five active sites and overall a fair number of deer. Not like 10 years ago but still a fair number of bucks with a lot of 120-140 type horns.
Maybe a handful that would work into net 150 and one four point that was tall and maybe would net a strong 150.
But they are all for next year hopefully.
A lot of corn fields next to my food plots still up so they should have a good winter to survive on. Hope for no storms for both of us.

Went out mule deer hunting and seen the most large mule deers in the years i have gone out there so i hope next year with 6 points i can be drawn.
But have a number of shed hunting trips plan from a couple in Canada and one in the badlands besides the home ground.
Have not bird hunted since I was a kid, never care for shotguns and for the most part lost my desire to kill.

Overall it was a good year and I hope the four of us end up with at least 300 sheds and maybe two or so that score in the 90s. db

Granddaughter shot her first deer with the bow. I brought her out mule deer hunting when she was 15 and one shot at 162 yards and one decent mule deer buck. This year at 18 i bought her a Bear bow. a lot of practice and one shot she had her buck. Had a good shot with a strong blood trail for her to follow. That has been a highlight for me with a number of more grand kids coming up. db-2
 

fireone

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Probably the second worst upland season in many years for me. Wind and rain in Sept. where I hunt grouse. Rain, snow, standing water, and unharvested crops where I hunt pheasants. Still had fun though and the dogs didn't care about weather. Bought new snowshoes, forgetting how much more work walking is with them. I'm hoping for a good hatch next summer and try it again.
 


bilbo

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It was a good season, but different. The first time I've been faced with so much water. Stuff filled up after the big storm in October, froze, then drained so there was an 'air gap' under a lot of the ice. Last hunt was some time in mid December and I couldn't get out again due to other things going on. Every time I went out, I went in the drink somehow. Watched my dog go into an open, flush river after a bird, I couldn't get her stopped fast enough. She couldn't get back out due to thin ice along the bank. Went in and helped her out, then went home. Still gives me the willies; could have gone much differently for both of us. But wouldn't trade any of it for anything! I got to take my 10 year old with the first time pheasant hunting, that was awesome!
 

riverview

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very sad bird season is over, seems like just yesterday it was august and i was getting ready and now its over. shot sharpies in montana, nd and mn. went out pheasant hunting quite a bit, pheasants defiantly down but never got skunked. never did get into any ducks this fall.
probably the wetest fall i can rememeber. Dog got alot of experance so im pretty happy. cant wait for 2020
 

riverview

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only a cople weeks left in the 2021 season. I have to say this has been one of the best upland seasons i have seen in a long time. At the end of this week i will have hunted my dog 75 days this year the most i have ever hunted in one fall.
 

zoops

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only a cople weeks left in the 2021 season. I have to say this has been one of the best upland seasons i have seen in a long time. At the end of this week i will have hunted my dog 75 days this year the most i have ever hunted in one fall.

Impressive. Must be one happy dog! I'm in the market for new boots, you're probably a good guy to ask...
 


ktm450

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only a cople weeks left in the 2021 season. I have to say this has been one of the best upland seasons i have seen in a long time. At the end of this week i will have hunted my dog 75 days this year the most i have ever hunted in one fall.


Wow! Thats awesome. I too also got out the most this year then in the past. Hunted 95% public land and only got skunked once (bent barrel that day). The hound and I really enjoy the time in the outdoors. Late season birds are the best.

tuckerhunt2021.jpg
 

Ruttin

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Impressive. Must be one happy dog! I'm in the market for new boots, you're probably a good guy to ask...

Kenetrex Mountain Extreme or Crispi Summit or GTX... spendy but well worth the investment.
 

johnr

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I haven't hunted my pooch once this season, haven't been out yet.
Plan on going Thursday for the first time this season, not sure what happened, but the least I have hunted in 40 years.
 

Dirty

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Least amount of bird hunting I’ve done in several years also. Just got a lot going on with three kids and the weather was too damn hot half the time I wanted to go.
Had great hunts when I went but my dog is probably wondering what my problem is this year.
 

3Roosters

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Hunted less(so far) this season. Not gonna lie, the damn price of gasoline weighed on my mind on whether to travel here and there to hunting locations. Thanks Biden!!
 


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