ironranger

decided to take last Friday off and head out for the last day of hunting pheasants in MN. I was dog sitting for one of my hunting buddies so had the father (Chase) and son (Wiley) team working for me. Figured the birds would be ultra spooky and the first spot I hit on the way was just as I thought. They were flying before I got out of the truck. So I headed over to a contact I made last fall and he gave me some private land spots to try. The first was a great CRP section along a river that I saw a ton of birds in last year. The dogs seemed to be birdy from the start but we didn't get any up on the first pass along one side. Then on the way back, they were working close in some thick stuff and got a rooster up about 15 feet in front of me. I'd been having trouble shooting too quick this fall so I took my time, counted to 3, and pulled the trigger. Folded him. Wiley got to him first and retrieved him to me. Man, he was bigger than any pheasant I'd taken in a few years. Later measured the tail feathers at 23 3/4" and he had good spurs and color. On to the next patch of CRP and about half way thru the dogs flushed a hen turkey who shot straight up out of the CRP. Wow, that was cool. We then walked thru a wooded area to the next cover and they flushed a rooster along with a doe probably 15 yards ahead of the bird. He hung in the wind and I knocked him down. That was it for the day and I didn't expect to get birds that were holding that tight so that was a pleasant surprise and a great day in the field. I may head to Iowa one last time this weekend and will be checking weather the next few days...

johnch

Sounds like you had fun.
I took my lab out for 1 last hunt Sat . morning , it had rained and the dry end of the CPR feild was next to some houses so I hunted from the houses to the water.
Every time we just about got to the water the birds runing in front of us flushed .
Took 3 passes to get my 2 cock birds 3 flushed wild and 6-7 hens . Seed stock for next year.

DUCKSTAMPEDE

Where you going in Iowa? Your hunt sounds like as much fun just following the dogs as it does getting the birds.