Any Pheasant Hunters out there

[zach]

I have been out only twice and have not seen a bird in the field YET(Seen 3 along the highway going hunting). Once south of Afton and once over by Mingo. Still some corn in but this is the worst year that I have ever experienced.

I hear Northwest IA is the best. What is everybody else experiencing and what part of the state are you hunting? My buddy in my Avatar has been working his butt off to no avail.

I'll be at the game this Sat and going hunting again Sunday. Hopefully it will dry up a bit so the farmers can get more crops out.


Z

 

[price26]

I'm not a pheasant hunter, but I spent four day span in a combine harvesting corn (in NE Iowa) and didn't see a single pheasant and haven't seen one anywhere else for that matter.

 

[tazclone]

I've had as little luck as you but then I didn't get out last weekend. A few friends went last weekend and limited. There is still quite a bit of corn in the fields around here (Storm Lake area) and the birds really haven't gone to the waterways yet.

I walked a great waterway last week and got nothing but then when we were walking back through corn stubble my dog went crazy. I took that to mean the birds are still out in the fields whether combined or not. The cold wet weather should move them into more typical hunting environment

At least that is what I am holding onto

 

[MadHatt3r]

I went back home in NW Iowa for opening. We got our limit as a group plus one partridge(27 birds). Sunday was poor due to the wind. The dogs simply couldn't work with it so we quit at noon with six. Went this last Saturday with a friend and we got three. If a quarter of the hens we saw were roosters we would have had our limit by noon.

 

[Bobber]

The east 1/2 of the state had a horrible winter with ice and then a lot of snow. Follow that with a lot of rain through the end of June and it's not a good recipie for Pheasant surviving and reproducing.

I've only seen 2 or 3 birds all year and I'm out in the country on back roads for work all the time.

 

[CHim]

I have been trying to hunt around Ames and up in NE Iowa, but so far I have just been going on nature walks.

 

[BKLYNCyclone]

I used to have a lot of luck south of Sumner near 190th and Wildwood, but that was 10 years ago...

 

[CYVADER]

live by sioux city and have had good luck in comparison, but not seen anywhere neer normal counts. i read a month or so ago that the roadside numbers were down about 70% from a year ago in eastern iowa, about 40% in southwest iowa, and about 25% in northwest iowa. i have heard south dakota has been excellent as usual though.

also, the deer population doesn't seem as big as previous years, but i attribute most of that to the large amount of corn still in the fields. i have been bow hunting hard the last few weeks and have yet to see a buck chasing yet. thought for sure the rut would have started by now.

 

[zach]

I have been trying to hunt around Ames and up in NE Iowa, but so far I have just been going on nature walks.

Well this sounds like my trips this year...LOL :biglaugh: LOL As I have gotten older hunting is more about enjoying the time with friends and the fresh air and less about the kill, HOWEVER, it would be nice to see a bird or two, if nothing else for the dogs! Shooting a bird this year will certianly be a bonus for most hunters, except for the ones in NW IA. This last weekends nature walk/hunt, I saw 15-20 deer, 8 jakes and toms and some farm cats! It was nice either way.

Anyone else hunt with a dog or dogs?

Z

 

[zach]

live by sioux city and have had good luck in comparison, but not seen anywhere neer normal counts. i read a month or so ago that the roadside numbers were down about 70% from a year ago in eastern iowa, about 40% in southwest iowa, and about 25% in northwest iowa. i have heard south dakota has been excellent as usual though.

also, the deer population doesn't seem as big as previous years, but i attribute most of that to the large amount of corn still in the fields. i have been bow hunting hard the last few weeks and have yet to see a buck chasing yet. thought for sure the rut would have started by now.

I saw a lot of does this last weekend, no bucks yet. Rut starts around Dec first or so?


Z

 

[CYVADER]

rut usually starts early-mid november and is over by the time shotgun season 1 starts. once every 5 years or so though, there have been a few "late bloomers" that are still trying to find a lucky lady the first weekend in december

 

[Torks Pub]

I saw a lot of does this last weekend, no bucks yet. Rut starts around Dec first or so?


Not sure the hormones have kicked in yet as I have seen a few scrapes, but very few rubs. I've always believed that weather has more to do with the timing of the rut and until recently we've had such warm weather that I don't think the bucks have gotten the call yet. Should be soon.

As for pheasants, I've been out a couple of times around central Iowa with no luck. We had great luck outside of Sheffield last year, but the reports from the guys combining are bad. Some friends have been out close to Pocahontas and Mallard and shot quite a few. So it sounds like NW Iowa is, indeed, the place to go.

If you really want to work your pointer, go to Winterset Hunt Club. Curt or Dave will take good care of you (for a fee of course).

I hunt with setters. Great hunters and family dogs.

 

[zach]

Not sure the hormones have kicked in yet as I have seen a few scrapes, but very few rubs. I've always believed that weather has more to do with the timing of the rut and until recently we've had such warm weather that I don't think the bucks have gotten the call yet. Should be soon.

As for pheasants, I've been out a couple of times around central Iowa with no luck. We had great luck outside of Sheffield last year, but the reports from the guys combining are bad. Some friends have been out close to Pocahontas and Mallard and shot quite a few. So it sounds like NW Iowa is, indeed, the place to go.

If you really want to work your pointer, go to Winterset Hunt Club. Curt or Dave will take good care of you (for a fee of course).

I hunt with setters. Great hunters and family dogs.[/quote]

I bought mine in Adel, 12 or so years ago, at the Adel hunt club(?)...there was a Dave there as well and I heard he went to another club...may be the same Dave? I can't remember his last name. Setters are great family and hunting dogs as well. What kind do you have?


I might have to look up the Winterset Club if things don't improve. What's a bird run these days?

Z

 

[Torks Pub]

I think the birds run $15 or so and, of course, you can shoot both hens and roosters (if it flies, it dies). They also have single memberships and corporate memberships which I have had so I apologize for not knowing the individual bird cost.

I had a Llewelyn that I bought in Bonner Springs, KS. That dog wouldn't quit and had a great nose, but I could not get him to retrieve. Now I have a Red & White Setter and he loves the hunt, and retrieves even into water. Not quite the nose as the Llewelyn, but a better all round dog for family purposes. I bought him from a kennel in South Carolina.

 

[CyGuy33]

I went opening weekend up around boji. saw a lot of birds. ended up with 8 on saturday with three guys. we could have had our limit if we would have shot better. we got three more on sunday befoe we caled it a day because of the wind.
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[2020cy]

Central Iowa - worst hunting in 19 yrs. that I've hunted.

 

[spanny]

I went back home is SE Iowa, we saw 2 birds, but man was I sore from walking! There is still a ton of corn out, and we hope that is where they were but it was a real bummer. I'll keep at it though. I have heard some duck hunters say that those numbers have been up, but not the mallard numbers.

 

[tidbit]

I farm in Dallas co., and still have corn to harvest.I have one field that two years ago jumped 23 birds out as I was finishing, where this year in the same field only chased out 3. So by my count the pop. is way down, just as the turkeys are.
The deer are another story they are still very thick, with herds of 25 to 40 in the field at night feeding. One of my friends was out bow hunting Sat. and said they were thick, moving all around ,chasing the females. The rut has started.

 

[JVAR]

I have had a similar experience. NO BIRDS. I have access to some nice land, and it is like the birds have disappeared. All the farmers that I have called again this fall have said the same thing: "Go ahead and hunt, but there is not much out there. The winter and spring was tough on them." We had a great time last year. We were still limiting out on some hunts in December. My family owns some ground in central Iowa, and the population is horrible. They have had wet springs and the numbers have been declining over the past couple of years, but when we would at least shoot some birds. I have taken 2 on two hunts. The duck hunting has been decent.

I might start hitting the shooting preserves as I have a young pup and need to get some birds shot over her. I bought a German Longhaired Pointer. They are rare, but awesome dogs. They are as beautiful and calm as a setter, but hunt like a German Shorthair or Wirehair as they point, track, and retrieve on land or water. She is the calmest pointing dog I have ever owned. Good luck hunting.

 

[Aclone]

The east 1/2 of the state had a horrible winter with ice and then a lot of snow. Follow that with a lot of rain through the end of June and it's not a good recipie for Pheasant surviving and reproducing.

I've only seen 2 or 3 birds all year and I'm out in the country on back roads for work all the time.

Bingo. It isn't just the corn still out. Hopefully they'll recover this offseason.