Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports

[rundrave]

3 hours ago, smurfy said:

.how or what do you  do with them to cook'em up????

 

here are a few of my favorites:

 

1) cube breast meat, marinate in Italian dressing over night, wrap in bacon, grill 

 

2) cube breast meat, cover with shore lunch or any other breading batter of your choice, flour/egg wash etc if you like that, fry and enjoy just like little chicken nuggets

 

3) cube breast meat, season with salt, pepper, garlic, quickly fry in pan serve over rice, can also look up  South Dakota version of chislic similar to this

 

4) cream of something soup, crock pot with what ever you want lol

 

5) pheasant and dumpling soup

 

6) this one is a little bit of work but good stuff: https://fromfieldtoplate.com/2016/08/16/sesame-pheasant-garden-veggie-stir-fry/

 

I tend to save all my legs and prepare them together. For example this last weekend I shot 2 birds on Sat and 3 on Sunday for a total of 10 legs. Put them all in a crock pot, with beefbroth and a can or 2 of dr pepper to make sure they are call covered. cook on low until tender. pull all tendons etc out and shred any meat you can salvage. add  barbeque sauce and serve on a bun and toppings of your choice. will be very similar to pulled pork.

 

I hate wasting legs, and I hate even more seeing others not utilize them and just breast out birds and leave the legs to rot

 

 

My team of GSP's have been putting the hurt on birds this year here in SD. pleasantly surprised with numbers after the brutal winter we had. probably had my best year of sharptail hunting that I can ever recall in my lifetime also.

 

 

[smurfy]

Good ideas rundave!!

[gim]

No need to go to Iowa or Dakota to find roosters.  Still plenty around these parts.  Got 2 more yesterday afternoon.  Its getting dry out there again.  We need some moisture on the landscape.

[monstermoose78]

I can’t even find I pheasant and I have been putting miles on my boots.

[gim]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:48 AM, monstermoose78 said:

I can’t even find I pheasant and I have been putting miles on my boots.

 

I've been finding mine in areas that are near a food source.  Cattails are worthless, don't bother.  Hasn't been cold or snowy enough for birds to be in there.

 

I scout the areas I hunt before the season and I also spend a week in my deer stand in the same area, so I kind of have a pretty good idea of how many and where they are before I hit the ground.  I would definitely say there's more around than last season.  They are getting smarter by the day though.  Don't make any noise when you go in there.  Any rooster in the bag this time of year is a real prize now.

[gim]

I finished the season on a high note.  Went on Friday and Monday afternoon for about 3 hours each day.  It was easier on Monday with the fresh coating of snow.  I raised about 40 on Friday and 20 on Monday.  It was a good season for this guy in Central MN.

[leech~~]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I finished the season on a high note.  Went on Friday and Monday afternoon for about 3 hours each day.  It was easier on Monday with the fresh coating of snow.  I raised about 40 on Friday and 20 on Monday.  It was a good season for this guy in Central MN.

So what's the number to gimruis guide service, for next years reference?

[gim]

On 1/2/2024 at 10:41 AM, leech~~ said:

So what's the number to gimruis guide service, for next years reference?

 

Haha.  Good one Leech.

 

There are quite a few hens around still, which is a good sign for next season.  Mortality should be minimal if this fake winter continues.  Deer and wild turkeys are in fine shape too.  I saw a flock of about 40 wild turkeys on Monday.

 

Hopefully spring nesting season is a success and we can avoid another annual summer drought.

[smurfy]

the grouse up north  could use some snow though!!!!!!!1

[monstermoose78]

After next week I should be back on the ice. I hope 

[monstermoose78]

Saturday I am going ice fishing!! Woohoo

[Wanderer]

7 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Saturday I am going ice fishing!! Woohoo

First time out this year?  Staying local?  I think I’ve been blessed to not have to deal the ice/non-ice conditions south of me.

Edited January 25, 2024 by Wanderer

[monstermoose78]

No I hit the ice in early December but then it got warm. I think Mille Lacs looking for perch

[monstermoose78]

Went out to get a few meals of fish for my Grandma and of course for me too!! The best plastic was a 1 inch zipper minnow white and pink with a 4 mm tungsten pink poka dots. The rod was a 32 and 33 inch black ice from Kichler Customs. 

[monstermoose78]

Two winters of less pressure and now a third seems to be helping the fishes.

[monstermoose78]

Needed a mental health day and boy it was awesome out!! Put the Kichler Customs to a test and used my favorite plastic a maki mino with a tungsten jig. 

[smurfy]

mental health day???????? is that what they call abusing the attendence program, or just plain calling in sick nowadays???????

[monstermoose78]

8 hours ago, smurfy said:

mental health day???????? is that what they call abusing the attendence program, or just plain calling in sick nowadays???????

In my job I can’t help people unless I am on my A game and I needed a mental health day to get to my best self. 

[smurfy]

12 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

In my job I can’t help people unless I am on my A game and I needed a mental health day to get to my best self. 

by the looks of those fish, it shoulda helped!!!!! if nuttin else put a smile on the face.......good going!!!!!!

[monstermoose78]

Turkey season is coming quickly who is ready?

[smurfy]

i dont know why but i just seem to not get into it........mayhaps cause the last time i looked for a place to hunt......i wasnt successful!!!!!

Edited March 30, 2024 by smurfy

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, smurfy said:

i dont know why but i just seem to not get into it........mayhaps cause the last time i looked for a place to hunt......i wasnt successful!!!!!

It can be tuff if you don't have land.  I had a pretty good place going last spring and about the 3rd day in, up went the no hunting signs.  Must have saw me parking off the road?  

Edited March 30, 2024 by leech~~

[monstermoose78]

Lots of public land around 

[leech~~]

57 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

Lots of public land around 

Yep, lot of picked over public land with not much alive left on it.  Sherburne-Carlos wastelands.  

[monstermoose78]

On 3/31/2024 at 10:15 PM, leech~~ said:

Yep, lot of picked over public land with not much alive left on it.  Sherburne-Carlos wastelands.  

There are smaller pieces man. I will send you a couple spots 

[gim]

I intend to turkey hunt season B (shotgun) which starts April 24.

 

I've secured permission at 4 properties, all right next to each other.  Just in case the birds move around and I need to re-locate my blind.  I've hunted this area for 3 years now and I know the core roosting area.

 

There's lots of good places to hunt on private land, you just have to be willing to get in your truck and ask for permission.  I do it every fall and every spring because I got sick of hunting the "public wastelands."

[gim]

Finding where they roost is the key.  Locate that area and then go from there.  Their daily patterns often the same day after day.

 

I use a portable blind and place/stake it the day before.  Generally try to put it within calling distance of the roost.

[smurfy]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Finding where they roost is the key.  Locate that area and then go from there.  Their daily patterns often the same day after day.

 

I use a portable blind and place/stake it the day before.  Generally try to put it within calling distance of the roost.

Sooo... leech should set his blind up in maybe like the produce section,  which is usually pretty close to the freezer section.   Right!

[Mike89]

39 minutes ago, smurfy said:

Sooo... leech should set his blind up in maybe like the produce section,  which is usually pretty close to the freezer section.   Right!

might depend on the store layout too!!!

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Finding where they roost is the key.  Locate that area and then go from there.  Their daily patterns often the same day after day.

 

I use a portable blind and place/stake it the day before.  Generally try to put it within calling distance of the roost.

Thanks, not new to turkey hunting, have taken a few nice ones. Use to do all our hunting down by Rushford and Caledonia, Mn on private farms.  Done with climbing the hills and just moved up to Sartell so kind of looking for some new spots up around here.  I've also hunted some of the forest land around Crosslake to Outing but they move around in the wood so much it's hard to find them in one spot consistently.  I've also found the forest birds don't call as much and it maybe because of all the predators they have to live with?