Pheasant opener 2017

[eyexer]

It's really strange to me because all winter and spring I saw huge numbers of adult birds. They don't depend on rain to survive I don't believe. chicks do so that there are bugs to eat in their early life. Very few of those adult birds are around. That's just plain bizarre.

 

[Rowdie]

Its them FN chicken hawks I tell ya.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Did I major in biology no but I do see these birds everyday in the winter when there is 2 feet of snow in the fields. The roosters are always in the best spots for food and the hens are on the fringes of it. More than once I have witnessed a rooster kick a hen out of a hole in the snow so he can feed his belly.

In winter on snow, roosters are colorful/loud and attract. Have watched winged predators (owls/hawks) swoop in on 5 roosters 1 hen and the hen gets whacked every time. It's just easier than getting spurred.

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Hunted for an hour, flushed 5 birds, 3 were roosters and 1 went home with me.

Going to be a tough winter to be a coyote me thinks.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I think, like every dang pheasant opener, the vast majority of birds are in standing crops. It's more apparent this year in places because numbers are down, but I don't think it's nearly as bad as opening day has you all buffaloed. Then again, I'm not sure why I want to convince everyone to stay home now and wait until post-deer-season to pheasant hunt. Might get too crowded for my taste....

 

[drayweb]

Went out west near Sentinel Butte. Was bow hunting Friday night and scouting deer for the rifle season. Managed to get one rooster on opening day with no dog. Should have gotten a couple, but my shotgun jammed on me. Saw a couple guys walking along the interstate with their shotguns and Highway Patrolman stopped there. Wonder what was up there.

 

[NDSportsman]

Everybody needs to RELAX. So you didn't get an easy limit on opening day like usual? Boohoo.......lol

Seriously, I'm sure the bird numbers are down, it is what it is but it don't have anything to do with the season or bag limits. It's just a natural cycle. Maybe it'll get better when the corn starts coming off but even if it doesn't there will be birds next year in the areas they always are unless winter is a real bitch. You can't manage pheasants like deer or any other game, they are not built to survive in most of ND anyway. Get out and enjoy what opportunities we have and stop pissing and moaning on a message board. End rant....

- - - Updated - - -

Lol no you don't deserve a limit just because you bought a license! ;:;rofl

 

[wildeyes]

Lots of standing corn yet, there are more birds then you think. Pheasant hunting is like rain storm rains harder in some spots more then other spots. I've been doing some side work so only got out for a few hours only seen 3 birds 2 hens and 1 rooster didn't get a shot. I enjoyed the day. I like hunting later in the year when the opening day BS goes away. I enjoy the dog working and the connection you get working with the dog. I'm not worried about getting birds they will come with effort. besides I don't have to kill anything to enjoy ND outdoors. We live in a beautiful state Just being outside and enjoying it with my dog makes it a good day.

 

[3Roosters]

If the number of birds shot or even seen is the definition of a good hunt on opener, then this year ranks toward the top of the list as far as worst ever.
I will still call it a good hunt as watching my dog do what she loves to do is satisfying in itself. It is pretty easy to forget about all of the other things in life when you are out in the field with your dog. If you get your birds that's a bonus. No unplanned trips to the vet is another bonus. If dogs could talk, I am sure mine would say she had a fantastic time and lets go again. I think us people can learn a lot from a dog.

 

[guywhofishes]

If the number of birds shot or even seen is the definition of a good hunt on opener, then this year ranks toward the top of the list as far as worst ever.
I will still call it a good hunt as watching my dog do what she loves to do is satisfying in itself. It is pretty easy to forget about all of the other things in life when you are out in the field with your dog. If you get your birds that's a bonus. No unplanned trips to the vet is another bonus. If dogs could talk, I am sure mine would say she had a fantastic time and lets go again. I think us people can learn a lot from a dog.

good post noroostersbuthappyanyway

 

[gonefshn]

Had a great time walking the last 4 days. Like everyone else it was tough. We got some birds but man are they down. This was over my 40th opener to the Elgin area. We have prime land to hunt and I don’t ever remembering this few of birds. Lots of grain still standing but not enough to make up for how low the numbers are. Gotta hope for a good winter and perfect spring and summer next year.

 

[KDM]

4th day in the field with about 12 hours walking and an unknown number of miles on my shoes, but we finally got our first rooster today. Herc and I are having a BLAST walking around in the grass and cattails. Herc knew this one was in the cattails and it was a COMPLETE JOY to watch the cattails wiggle and dance until Herc finally put this rooster to wing. It was AWESOME!!! Roosters weren't the only fun today as I also whacked a coyote today as well. However, he rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled into a corn field and I wasn't about to go in after'em with Herc in the lead. With the way he was running, I figure that load of #4 lead put him down after a short run into the field. As far as bird numbers and the concerns, I agree with NDSportsman. Everyone needs to check their panic attacks at the door. The birds are there, but you might have to work a little harder to get one. That's perfectly fine with me. Herc hits the field just as hard when we come up empty as when we come back heavy and THAT'S the name of the game for me. Be Safe Everyone!!!!

 

[Ericb]

Don't believe KDM! Save your money and go fishing. No birds in ND.

 

[LBrandt]

with There are a few. Been watching a flock for the past 2 days, got them figured out and was waiting for them this morning. They crossed the road in front of my parked pickup and went into a cattail filled ditch with in range of my screwed up hip. Had the pup with and put her on leash until I got in shooting range, then turned her loose. Got a double with my 20 ga youth model 870. Looks funny that a big guy like myself carrys a little gun like that but for early birds it works for me. Pup found both birds but the weird part is she does not want to pick them up. Will stand there and jump up and down on them until I come a pick them up. Think she has me trained. Headed for home and about a mile down the old section line trail two more Roosters ran in front of me and me and pup went after them and I got the first one that jumped. Now before someone starts to jump on my ass I got my handicap permit to shoot out of my truck if a choose to. I have hunted the fun way all my years but now the old legs and hips just will not carry me far anymore. Not as much fun but their breast meat are soaking in the fridge as I type, that's 3 good meals for me and the wife and I plan to enjoy every bite.

 

[Duckslayer100]

How old is the pup? Young dogs I don't worry too much about natural retrieving. Sometimes that comes a bit later and with more experience.

If they get older and it still isn't happening, I highly recommend force fetch. Amazing how going through a trained retrieve program can get other "kinks" into place.

 

[Coldfront]

We hunted Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The five of us finally got done at 6PM on Saturday with a limit of 15. Sunday we finished up again with 15. On Monday there 4 of us and we shot 6 birds. We walked a lot of miles to get the birds we got. On Monday we could have went back to the same places that we were at on Saturday and Sunday but decided to go to a new area that we hadn't been before. In places we seen a good number of hens and roosters. Before season I thought it would better for my 6 month old pup to be on lots of birds but I think having a lower bird count has made the dog work harder and not so much sent. I watched her track a rooster for over 300 hundred yards before the bird stopped and she went on point, the bird was flushed shot and she did a great retrieve. This will etched in my mind for many years. We had 5 dogs on the ground, an older Golden Retriever that pointed like an English setter, a really old shorthair, a first year shorthair, a 9 month old shorthair along with my pup. These dogs were beat at the end of the day along with us but they had fun as well as us. We also got stopped by a game warden and after checking our licenses and guns he asked if we had any birds and we told him four at the time. He must have believed us because he didn't even check, he said that the people he had checked were not doing that well. All in all it was still a good hunt. The only bitch I have was the wind.

 

[KDM]

Hunted for almost 4 hours yesterday, put on about 8 miles, and didn't see one pheasant. Had a Blast!! Being out with Herc and watching him look back at me after a foray of his into the cover with an expression on his face that says "Nothing in there" is just plain COOL!!! Be Safe!!!

 

[sdwxman]

Pulled a nice limit from the Pembina hills today. Lots of walking but some birds. Thanks for the tips guys! :::

 

[Ristorapper]

We did the trip down to the CRP to spray noxious weeds yesterday (Wednesday). Land is just south and west of Lake Tschida (heart butte dam). Did not see one sign of pheasant hen or rooster the 11.3 miles in OR the 11.3 miles out on gravel roads. Kicked up three grouse on the 57 acres of CRP we spayed. Wife saw a huge gopher. So the G critters (grouse and gopher) is all that lives on this parcel of land!!! Saw a lone antelope in the distance while spraying. All kinds of Canadian thistle. Can't them Canadians keep that shit north of the border?? New sprayer and SXS worked wonders compared to the ways we used to do this.

It was way different this year compared to last year, when we did see all kinds of pheasant along the gravel road heading to the land and back out.

 

[dean nelson]

Went scouting south of 94 for ducks and geese this morning. Didn't find jack shit for waterfowl but saw 3 to 4 times as many pheasants as I have in all the other times I've been out since Aug 1st combined. Mind you that's still less then a hundred birds but it was nice to see them out and about on a regular basis and getting a legal ditch limit would have been easy if a guy would have wanted to go for them.