Where to hunt Pheasant in Minnesota?

[Pherris]

I am fairly new to pheasant hunting and I am wondering where in MN you can hunt that you may find good populations on public land? Thanks

[Guest]

The best hunting can be found in far southern MN, also reffered to as Iowa or the South Western part of MN called South Dakota.
Just kidding, I have had alot of good hunting in southern and West central MN finding a few bird pockets here and there, We (the dogs & I) cover a lot of ground for a couple of birds. As far as I know there are no "good populations" in this state and the future isn't looking to bright I'm sorry to say. Try the DNR bird counts and see if any of the high count areas interest you.

[Rick]

Here is a little map courtesy of the Minnesota DNR for 2002.

It should be a good indicator for this year because we are assuming the pheasant numbers will be even better for 2003.

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 08-25-2003).]

[Rick]

Here is a Pheasant map courtesy of the Minnesota DNR for 2003.

As a side note, the SW parts of the map are averaging over 240 birds/sq mile and the SCentral parts over 110birds/sq mile.

[swampman]

Thanks Rick !

[Dano2]

Inman (Wunderlich) WMA?
Anyone hunt it?
Just trying to find some places to hunt that may hold some birds.
I plan on going to Appleton as well, but would like to find some places closer to Moorhead (within 90 miles anyway) becasue i cant afford to drive that far all the time.

Any pointers for me and my dog would be great.
Thanks

[Guest]

Thanks for the map Rick!

Its lookin like its going to be a GREAT YEAR!!

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RiverTown Guiding
Mississippi River Pools 3-4
http://www.geocities.com/wish_i_was_fishing2002

[sandman469ss]

The post Muskie Mania made at the beginning of this thread is for the most part correct. He is however wrong about there not being good populations in MN. I live in the cities now, but go back to my hometown in SW MN every wknd for pheasant season. This year I will be there everyday for the whole season. It's not unusual to see 100-150 birds just on the evening hunt. I'm not going to give a location, but I will say this to anyone reading these forums who has questionable hunting ethics. If you are coming down to SW MN to hunt because you heard the population is booming, you better make **** sure you're hunting public land or have permission to be on the private land you're hunting. I ran across multiple hunters(bad apples)last year that came down from up north and thought they owned the place. Didn't bother asking farmers for permission, just hunted it. I can tell you from talking to alot of the farmers, this WILL NOT be tolerated this year. Coming from a small community where everyone knows everyone else, it's not hard to spot an outsider. If you're not recognized, you can bet a local hunter is gonna call you on your permission to hunt the land you're on. If you have the paper, happy hunting, if not, Get out. If you're not sure, stay out! Trespassing is against the law. Non posted farmland is NOT public. In the area I hunt, a farmer WILL meet you with shotgun in hand, so heed the warning.

This isn't meant to offend the ethical hunters out there. Just a warning to the Nonethical ones who may read this.

If you're gonna break the rules and ruin it for everyone else, be prepared to have your day ruined.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[This message has been edited by sandman469ss (edited 09-09-2003).]

[walleyeking#8]

Sandman469ss, I agree with you about the unethical ones, but not being from the area where you are hunting I am still well aware that the southwestern part of minnesota is loaded with state land. I sure hope this wasn't just a scare tactic to keep out the ethical ones. I'm sure it wasn't. I live in west central minnesota and it isn't rare to see that many birds here late in the season when most of the other hunters have called it quits for the season. The pheasant hunting here has improved the last 3 years to where I'd like to see it stay or even get better. Goodluck pheasant hunting this season.

[Dano2]

I live in westCentral as well, this will be my first year pheasant in MN.
Can anyone give me a clue where to go?
Dont have to tell me where YOU hunt, but maybe some hints.
I've been looking at the recreational compass on the DNR site, and thats giving me SOME insite, but a little more would be nice.
This maybe a stupid question, and I dont intend to have someone show me a spot and then hunt the hell out of it, but I dont have any hunting partners since my brother quit hunting do to the extremly huge work load he has this time of season, so its just me and my inexperienced dog, so if anyone needs an extra body out there to cover more ground, give me a yoller.
I live in Moorhead.
thanks
[email protected]

[walleyeking#8]

Dano2,I would be glad to spend a day or two pheasant hunting with you if you are willing to drive from moorhead all the way down to clara city which I think is about 3 hours of driving. I do alot of pheasant hunting with my springer mostly, but I would enjoy meeting someone new. Most of my hunting buddies are in the field doing field work so I end up going with just my dog until late in the season, which can be real good in this area. Drop me an email if your interested in doing something. [email protected]

[gspman]

walleyeking#8
Are you from CC? I grew up in CC and am wondering if I know you are. I have a couple of guesses but don't want to name names over the internet.
gspman

[sandman469ss]

Walleye, this wasn't a scare tactic at all, but It really pisses me off when I've spent the time to get permission to hunt land, only to get there and have some yahoos walking it that don't have permission to.(Most farmers have no problem giving permission if you ask. I've known most in the are since I was a kid. I've even worked for a lot of them.) You may find some that won't now, just because the trespassers have pissed them off.
I have no problem if someone wants to buy a platte book, find a piece of private land they want to hunt, then call the owner and ask, but more often they just hunt it and hope nobody catches them.
I have actually been met with a shotgun when I had permission from the landowner, but not the person renting the land to farm it, which the landowner failed to mention, and I'm from the area. My father was a sheriff's deputy, and can tell you many stories of the same in the area. He's even been called out for one farmer shooting at the hunters.

The only land that is public in the area is owned by Pheasants Forever, and that gets so much traffic, I don't bother walking it.

I have NO problem with ethical hunters, but the bad apples are ruining it for the majority. I'll be unemployed this year during hunting season, so I'm looking forward to hunting, training the pup, and just spending time with my dad, brother, & the dogs. I have exclusive permission to some land, and have the names of people who have permission as well as me on other land, and can identify most by vehicle. I will not hesitate to have someone tagged for trespassing. If they have the balls to trespass, they'll more than likely have them to perform other illegal crap, like shooting hens, taking more than their limit, etc.
I'll do whatever it takes to preserve the hunting in the future for both my family, and the families in the community.
I take from the community, I'm obligated to give back.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[This message has been edited by sandman469ss (edited 09-10-2003).]

[walleyeking#8]

Yep, I'm from CC and you probably heard of me If you don't know me.I Spend a lot of time fishing and hunting, more than most of the others around here. Drop me a email and maybe I'm who you may think I am. One clue to help you out, I am a 1986 graduate from CC high. Happy Hunting and Fishin'

[walleyeking#8]

Sandman469ss I know what your saying about those so called slob hunters or them unethical ones. My brotherinlaw and I had our early goose season ruined by two young guys who thought they could hunt his dads land without asking. There were about 120 geese there the night before, when we got there, there were none. I'm guessing you are not hunting pheasant by ivanhoe or canby, you must be talking way sw? Well I feel the same way you do about trespassers. If they cant ask to hunt land that doesn't belong to them or land they do not have permission to hunt then they shouldn't be hunting at all. Goodluck on the 03' season.

[gspman]

walleyeking#8
I have no clue how to get your email. I know you graduated with my brother Lynn. Your initials are probably CB.
gspman

[sandman469ss]

Walleye, glad to see we see eye to eye on the issue. Nothing chaps my *** more than to get revved up for the morning hunt, only to have it ruined by jackasses. We do have some land up in Canby that we have permission for. My dad mentioned maybe trying it this wknd for geese. I don't know exactly where it is, but he does. Any goose reports from up that way?
Otherwise we generally stay down farther south. The 2 times we hit Canby last year for pheasant we blanked, but that got blamed on the dog both times.
Good luck to you too, and have fun.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[huntnfish]

I am also thinking about doing a little pheasant hunting in MN this year. Last year was the first year that I have hunted pheasants. That was in ND and I had planned to do a little again this year, but not with the new regs and fees. I live in Moorhead and don't really care to do a lot of driving, but for decent hunting I am willing to go a little ways. I have heard of people shooting some in areas around the Fergus Falls area, but have no idea where. I am assuming it was on a game ranch and that isn't the kind of hunting I am looking for. If anyone has some ideas on where to go, let me know. Thanks.

[wade22]

My Dad farms about 1200 acres in west central MN and the last three years have been freakishly good pheasant seasons. Keeping such a good population healthy and growing requires attention from everyone from hunters to landowners. It's been my experience that permission from landowners and farmers is very easy to obtain with some tactful behavior. Always ask permission before driving around. Humor the farmer/landowner by actually listening to what they have to say. If permission is refused, always remain cordial and polite; don't tear up their driveway on your way out. Remember to only hunt on the specific land that you ask; anything more is trespassing. Just be polite; most farmers work too hard to hunt their own land very hard but still respect proper outdoorsman. Don't get sneaky, believe me, farmers keep more than one eye focused all the time on hundreds of acres and know when someone is trespassing even on land that's "out-of-the way". Don't litter. A little goes a long way too -- remember to save some of that delicious meat for the farmer if you want to hunt the same land the next year. This isn't a complex set of social customs etc. just common sense. Hunters that litter, hunt outside of the area they asked to hunt or especially the ones that tear off the farm in a tizzy simply because I' m home hunting w/my dad's 160-pd. Chesapeake Bay Retriever don't get permission again. Period. I've watched my Grandpa personally kick off more than a couple prep jock wanna-be serious hunters in ways that have left more than a few on the verge of tears! Real entertaining - especially to a ten-year old. But the ones that give my farmers cuts of pheasant meat are always told to come back next year. There are bad apples but those are the ones that eventually only hunt public land or get picked up by the DNR.

[BLACKJACK]

Wade, I'm always a little hesitant to give a farmer/landowner a pheasant, especially uncleaned, thinking they may not want it or won't bother cleaning it. Even a cleaned pheasant, one that I've taken home and cleaned up and bagged, I'm hesitant to give away to farmers thinking it will end up in the freezer for months and then be tossed out... One time I did go ask permission on some new land, got two birds, was walking back to the truck and my dog jumped another rooster, a cripple, and ran it down. Looked to be in good shape, but now I had three birds in hand. Went up to the farmers wife, asked if they wanted it, got a bucket of water and cleaned it for them. But anyway, I generally don't give birds away, thinking that they'll be wasted.

[sandman469ss]

I applaude you Wade & Blackjack. We always give the landowner some of what we take, whether it's waterfowl, pheasants, or deer. Most farmers like to hunt, but are too busy getting the crops out. Another suggestion for those you know or think might not want the meat, if you hunt their land on a regular basis, buy them some kind of a gift certificate(Fleet Farm, Perkins). Doesn't have to be much, but I gaurantee that farmer will remember it, and next year permission won't be a problem.

Now, if we had some way to communicate this to the slobs.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[BLACKJACK]

Sandman, just curious, how much of a certificate do you consider appropriate for someplace where you hunt?

Where we deer hunt, my brother and I generally give the landowner a $100 certificate to Cabelas. Some of my local neighbors that let me bowhunt and pheasant hunt, I give them each a 50 pound bag of sunflowers (they feed birds). Sometimes, instead of giving out pheasants, I'll go back with some venison sausage,thinking that most people like sausage and it has a better chance of not being wasted.

[sandman469ss]

BJ,
Most of the land I've hunted since I was a kid and don't need to ask permission every year unless someone is renting it, & we usually do the occasional bird(cleaned & ready to go) to those farmers. I was just invited with a group of friends to hunt some private land in a refuge on the opener, and 3 of us went together and bought the friends uncle(owner) a $30 gift cert to Fleet Farm, and we only took 1/2 the birds we shot. Now we're going back next wknd.
We give deer meat to the famers where we take our deer. Who doesn't like sausage, sticks, & jerky?
It's hard to say what's appropriate. Some people won't accept anything. I'd probably say that I'm more apt to give more to someone I didn't know as well, in hopes of being able to get permission on a yearly basis, than I would be to someone I've known all my life.
Hunting is a spendy sport, but without a place to hunt, you'd be spending the money on cable TV & beer anyway.

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Takin it easy! & if it’s easy, I’ll take it twice!

[walleyeking#8]

gspman, your absolutely correct. Did you see some of my previous replies on this post? I left my email address on one of them. Just in case you don't find it, it is [email protected] drop me a email sometime. Now I know another person in the FM family. We will have to try and go pheasant hunting again this year. Well, gotta go.

[Slugo]

It's not so much how much $ and just the thought...When we were younger we would have a case of scotch and hams...then if we figured the land owner was a drinker we would give him a bottle if not a ham...Made a lot of good friends that way. Those guys always seem to love having a ham around at harvest time so they can just slice off a hunk with a slice of bread and get back on the combine.

[LMITOUT]

I would like to know how they came up with "good" population in SW McLeod county. I drove around the entire area this afternoon trying to scope out spots for possible hunting and the only thing I found was cropland from road to road. Not much for pheasant habitat as far as I'm concerned. Might as well be living in the Red River Valley as it's basically the same landscape.