2023 Season

Pull-over Gore-tex rain pants for rainy, wet or snowy weather. If the snow is over my calves (continuously) I usually am done hunting or better yet I find another area to bird hunt.

Early season I am not afraid to hunt in shorts with knee-high rubber boots if the grass is real wet. Works amazingly well actually.

I have not had the gore-tex pants out this year.
 
I took Thursday off work to get a day in. I shot terribly and the dog was awful. More so that I was awful. I just could not get her to listen to me, which I will summarize as we both must have been in a bad mood and were trading blows with one another. She’s been lights out for a 9 month old the last couple of trips so I will forgive it. But boy we got into the birds. Mid 50s and windy. They weren’t grouped up like your typical December, but there were so many in pockets it felt darn close. I have next Friday off, and no family plans until Christmas Day so those three days will be my last hunt of the season. Crazy how quick it goes each year.
 
Sat hunted 2 private spots for hour and 40 minutes end of day. Spot 1 flushed a small hen quick, I heard a cackle and looked around for the other bird. There was none. Turns out I saw the smallest late Dec. rooster ever, zero color, bird was right underfoot. We flushed a real hen half hour later. Spot 2 the birds were in the exact same spot in the cattails they were last time. First bird right by me and I almost shot him, but just could not get clear visual color on him, very low light, and a light drizzle. Didn't want to risk a mistake and have the dog fetch up a hen in case I was wrong. Right after him a hen flushed, then a rooster and another hen, so 4 birds in quick succession. I had a shot on this rooster and saw him plain as day, it would have been 35 yards or maybe more, quartering away, and these cattails are very gnarly. I held my shot. Dark gray skies, possibility of rain, hunting alone, I didn't want to shoot and be faced with a challenging retrieve in dense soggy cattails in near darkness.

Day 2 Sunday. Woke up zero dark thirty and headed to Iowa hotspot. I got there at 7 50 and hunting by 8 05. I had a feeling this would happen. The dog got a scent right away and I missed a gimme shot. Now I've got this to think about all day:(. We flushed 3 or 4 hens after, hunted there 2 hours. Second spot in Iowa had one bird flush but no visual, on the other side of very tall/dense forbes. Finally circling the entire spot we pushed a willow thicket and suddenly on my right in cattails 4 birds flew, 1 was a rooster. They were sitting in an inch of water. Perhaps they ran out of the willows when they heard us and then flushed wild from the cattails. At this point I was down in the dumps. I always try and stay positive, but sometimes the prospect of hunting public ground that's been beaten like a tent peg gets in my mind. I woulda hunted ditches but didn't see any good ones and with the rain I don't think they wanted to be in the light grass. In my head I said some unholy things about Iowa and retreated back to Vikings land. The fire was out of me, and the dog had been running all morning so I sat down for fast food lunch while Skye girl snoozed in the truck cab. I had a pheasant Valhalla I was licking my chops over that required waders, which I had packed. Some friendly rube beat me to the spot by mere minutes! Next spot, another hunter there. Man this day was not going as planned. Finally I hoofed it a good ways east towards 169 and went to another spot I'd been dreaming of(new to me). Finally an open area. We hunted the last hour 20 of the day. Saw two hens and three roosters. I shot one rooster, missed another (long crosser prolly 40-45) and Skye caught the third one. Frustrating weekend, but the last spot was a good one. Walking out we saw one of those spectacular prairie sunsets that you just can't put into words. 20231217_195409.jpg
 
I can say even though the 3rd bird got away, it was very calming to the soul walking out of the public land and getting to watch that sunset for 15 minutes. It was a perfect ending to the weekend.
 
I started off today on a public spot where another guy pulled in on me. Story is related in the gobsmacked thread I just posted. I left and went to a WMA that is new this year. I didn't think much of it, but figured the dogs had to run a little and go potty. No birds flushed, they got real birdy once but it was light grass and he musta ran to egypt. Then I hit a small private spot, flushed 3 hens and 1 rooster, he flushed 100 yards out in a ditch, I'm sure he saw us. Next spot was private again and nothing flushed. Finally I knew I needed to put the dogs down on good ground, so I door knocked on a spot where the owner usually lets me hunt a time or two, I was let on. The dogs finally got a great scent, and boy does it change their demeanor. They put up a covey of 4 hens. I was happy just to see them happy. Next we cut through grouse cover to get on a field edge. Both dogs were sniffing like they meant it. The young dog went over a hill and put the rooster up in the thin young trees. He looked a little far so I didn't shoot. In retrospect I prolly should have, wasn't as far away as he looked. Walking the slough edge a few hundred yards up I saw the old girl hit the nitro, she was on a scent, and a damn good one. I fumble footed best I could to make up distance, but she don't wait. Up went the rooster and I corked off two rounds but missed clean(35-40 yards). A few more great flushes on hens, but no other roosters. The pheasants won the day. I never overlook the great days afield, because a lot of times I ride the struggle bus, as I did today.
 
Bob Peters said:
I started off today on a public spot where another guy pulled in on me. Story is related in the gobsmacked thread I just posted. I left and went to a WMA that is new this year. I didn't think much of it, but figured the dogs had to run a little and go potty. No birds flushed, they got real birdy once but it was light grass and he musta ran to egypt. Then I hit a small private spot, flushed 3 hens and 1 rooster, he flushed 100 yards out in a ditch, I'm sure he saw us. Next spot was private again and nothing flushed. Finally I knew I needed to put the dogs down on good ground, so I door knocked on a spot where the owner usually lets me hunt a time or two, I was let on. The dogs finally got a great scent, and boy does it change their demeanor. They put up a covey of 4 hens. I was happy just to see them happy. Next we cut through grouse cover to get on a field edge. Both dogs were sniffing like they meant it. The young dog went over a hill and put the rooster up in the thin young trees. He looked a little far so I didn't shoot. In retrospect I prolly should have, wasn't as far away as he looked. Walking the slough edge a few hundred yards up I saw the old girl hit the nitro, she was on a scent, and a damn good one. I fumble footed best I could to make up distance, but she don't wait. Up went the rooster and I corked off two rounds but missed clean(35-40 yards). A few more great flushes on hens, but no other roosters. The pheasants won the day. I never overlook the great days afield, because a lot of times I ride the struggle bus, as I did today.
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Good to be out! ???
 
Bob Peters said:
I started off today on a public spot where another guy pulled in on me. Story is related in the gobsmacked thread I just posted. I left and went to a WMA that is new this year. I didn't think much of it, but figured the dogs had to run a little and go potty. No birds flushed, they got real birdy once but it was light grass and he musta ran to egypt. Then I hit a small private spot, flushed 3 hens and 1 rooster, he flushed 100 yards out in a ditch, I'm sure he saw us. Next spot was private again and nothing flushed. Finally I knew I needed to put the dogs down on good ground, so I door knocked on a spot where the owner usually lets me hunt a time or two, I was let on. The dogs finally got a great scent, and boy does it change their demeanor. They put up a covey of 4 hens. I was happy just to see them happy. Next we cut through grouse cover to get on a field edge. Both dogs were sniffing like they meant it. The young dog went over a hill and put the rooster up in the thin young trees. He looked a little far so I didn't shoot. In retrospect I prolly should have, wasn't as far away as he looked. Walking the slough edge a few hundred yards up I saw the old girl hit the nitro, she was on a scent, and a damn good one. I fumble footed best I could to make up distance, but she don't wait. Up went the rooster and I corked off two rounds but missed clean(35-40 yards). A few more great flushes on hens, but no other roosters. The pheasants won the day. I never overlook the great days afield, because a lot of times I ride the struggle bus, as I did today.
Click to expand...
The older I get, the more I noticed I don’t get proper footing like I could years ago. The old knees don’t lift like they did 25 years ago. It’s also hard to have good form when your heart rate is going crazy from the sprint.
 
We went out just west of Hutch today, group hunt. Private. First spot walking a thick cattail waterway suddenly I see a rooster right in front of me flying left to right, never even heard him! Must have been put up by my buddy or the dog across the way. It was pass shooting at 40 yards and I didn't connect. We flushed a hen that went right over me in the woods edge, then a rooster flushed that cackled for a minute straight, I never even saw him. Kind of a dud at this spot. Next spot I posted with a buddy and the other guys got 2. Everyone left, so me and one buddy went public spot hopping. Tried a new spot, slogged through a bunch of cattails to get to a willow thicket out on an "island" in the cattails. Each taking a side on the oval shaped briar patch, near the end a rooster popped out?. I yelled ROOSTER! as I mounted and took a crack, he rolled sharply on the report but righted and was still flying hell bent for election. I was bummed until I heard the boom of my buddy's Winchester and seen him tumble down good. I hurried around the end of the willows and my buddy was out with his young Brittany dog, calling her to find the bird. Long story short, she grabbed him and pinned him to the ground and as my buddy was reaching he wriggled free and jumped and ran away into the sea of cattails. I stayed put and let my buddy and the dogs look, because it seems better with only one person giving direction to the pups. Well low and behold that little Brittany trailed him for 50 yards and grabbed him again, and this time didn't let go. My buddy was really proud and so was I, always nice to see a new dog get her first really great retrieve. We jumped one other big old late season rooster that evening, and my buddy missed a tough shot.
 
Glock said:
The older I get, the more I noticed I don’t get proper footing like I could years ago. The old knees don’t lift like they did 25 years ago. It’s also hard to have good form when your heart rate is going crazy from the sprint.
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Oh, how I can relate.
 
Bob Peters said:
We went out just west of Hutch today, group hunt. Private. First spot walking a thick cattail waterway suddenly I see a rooster right in front of me flying left to right, never even heard him! Must have been put up by my buddy or the dog across the way. It was pass shooting at 40 yards and I didn't connect. We flushed a hen that went right over me in the woods edge, then a rooster flushed that cackled for a minute straight, I never even saw him. Kind of a dud at this spot. Next spot I posted with a buddy and the other guys got 2. Everyone left, so me and one buddy went public spot hopping. Tried a new spot, slogged through a bunch of cattails to get to a willow thicket out on an "island" in the cattails. Each taking a side on the oval shaped briar patch, near the end a rooster popped out?. I yelled ROOSTER! as I mounted and took a crack, he rolled sharply on the report but righted and was still flying hell bent for election. I was bummed until I heard the boom of my buddy's Winchester and seen him tumble down good. I hurried around the end of the willows and my buddy was out with his young Brittany dog, calling her to find the bird. Long story short, she grabbed him and pinned him to the ground and as my buddy was reaching he wriggled free and jumped and ran away into the sea of cattails. I stayed put and let my buddy and the dogs look, because it seems better with only one person giving direction to the pups. Well low and behold that little Brittany trailed him for 50 yards and grabbed him again, and this time didn't let go. My buddy was really proud and so was I, always nice to see a new dog get her first really great retrieve. We jumped one other big old late season rooster that evening, and my buddy missed a tough shot.
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Gotta love a Brittany, I might be biased! Drove thru Huth area on Saturday on my way back to Michigan.
 
I went on Friday to 4 spots and it was downright miserable out there. Misty, foggy, rain off and on. Everything has turned into a giant mudhole. I raised 10 birds and bagged one rooster. I will not be going again until it gets colder. After a couple days of rain and temps in the 50's, I imagine its just a big sloppy mess out there.

This weather is wild. 50's and rain on Christmas? It was raining all the way to the Canadian border yesterday. I don't really see much for a cold snap or snow in the 10-14 day forecast either. At this rate spring may be here in February.
 
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We are going to get out to chase some birds once more in SW MN either Wednesday or Thursday this week - then off on a family trip to Florida. Hopefully the roads will be OK in the next day or so - any road reports out there?
 
MN 511 is usually pretty accurate. There are some rural roads with cameras too - so you can see if the roads are covered or wet.
 
I was out on Friday and Sunday. Stayed dry Friday, and although we only got one bird it was a great day. A bit warm, but super nice out. I got poured on for about 6 hours on Sunday. What a cold and wet slog that was. I saw 15 hens and 4 roosters. I think that will have been my last hunt of the season. We've got family in town next weekend so unless I can sneak out and go somewhere close to the cities Monday afternoon that's it. The end of hunting season just ruins my entire mood. Can't believe its already over. Feels like it just started, and this warm weather isn't helping make it feel like the end either. At least if it was cold we'd have some really good snow right now to get the sleds out.
 
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