DRAT! Hunt cancelled!:>(

catnthehat · #1 10-18-2010, 09:53 PM

Well, after taking in all the reports here, and talking to some other non AO friends down south, ans well On Point and his Elkhunter1234, Hornhead and I have decided to scrap our fall hunt for pheasants!

Elkhunter1243 told me that even a few select coulees that they had set aside for us are not being hunted by request of the owners, so the birds can maybe get back in the next few years.
Add to that the sharptail and Hun population being down, and the situation goes from gloomy to downright tearful!
Soooo, Hornhead ain't comin' back for our hunt, and Zippo4570 may just say "screw it" and not take the week off.
me, I'm still going to hook up with hal anyway, and maybe Some others for a goose shoot or two , and possible do some grouse hunting up here.
I can't pull my bow right now so even an archery hunt is out of the question.
All is not lost however, there is still Buffalo lake.....
Cat

Rackmastr · #2 10-18-2010, 09:55 PM

Darn man!

But I can promise ya, the birds arent worth the drive, nor is it worth pushing them around much this year.

Elkhunter1234 sure knows what he's talking about when it comes to birds, and I know he has some dynamite spots to hunt. But from everything I've heard this year, it just isnt worth pushing them too hard. I know this is the first year I havent bought a pheasant license and wont....kinda sad!

EkoGuitar · #3 10-18-2010, 09:56 PM

Ah, the wonders of being raised on a pheasant farm.

Good decision on cancelling, though. Wild numbers are pretty scarce, and if too many people hunt them as usual, there won't be any in the coming years.

catnthehat · #4 10-18-2010, 10:04 PM

I haven't bought my tag yet and likely won't either.
I may just do a farm hunt this winter though, but the whole trip centered around my yearly hunt with Hornhead - we have hunted in the fall for some time now, and it is always a great time, especially now that he has that goody mutt !

Zippo4570 was sure looking forward to getting down and hunting Louie with his siblings as well, and On point and Elkhunter1234 are simply super people . It would have been great, but not if we knew we were just flogging a dead horse and stressing every surviving bird in the country!

Oh well, gotta get networking!

Cat

Rockymtnx · #5 10-18-2010, 10:21 PM

Dang that bites! I guess it's probably best for the birds though.
Hopefully things will work out and we can still get ya in on a goose or duck hunt this weekend.

catnthehat · #6 10-18-2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

Dang that bites! I guess it's probably best for the birds though.
Hopefully things will work out and we can still get ya in on a goose or duck hunt this weekend.

Yup, looking forward to that , for sure!
looks like the Westley Richards may get a workout after all!

Cat

Jamie · #7 10-18-2010, 10:38 PM

Montana anyone????

Buy the tag, doesnt the pheasant tag go to the actual program?

Ok, if not Montana, lets get together buy a crap load of birds and have a great BBQ. We could wrap the weekend up with some Clays and perhaps throw in some Geese/Ducks

This is 2 years in a row that I am struggling to get out and chase some fall birds. Someone needs to take me by the hand and force both myself and Bear to get out!!!

Jamie

#8 10-19-2010, 07:26 AM

Probably a wise choice.It would be very frustrating with the upland bird population this year.On the plus side I have seen tons of Geese in the air this year

Mark · #9 10-19-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie

Montana anyone????

Buy the tag, doesnt the pheasant tag go to the actual program?

Ok, if not Montana, lets get together buy a crap load of birds and have a great BBQ. We could wrap the weekend up with some Clays and perhaps throw in some Geese/Ducks

This is 2 years in a row that I am struggling to get out and chase some fall birds. Someone needs to take me by the hand and force both myself and Bear to get out!!!

Jamie

If anybody puts together a hunt for Montana pheasants, I'm in..

mudkid · #10 10-19-2010, 01:25 PM

Good to see people putting off the upland birds. I think the remaining population needs all the help it can get in some areas for sure.

oilngas · #11 10-19-2010, 01:44 PM

were off to Malta Montana tomorrow to hunt Ft. Belknap Reserve. I'll let u know the numbers on Sharpies, Huns and the Pheasants.

Last week at "Brooks" very few upland birds, did not pull the trigger on an uplander.

sullijr · #12 10-19-2010, 06:14 PM

I spent opening day south of Raymond and west to Jensons Resevoir.I put up one hen on Taylor's and 5 huns no shots fired.Thank Goodness for a release site close to home.I thought the dog had forgotten what to do but he put up birds for me two days in a row.Good luck on the goose shoot there are lots of birds if you can get them spotted....jack

Springer · #13 10-19-2010, 07:35 PM

OK I am going to do my bit and cancel my Hunt to Vauxhall as well. Its been a yearly trip but my son only gets so many days off a year and he has chosen to look for a Whitetail instead. Does not matter what i hunt as long as I get some time time to hunt with my sons.
Anyway I went out to Bigelow today and had a great day ,there was lots of shooting going on including myself. I met a couple real down to earth guys out for some Pheasant hunting Phun as well. My battery was dead for the field photos so i took some in the back yard of Old Grinch !!
He's 10 now and surprised me how hard he worked today, He sure is whooped tonight though.

hal53 · #14 10-19-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Yup, looking forward to that , for sure!
looks like the Westley Richards may get a workout after all!

Cat

FIL found a couple decent shoots tonight, plus a great little pothole for ducks, let me know if you guys are in.... ( he says he saw 50,000 geese tonight...MAN!!! I've told him a million times to not exaggerate!!! LOL)
Hal