Bird Hunting

[dkrug]

I spoke with my husband last night and he said the bird numbers are down compared to previous years. He goes with some friends and they hunt the same place every year. The place they hunt hadn't had rain in forever. Hubby got his birds though. He hunts with a Springer and we have a Field spaniel in training.

[ZoominC6]

Originally Posted by dkrug

I spoke with my husband last night and he said the bird numbers are down compared to previous years. He goes with some friends and they hunt the same place every year. The place they hunt hadn't had rain in forever. Hubby got his birds though. He hunts with a Springer and we have a Field spaniel in training.

Thanks for the report fresh from the field. The news is as expected but we accept it knowing SD is still better than anywhere else, even in the down years. We enjoy the hunt and it makes the harvest even more enjoyable. Love those Springers as I grew up with a great one, my best buddy as a kid, and have had Labradors since our kids were little. Life is good. Thanks again.

[Sburg58]

My son and I have returned from our hunting trip. We did not get to the Dakota's, we spent our 8 days in Montana. We both have always wanted to hunt Sharp Tail Grouse and Sage Hens. We found Sharp Tails as well as Pheasants, however no Sage Hens. We hunted along the "High Line" both North and South at several of the many BMA's. (Block Management Areas) There are numerous to choose from, some more productive than others. All very easy to use, just sign in at the box, park in designated areas and go. Only one required us to visit the ranch headquarters to have the owner physically meet us and personally sign us in. We also stopped at a couple of ranches that looked good and asked for permission to hunt, both were very pleasant and granted us access.
The dogs did well, finding and pointing lots of birds. My son did quite well. The "ole man" should of, could of, would of, if he had shot as well! Several birds and unfortunately two porcupines were found. Sons dog received about 200 quills on Wednesday with a trip to a Vet to get the last ones out. Two days later Dad's dog pointed and tried to retrieve one with a result of about 100 quills mostly in his mouth. Another trip to a yet another Vet! After two days of delays for Vets and another with a flat tire we elected to stay in Montana to get in more hunting. We hope to try the Dakota's next year.

The Safari performed very nicely on the first bit trip since purchasing it. It towed easily, very comfortable to return to after a days hunt. The beds are a bit short for my 6'3" body, however nice to even have a bed, a place to cook, and be warm after a day out. All in all a very nice trip for father and son and of course the dogs.

Picture below of one days harvest. It's not all about hunting, we enjoy the scenery and checking out old homesteads, and equipment reflecting how easy we have it now compared to just a few years ago!

Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic.

[GettinAway]

Those are some nice looking longhairs. (I'm a setter guy myself.)
Looks like a satisfied smile on your son's face, like only a good day in the field can bring.
Great pics, thanks for posting.

[goshawks00]

GWP or GWG?

Here's a pic of our GWG with one of his hunting partners...

[pappy19]

You should look into the Snake River Hell's Canyon jet boat hunting next fall. It's an experience of a lifetime.

Pap

[crispyboy]

Enjoying this thread. I was able to hunt with my dad and brother back in 2006 in central South Dakota. A very memorable trip for the three of us. We even got to see VP Cheney's plane on the tarmac at the airport. Apparently he was hunting just up the road from us.

[tomp1937]

Originally Posted by Sburg58

My son and I have returned from our hunting trip. We did not get to the Dakota's, we spent our 8 days in Montana. We both have always wanted to hunt Sharp Tail Grouse and Sage Hens. We found Sharp Tails as well as Pheasants, however no Sage Hens. We hunted along the "High Line" both North and South at several of the many BMA's. (Block Management Areas) There are numerous to choose from, some more productive than others. All very easy to use, just sign in at the box, park in designated areas and go. Only one required us to visit the ranch headquarters to have the owner physically meet us and personally sign us in. We also stopped at a couple of ranches that looked good and asked for permission to hunt, both were very pleasant and granted us access.
The dogs did well, finding and pointing lots of birds. My son did quite well. The "ole man" should of, could of, would of, if he had shot as well! Several birds and unfortunately two porcupines were found. Sons dog received about 200 quills on Wednesday with a trip to a Vet to get the last ones out. Two days later Dad's dog pointed and tried to retrieve one with a result of about 100 quills mostly in his mouth. Another trip to a yet another Vet! After two days of delays for Vets and another with a flat tire we elected to stay in Montana to get in more hunting. We hope to try the Dakota's next year.

The Safari performed very nicely on the first bit trip since purchasing it. It towed easily, very comfortable to return to after a days hunt. The beds are a bit short for my 6'3" body, however nice to even have a bed, a place to cook, and be warm after a day out. All in all a very nice trip for father and son and of course the dogs.

Picture below of one days harvest. It's not all about hunting, we enjoy the scenery and checking out old homesteads, and equipment reflecting how easy we have it now compared to just a few years ago!

Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic.

Thanks for your report and pics, I'd like to talk with you about a magazine article I'm writing on Airstreams and bird hunting. Hibby has sent me his phone numbers and I will be contacting him this week if I can get some free time. I'd like to talk with you too and also have a chance to use your photo of your birds, dogs Airstreams and tired feet.
tomp1937@gmail.com

[Sburg58]

[QUOTE=goshawks00;1225445]GWP or GWG?

The larger whiter dog is an German Wirehaired Pointer, AKC type.
My son's is a Drahthaar, German registered.

[windstream]

As a proprietary North Dakota ex-pat who returns yearly to hunt in the southwestern part of the state, I'd like to tell you not to go there, there are no birds, it's cold, it's rainy, the wind blows, you'll run into a blizzard, you'll get stuck axle deep out on the prairie, the natives have "Fargo" accents, you'll get run over by a fracking tanker, you have to have a passport to get across the border .... But I can't – none of the above is entirely true. Honestly, any part of ND is an outdoorsman's (RV'er's) paradise, and sw ND is loaded with upland game. Unlike SD, though, ND's hunting assets are somewhat unheralded. My group was there in mid-October. We flushed scores of birds on private land and an ample number on walk-in sites. An upland game non-resident license is $100, landowners are very approachable, and guide fees reasonable. Go online to find hunting lodges, or just stop in any town and ask where the best spots are or about guide services. Most every little town has a city park with RV spots. Bring lots of shells.