Daysland Question

mac_xi@hotmail.com · #1 10-11-2016, 11:13 PM

I used to hunt here every fall and pulled out my fair share of does and moose.

Looks like over the last couple of years, the place has become a popular spot because of pheasants.

Has anyone out there seen any deer or moose?

I'm assuming the bird hunters may make them scarce or at least skittish?

It used to be a slam dunk for me, usually tagged out shortly after legal light.

Had a game camera set up there and 4 mins after I left I was snapping pics of deer and moose.

Any first hand knowledge would be great.

Cheers
Northern

catnthehat · #2 10-11-2016, 11:16 PM

Saw some tracks last week
Cat

Talking moose · #3 10-11-2016, 11:29 PM

It's a big area. All the bird hunters hunt them in a small parking lot called the release site...

don't think the deer and moose are too far away.

R3illy · #4 10-11-2016, 11:58 PM

i got a moose out of there last year as did a friend. Our cameras always seem to be active.

kayaker · #5 10-12-2016, 01:26 PM

On Saturday 8th there was a very obviously rut emboldened young bull moose there.

Personally, with the pheasant hunting traffic it would be low of my list of places to hunt big game at the moment, unless I lived close by.

arrow dog · #6 10-12-2016, 01:34 PM

You might want to go up to South Plains Lake. Definitely moose around the release site, especially nearer the east side. Not near as crazy ad Daysland.

IBEX · #7 10-12-2016, 03:29 PM

Be careful of people trying to send you on a wild goose chase. I have also hunted Daysland site for about 6 years, mostly for birds but I tried hunting big game there during my first year. Showed up for rifle season and saw 2 trucks slowly driving around the sites, "hunting", that was enough for me to be on my way back.

The pheasant hunting has probably ruined the area for big game, bird hunters go all over and across the place and I'd be surprised to see any game in or around during legal light. You can see the foot trails going all over. Even if you do setup, you may encounter bird hunters first thing in the morning. Maybe a better idea would be to hunt the site before or after the pheasant release season is over. Good luck.

bowhunter9841 · #8 08-26-2017, 11:16 AM

I know this is an old thread, but I didn't want to open a new thread, when there was one already going for the area in my question. I'm just curious if a guy was also able to hunt grouse or waterfowl on top of pheasants on the release sites? I'm thinking about trying my luck on pheasants this season. Don't have a dog, but I do love to walk while hunting. And I have a buddy who loves to hunt birds. Thought it would be a good place to head out with him during the early season. Thanks for any info.

elkhunter11 · #9 08-26-2017, 11:43 AM

You can legally hunt ducks or grouse ,but I have only ever seen one grouse at a release site. With so many dogs hunting, grouse only survive in the heaviest cover where most pheasant hunters don't go. As for going for a walk without a dog, it can produce birds if a release has occurred recently, or if you are lucky enough to be around when someone flushes one, bit in general, your odds of killing birds are fairly low. The birds may be there, but the odds are that you will walk past them and not even know it.

bowhunter9841 · #10 08-26-2017, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

You can legally hunt ducks or grouse ,but I have only ever seen one grouse at a release site. With so many dogs hunting, grouse only survive in the heaviest cover where most pheasant hunters don't go. As for going for a walk without a dog, it can produce birds if a release has occurred recently, or if you are lucky enough to be around when someone flushes one, bit in general, your odds of killing birds are fairly low. The birds may be there, but the odds are that you will walk past them and not even know it.

The whole point is to just get out and do some hunting. Whether we fire a shot or not. I realize without a dog, it will be very difficult. But, you can't get them if you don't try right? With the sites being opened up to all day hunting now, maybe the evening will be a better hunt for grouse? I am also wondering, when they release the pheasants, is there a mix of males and females, or just males?

IBEX · #11 08-27-2017, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowhunter9841

The whole point is to just get out and do some hunting. Whether we fire a shot or not. I realize without a dog, it will be very difficult. But, you can't get them if you don't try right? With the sites being opened up to all day hunting now, maybe the evening will be a better hunt for grouse? I am also wondering, when they release the pheasants, is there a mix of males and females, or just males?

Finding "release" birds without a dog won't be a problem for you at all. Most birds tend to get shot within a short amount of time after the release and the remainder may run away to neighbouring properties. Only seen Male pheasants so far, don't think they release hens.

elkhunter11 · #12 08-27-2017, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBEX

Finding "release" birds without a dog won't be a problem for you at all. Most birds tend to get shot within a short amount of time after the release and the remainder may run away to neighbouring properties. Only seen Male pheasants so far, don't think they release hens.

If you come along soon after a release, the birds can often be found without a dog. However, if there hasn't been a release in a day or two, most of the birds have been driven into cover, and you could walk around all day without a dog, and you would need to be lucky to find any.