Pheasant Hunting - SW MN

[Captain B.R.K]

Being new to pheasant hunting, please bear with me and some pretty generic questions.....be nice

Aside from reading about SW MN for years, I've been doing some research on the net about the area. Never been there before, so I am wondering:

1) Is there a good amount of public land to hunt?

2) Do the birds tend to hang around in the public or

private land

3) Is getting permission to hunt private tough to do?

4) Do most hotels/motels allow you to have dogs in your

room?

[xedge2002]

What area of SW MN are you looking at?

[LovenLifeGuy]

I did a lot of state land hunting in sw minnesota and yes you can find a lot of public land. Before the corn is out it can be tough, but after the corn is out it can be very good. I have never stayed in a hotel in the area, but I would think that most would let dogs stay in. \

LovenLifeGuy

[123fish]

There is a lot of public land to hunt in S.W. Minn. especially Lincoln, Murray, and Cottonwood counties among others. It does get hit hard the first few weeks of the season. At least the stuff in southern Murray county. A fair number of farmers will let you hunt if you ask. If your hunting opening weekend or where ever the corn is still standing be sure you are next to a nice grassy area at the last twenty minutes of legal shooting time. Get a good viewing spot and watch for roosters flying out of the corn into the grass to roost. Normally you will shoot more birds in the last five minutes than walking the same spots for the last five hours. Standing corn next to big Wildlife Management Areas is a great place for this tactic.

[fishwithteeth]

I hunt SW MN around the Marshall area. There is plenty of public land. If the land owner and his family don't hunt you have a pretty good chance to get permission. Like the others said, it's tough hunting when the corn is still up, but there are still plenty of birds in the CRP. Most motels in Marshall will allow dogs in rooms for a small fee. Book your room early as they tend to fill quickly for the opener.

[firebug]

Stop in when your down here. I should have some maps for you. They are free. (limited supply)

[firebug]

Stop in when your down here. I should have some maps for you. They are free. (limited supply)

[peder]

Hunt during the week if you can. The public areas get pounded hard on the weekends. Also don't forget to hunt the cattails late in the season.

[UGUIDE]

Don't rule out going just over the boarder to Iowa. I hunted there for many years and had good success at the public areas and genrally hunted 1.5 hours away from Twin Cities.

[Dave S]

Your best bet would to hunt during the week as mentioned. The weekends are just crazy. I hunted a few years south of Windom on the public lands with mixed feelings. The first couple years, I saw more hunters from Iowa than MN and I have to say that they were just plain rude. One in particular literally slid his truck sideways in the road (on tar) to block off the entrance so I couldn't get into the parking area. I'm not one to just barge in on other hunters for safety reasons first and foremost, but also for ethical reasons, so we found another area to hunt.

[Captain B.R.K]

Quote:

---

What area of SW MN are you looking at?

---

I'm not sure yet being this is my first year. I'm not sure really where to go. I have been just doing some research on the DNR website as well as looking over the hunting map that is out in bookstores.

Lincoln county...would that be a good start? I noticed a lot of areas to hunt in that county. The problem is the WMA description on the website sounds good, but not sure what it will look like once I get out there

[123fish]

Lincoln county would be an excellent start. They at one time had the most CRP acres in th state. Maybe still do. Lot of public land to hunt also. Something to remember is that a 20 ft. wide grassy waterway adjacent a picked cornfield can yield just as many roosters as a 200 acre CRP field for a couple of hunters and is a lot easier to hunt.

[Rost]

I grew up in good ole Lincoln Co. I still love to go back and hunt with my family.

There's a decent amount of public property. Some gets hunted hard though. I would stick to public lands off the beaten path. Last year as I was chisel plowing a field for my dad, I watched a 40 acre public area get hunted 3 times in six hours. Dad told me it gets hunted 3 times daily.

I do know a few guys that are taking their land out of CRP as well. Not sure what that is going to look like yet.

[lawdog]

BRK buy the Marshall area PRIM map and use it like a bible, it will take care of you.

Rost is dead on about the obvious pieces of public ground too, I live about 200 yards down and across the road from a WMA in Rock County, I thought it would be the cat's meow to be that close when we moved here, but then I got to see what actually happens there, WOW. That place gets on average 4-5 groups per weekend day through it, and whenever I sneak out of work early to try to sratch up a bird, I get home and there is almost always someone in it. I run the dogs over there sometimes, but its not worth hunting it its so abused...

[Captain B.R.K]

Thanks guys for the information. I stopped into Sportsman's Warehouse and took a look at the Marshall Prim map you spoke of Lawdog. I will be picking it up in the next few weeks...thanks for the heads up. Definately worth the $4.95 with all the details!

A question I forgot to ask:

Where would you recommend a guy and his dog stay? Are there hotels/motels that allow dogs in the room that are priced fairly decent?

[uplander]

There are some motels that allow dogs in Marshall..Got snowed in down there pheasant hunting once for 2 days,the motel had no broblem with the dogs...can't remember the name of it but it was right in town, one of those drive right to your door kind , price was fair

good luck,

uplander

[gdahl2]

My two cents worth is if you are willing to put in the time and effort and have a 1/2 way decent dog (doesn't need to be an all-star), you should find birds on public land. It won't be on every piece of public mind you, but if you hop around and work them thoroughly, you should find opportunities to take some shots. I prefer the challenge of hunting public land and bagging roosters that have outsmarted other hunters. I've tried pay to hunts and didn't love them by any means. Yet there is a place for it for some people. However, case in point is one of the best hunts I had was last January 8th down in Iowa (season goes to 01/10) and I got my limit of 3 roosters on public land in an 1 1/2 hrs. Long story short, public land can be very good and there is plenty of it in S.W. MN.

[Shu]

delux motel

super 8

I have stayed in both. I prefer Delux but they are full already. I am staying at the Super 8. Maybe I'll see ya down there.

[Rost]

Funny you should ask, my brother is considering buying a place next door to him in Ivanhoe and turning it into a hunting lodge type establishment. There are only 2 (maybe 3) hotels in Lincoln Co. as it is.

[Bigfife]

The Marshall area is great for public hunting opportunities. I went to college down there for 3 years, so I did my fair share of hunting. The public land gets hit hard, but the birds are still there somewhere. Go to the back side or the tough areas to get to. Talk to Justin at Borch's. He has given me a few new spots over the years. Just little corners and patches of grass that don't get hit often. Look for the combines too. Nothing better than hunting some grass next to a recently picked corn field. More power to you if you can get on private land. I found it to be pretty tough.

[Snag]

Most of the areas are pretty good. The Gazeteer will show all the WMA's and WPA's in the state. I think it's $20 or so. The PRIM maps let you know which is which. Half the fun is finding new spots. If you get there early, you will usually see birds before shooting time.

[brassman]

My best advice is to go to public land on weekdays, public land gets pounded on weekends. It wouldn't hurt to ask for permission for private land, your odds are better there. For the dog, follow the dog, they know whats going on, let them do the work and you'll be one successful hunter.

[DWestphal]

Capt... there's a pretty nice website that you can search for that has some phone numbers for motels etc.. in the counties of Lyon, Lincoln, Murray and Pipestone. Either shoot me an email at [email protected] or google swmnhunting and it should be your first link. Good luck!