Recent Rooster Reports

[Snag]

I snuck out Sunday morning around Litchfield with my Dad. We only managed to get up one lucky rooster and two hens for about 3 hours of hunting. Hail must have got some birds around there.

Heading out to Marshall on Thursday. Hopefully some corn goes down the next couple of days.

[koonie]

I got out today on some public land by LQP. My two dogs(left foot and right foot) walked about 8 miles and I wound up with my two roosters. What a beautiful day. I watched a bunch of new geese come in to LQP so thing may be picking up there soon as far as goose hunting. The public land I walked is usually a sea of orange but today I only saw one other guy. Took the occasional water/rest break on giant rocks overlooking the lake. Would have liked to had a dog today and maybe the company of my bro but the day was near perfect.

[Rooster Chaser]

If you can find chunks of land that are not being attacked by the orange mob you can get your birds. Got my limit on Thursday and Friday in the foul weather on public land. Sunday morning was insane at spots I usually hit, found one spot that was tucked off the beaten path and got one, and should have had another. People did disappear once the Vikings game time got closer.

[Powerstroke]

A buddy and I took my springer out for his first real hunt and it was not the right day. With the 40mph winds we were hard pressed to find anything. We didn't even get a flush. I hunted grass, edges, cattails, brush and even some sheltered shelter belts. One was about a half mile of evergreens 3 rows wide and not a single flush.

Hopefully I pick a better day next time.

[harvey lee]

Pretty hard for the dog to pick up scent and to flush roosters when its that windy Andy. Give the dog a good day and the results should be better.

[tipup]

Myself and a friend hit the Waseca/LeSeure County area and had great luck. The new pup again came through and pointed many birds. Got my limit by noon and should have got my buddies also but once the wind picked up the birds were moving. All in all I would say as of today best first two weeks I have seen here in S.Minn in the last 5-6 yrs.

[Barony]

Real tough going in the Morris area last weekend. Awful lot of corn in the fields yet. Managed to get my limit on Fri. and one on Sat., but we worked pretty hard to put up birds. Sore feet and tired dogs.

[Dave S]

I went out last Sunday with my 6 y.o. GSP and my 1 y.o. Black Lab for her first hunt. We went to a WPA not far from home for the last hour of legal daylight.

This WPA has some nice pockets of water after the recent rains so we focused on them. Time was of the essence so we had to make good time. We managed to chase up 4 hens, then a rooster that was too far away. On our way back to the vehicle, it was too close to the end of shooting hours when another rooster jumped 100 yards from the vehicle, and kept on flying.

We returned to the same area on Monday afternoon, but with a little more time on our hands, er ummm paws We again targeted the water holes. Once we crested the dyke on the east end of the largest water hole, there swam a bachelor group of 6 drake wood ducks in full plumage. This made my day, even though I couldn't shoot (no duck stamps). We moved on and shortly after, the pup got a little birdie near a fenceline when my GSP took over on the trail. She didn't seem too serious in her pursuit, so I tried to call her back. Foolish me, I should have followed. The scent trail took her to the edge of another water hole where a rooster got up, but out of range. We moved on when I was keeping an eye on the lab when the GSP kicked up another rooster. This one, unfortunately for him, came within range. 1 bird in the bag. This ended the hunt for the day.

On the way home, we took a back road home that divided 2 sloughs. Looking to the west into the sunset, there stood an 8 point buck on top of the ridge. This site is everything that you see in pictures and wish to see in real life. The silhouette of a nice buck with the pink and orange sunset as the background. I couldn't help but stop to admire the site.

All of this in one day is almost overwhelming. I feel like the luckiest guy alive to have been able to see the vast diversity of Minnesota's wildlife within 10 minutes of home.

[darwin]

If your right about hail thats why I have not seen many birds around the darwin area.

[Snag]

Got out on Thursday morning near Marshall. It was pretty windy and we never got off a shot. The birds were running out ahead and were very skittish. Had a few hens that were sitting tight but the roosters must all have doctorate degrees in evasion by now. Hunted two pieces of land and got up 15 birds. The 5 roosters all flushed way ahead of us. My dog did retreive a hen that must have been shot the day before . He had a look on his face like look what I found. Most of the corn is out.

[2thepointsetters]

The roosters are starting to get grouped together as the corn is coming out. We had couple points that when flushed had 10 or more birds each time. My dad and I took out three guys Saturday who have never hunted pheasants before, they had a great time with my dogs and TRYING to shot their first pheasant. I think they are all addicted to pheasant hunting now.

[MN Mike]

Hunted around Ivanhoe this weekend, didn't have to hunt past 11 a.m both days. 4 guys, 4 dogs and a great weekend weather wise. Birds were sitting pretty good.

Managed to flush 2 Does and a rooster in one place and they were only about 10 feet from me, talk about having to collect myself and put it together quick! Don't know if I got that bird or the guy next to me, we got a laugh anyway.

Lots of corn coming off.

Hopefully I'll be back down in December if everything works out right, WHAT A BLAST !!!!

Mike

[gspman]

Managed to get out this weekend. The dog demonstrated an incredible ability to stick birds. My brother and I demonstrated an incredible ability to miss birds. Anyways a good time was had and I was very pleased with the bird work by the dog. She's just starting to come into her prime now and it's showing. The birds should be getting more touchy and harder to pin by now but she nailed a lot of birds anyway.

[BobT]

Finally managed to get into the fields and harvest some of my soybeans. Had to leave a few acres due to wet ground but hopefully we can get them later if the weather holds out.

On Saturday morning I had to take my gravity boxes to the elevator and didn't get back until about noon. I had about an hour before my harvester would arrive to work on my soybeans so I decided to take a little walk.

My wife and kids picked up a collie mix from the humane society earlier this spring and it is now about 6mo. old. She was tagging along with me so I decided what the heck, she can't hurt anything, the exercise will do her good, and perhaps with her running around I'll get to see an extra bird or two.

To my surprise she didn't tag along at my heals as I suspected she would but rather curiously nosed around, checking brush, and bouncing in the grass keeping within about 10 yards of me most of the time. At one point I remember thinking she reminded me of a springe spaniel I once had. I couldn't ask for more especially considering she has no training whatsoever. Barely even any discipline training much less any hunting training.

At one point I flushed a rooster and when I hit it I couldn't find it. I suspected it had gone down into a small cattail patch so I walked back to the house to get rubber boots on. When I returned the dog came with me again and to my surprise she found the bird for me!

A short time later she flushed a rooster and I hit it but not very good. The bird came down onto the field where we had combined and was flapping and running around. The dog caught sight of it and took off after it. She pinned it down and held it until I got there to take it from her! What more could I possibly ask for?

I wonder...do I have the first hunting collie?

Bob

[2thepointsetters]

I forgot to write this in my earlier post. I shot a pheasant at 35 or 40 yards and it got put in my game bag. About 5 minutes later the bird starts trying to scratch through my back, so my buddy comes over and squeezes his neck to finish him off. (he must have grabbed the wrong bird) because about 5 minutes later I can feel the bird moving again so I look back and see a wing coming out of my vest. The next thing I know the bird falls out of the vest and takes off running through waist high grass. I couldn't belive it. I was a able to call one of the dogs over fast enough so he could get on the trail of the rooster. He didn't make it far before my setter was on top of him. My buddy's were laughing so hard they started crying. That was one tough rooster.

[brittman]

Hunted 3 mid-sized WMAs. Dang wind. Think it was sustained at 25mph this afternoon. 4 roosters pointed and 2 roosters in the bag. 2 other roosters flushed wild.

Old girl has been on top of her game this week. Grouse now pheasants. My younger dog had a tougher go today. She gets the bigger areas and they were running. Her points either disapeared or were hens.

Flushed just two hens! Not sure where they all were hiding.

[2thepointsetters]

I hunted yesterday when it was really windy. I had to hunt pheasants like I hunt grouse through the thickest stuff I can find. The roosters were about 25-30 yards off the fields in the thick trees that you can hardly walk in. It would have been a pretty smooth day, but the beeper collar was dead after after 30 minutes of use so I had a tough time finding the dogs on point, a couple times I knew the dogs were on point a few minutes before we could locate them. I hunted with my buddy and his 6 month old setter/beagle for the first time and the pup honored my setters point for a couple minutes which I thought was amazing. the roosters held really good for the dogs.

[BobT]

Where in the world were you hunting pheasants around Gilbert? In the 30 years I lived in the area, I never saw a pheasant or knew they could be found.

Bob

[2thepointsetters]

Quote:

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Where in the world were you hunting pheasants around Gilbert? In the 30 years I lived in the area, I never saw a pheasant or knew they could be found.

Bob

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The only pheasants in Gilbert are in my freezer. I hunt pheasants west of St.Cloud. I drive down there every single day I have off from work. Its about 240 miles each way to where I hunt.

[uplander]

That's hardcore 2thepoint.....when we goin?....I'm ready to start chasin the ditch parrots, the orange army has takin over the grouse woods.....Time to head south to safer pastures........uplander

[2thepointsetters]

Quote:

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That's hardcore 2thepoint.....when we goin?....I'm ready to start chasin the ditch parrots, the orange army has takin over the grouse woods.....Time to head south to safer pastures........uplander

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November 15-16 will be my first couple days off not during deer season. The dog needs a couple weeks to get back to 100%, he is looking a little rough from all the hunting we have done in the past 3 weeks. Look close at the pic from a couple posts back he actually wore all the skin off the tip of his tail from beating the brush

[tipup]

Went out yesterday(11-6-07) with 1.5 hrs left to hunt. Had to pick an easy spot as my son wanted to walk with, and i was not going to pass up the chance to let my little buddy go hunting with dad. So I decided on a little spot just out of town. Got the b oy and the pup out of the truck, loaded the gun and we were off with about and hour to hunt. Walk and low and behold the pup went on point. Nothing, must be some old scent. As we were about 3/4 into the land my pup takes off back and forth zigging and zagging and boom there goes a rooster to far ahead to shoot. I figure thats the bird she was after and boom shes on point again. Up comes the rooster and bang down he goes. So by now the the little guy is getting tired of walking and it is almost end of shooting hours anyhow so home we go. All in all I saw two rooster and got one. Not bad for a 5 mth old pup and me getting to time to show me son how nice and fun it is to hunt!! Always nice to introduce a kid to hunting!

[jigging-matt]

Sounds like she is doing good tip-up. Took Digger out this weekend and he just keeps getting better. had some excellent points on Sunday. Will have to get out together soon.

[DRH1175]

I will start my pheasant season once deer hunting is done. My Dog is quite upset with me. She has been trying to talk me out of ever deer hunting again. So I better spend some serious time with her after the deer hunt is over. I will be heading to Marshall area or SD

[123fish]

Went out tonight after work. Had a half hour to hunt. Walked a good looking road ditch. Two shots , two roosters. The dog is really on her game.

[grab the net]

Mid-season is now here and I am not finding many dumb ones anymore. Have been out three times in the last five days, finally connected on a long tail tonight at about 4:15. Have hunted this WPA a few times before and knew almost everybody walked it the same way from the parking lot. Me and Duey took the long way around, about 3/4 mile walk, cut way out across a plowed corn field and surprised the rooster at the corner of a willow patch and switch grass that butted up to the corn field. 21 inch tail and long spurs. Two more suzies on the way back and a couple of roosters that jumped either way out front or cut through some trees and jumped out of range and flew over a huge cat tail slough. Duey's down to his crusing weight now, about 90 lbs and hoping it cools off a little. Now just have to figure out how to surprise those other two.

[crapjeye]

I think this has been the best season in years. I cannot believe the numbers of birds. WOW!

[grab the net]

Couple of pictures from a hunt a couple of weeks

ago,

Me and my son with Duey after a morning hunt

[Snag]

I had the day off and got out for a few hours today in west central northern southern eastern Minnesota. It wasn't too hard to figure out where the birds were since one area of cattails sounded like a rooster convention. By some act of God, my Golden stayed close and we got within 20 yards before they stopped. Flushed 4 roosters and 4 hens in that spot. They way they flushed I could have got a double if my gun didn't jam. Got another rooster out of another area of cattails. A nice day to be out and the birds were sitting pretty tight. Rubber boots were a must have item.

[grab the net]

Snag,we were hunting right across the road from you. That is a good area. I have been on a roll the last week. On solo trips, I picked up one Sunday, one Wednesday, one Thursday, two friday, and my son and I limited today. We also found the birds near cattails and willows. The little bit of snow was great this morning. Took us about 4 1/2 hours to limit today, walking public. First weekend after deer season, lots of hunters. Went past 2 WMA's and three WPA's before we found an empty parking lot. Then it was clear sailing. 1st stop, dry run, 2nd stop 1, 3rd stop 3. Most of the birds held tight for us today, only a few wild flushes. Couple nice points, one great retreive on a bird we dropped a leg on. Glided about three hundred yards and settled back down. Duey found him after about a 5 minute search when we got to the area we marked him, very much alive, but he couldn't run. Nice dog work. All nice heavy birds, decent tails, 17-18 inches. Forgot the camera on the counter, so no pictures.