Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Winter 2012-2013


Scott M

Recommended Posts

We just got a foot of snow up north, but to this point, it's not been a bad winter for birds. Some snow for grouse to burrow into up north, and very little snow in the southern part of the state for pheasants to deal with. We might come out okay, most of February and March to go yet but so far, so good!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Hopefully this last big dump doesnt hurt them been seeing a pile of birds all winter and they looked real healthy! It was a good season this yr and if they make it the rest of the year going to be real good next fall grin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was out by Hutchinson 2 weeks ago and went to a spot that is cattails to auger threw the ice and pound a few Woody houses in. The birds were defiantly in the cattails and tons of them. The predators seemed to know this too as there were tracks everywhere with a few dead/eaten birds around. We probably kicked 200 birds out so that was very promising...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Yah the predators have the upper hand with the deeper snow. We have been trying to help out the pheasant population. We took out 33 coyotes so far this yr with the hounds looking to add alot more to the final number! smile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I have been seeing so many pheasants around princeton area lately. I saw a bunch of about 60 yesterday on my way to my inlaws. Everyday on my way to st cloud I have been seeing a few on 95. Saw a couple today on county road 9 on my way to baxter lake. They seem to be every where.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a good sign when you're seeing them on the roads, they're looking for food, the roads are the only bare spots, and now you'll start seeing road killed pheasants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drive to Pine City a few times a week and I run the back roads and since December I have the pleasure of seeing 30 to 100 pheasants each trip the most I have counted is 143 in a one way trip. Thats about 60 miles . Lately on my return trips in the late afternoon the birds are picking pebbles off the shoulders of the roads and at times the birds are lined up like dominnos. The fields where I have been seeing them feed in the mornings are routed up really good holes dug to earth and once in awhile the birds are popping up and down out of the holes. Like the whack a mole game crosses my mind.

This past Saturday on my return trip I saw a spot with 8 roosters and less than twenty feet away on the ground was a bald eagle, I'm assuming that the eagle was having pheasant for it's meal and the other phrsants were to busy eating they're meal to notice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a good sign when you're seeing them on the roads, they're looking for food, the roads are the only bare spots, and now you'll start seeing road killed pheasants.

Picking gravel for they're gizzard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's seems like in the last week since the weather has warmed up they are all over. I have seen a ton of them hope most of them made it through the winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been seeing many hens dead in the ditches. The only place for them to get grit is alongside the road and people are in to big of a hurry to get where they are going to give them room.

Workin'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Drove through SW Minnesota on Saturday and there wasn't much for snow anywhere. Tough if you are making payments on a snowmobile I suppose, but should be good for the birds. I saw one rooster tucked into some frosty Indian grass, all puffed out. He looked like a hawk sitting there from a distance. It was such a gorgeous morning, 4 degrees with no wind and sunny, the whole scene encased in hoarfrost, and this guy standing out against a light background. Wish I had a camera at the ready.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friday on my way home from Pine City I usually see Pheasants in this one particular spot on the side of the road or in a feild; I didnt notice any and as I looked up the road a Bald Eagle sailed over the towering pines and flew towards me. I looked at it and noticed tail feathers of a rooster protruding out the back, under the tail feathers of the eagle, the eagle had a nice rooster in the clutches of its talons; as I thought well eagles have to eat too I noticed another big bird of in the distance on a tree line and it was a imature eagle and farther down the the tree line perched in a mighty oak was another adult eagle and I thought ,mom and dad teaching junior how to hunt pheasants.

I wish I could have seen the dive bomb and capture of that pheasant from the eagle. That pheasant did not look very big in the claws of that eagle either grin This spot was not far from where I had seen that eagle about a month ago eating next to the feeding pheasnts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • mulefarm
      With the early ice out, how is the curlyleaf pondweed doing?
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   The big basin, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay, is ice free.  Zippel Bay and Four Mile Bay are ice free as well.  Everything is shaping up nicely for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th. With the walleye / sauger season currently closed, most anglers are targeting sturgeon and pike.  Some sturgeon anglers are fishing at the mouth of the Rainy River, but most sturgeon are targeted in Four Mile Bay or the Rainy River.  Hence, pike are the targeted species on the south shore and various bays currently.   Pike fishing this time of year is a unique opportunity, as LOW is border water with Canada, the pike season is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. Back bays hold pike as they go through the various stages of the spawn.  Deadbait under a bobber, spinners, spoons and shallow diving crankbaits are all viable options.   Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay and Zippel Bay are all small water and boats of various sizes work well. On the Rainy River...  Great news this week as we learned sturgeon will not be placed on the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.     The organization had to make a decision by June 30 and listing sturgeon could have ended sturgeon fishing.  Thankfully, after looking at the many success stories across the nation, including LOW and the Rainy River, sturgeon fishing and successful sturgeon management continues.   A good week sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River.  Speaking to some sturgeon aficionados, fishing will actually get even better as water temps rise.     Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River near the Wheeler's Point Boat Ramp is still producing good numbers of fish, as are various holes along the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River from the mouth to Birchdale.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  A few spots with rotten ice, but as a rule, most of the Angle is showing off open water.  In these parts, most are looking ahead to the MN Fishing Opener.  Based on late ice fishing success, it should be a good one.  
    • leech~~
      Nice fish. I moved to the Sartell area last summer and just thought it was windy like this everyday up here? 🤭
    • Rick G
      Crazy windy again today.... This is has been the norm this spring. Between the wind and the cold fronts, fishing has been more challenging for me than most years.  Panfish have been moving in and out of the shallows quite a bit. One day they are up in the slop, the next they are out relating to cabbage or the newly sprouting lilly pads.  Today eye guy and I found them in 4-5 ft of water, hanging close to any tree branches that happened to be laying in the water.  Bigger fish were liking a 1/32 head and a Bobby Garland baby shad.   Highlight of the day way this healthy 15incher
    • monstermoose78
    • monstermoose78
      As I typed that here came a hen.  IMG_7032.mov   IMG_7032.mov
    • monstermoose78
      So far this morning nothing but non turkeys. 
    • monstermoose78
      Well yesterday I got a little excited and let a turkey get to close and I hit the blind!!
    • smurfy
      good......you?? living the dream..in my basement playing internet thug right now!!!!!! 🤣 working on getting the boat ready.......bought a new cheatmaster locator for the boat so working on that.   waiting for warmer weather to start my garden!!!
    • monstermoose78
      How is everyone doing? Holy moly it’s chilly this morning I stayed in bed and will hunt later today when it warms up.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.