Thanks for the heads up. Released birds are still fun. Hope we can find a few tomorrow
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Upland Bird Hunting
- Thread starter CrabHusker
- Start date
Well, how'd ya do?
Not good! We went to Yankee Hill WMA rather than drive to Johnson County. Hunters everywhere. I figured not everyone would get a hall pass to hunt on Thanksgiving. I figured wrong! Plus someone said they released the birds last weekend and there was big pressure in the preceding days. So we walked a field and got out of there. Went to public ground a few miles away, and actually got some quail to fly. They’re still flying!
At least ya got to get out and enjoy the outdoors!
MontanaHusker
Recruit
I decided not to walk this field but did end up up with a rooster today.
MontanaHusker
Recruit
My pup Nellie with her first rooster from earlier in the season.
Went pheasant hunting in the panhandle last weekend. Saw way fewer birds than the past couple of years. It is extremely dry out there and they desperately need moisture. Weather was unseasonably pleasant, which could have affected our ability to find birds. No reason for them to be in the cover.
So we did some waterfowling as well, with about the same results. The North Platte is all open water, so the geese weren't coming into the warm water ponds. Got a couple of Canada on some passing shots, but never did get anything to come into the corn field blind. Still, a glorious time out in greater Nebraska. Took a break to watch the last 3 quarters of the Husker game in Lewellen. Other hunters in there reporting little success as well.
So we did some waterfowling as well, with about the same results. The North Platte is all open water, so the geese weren't coming into the warm water ponds. Got a couple of Canada on some passing shots, but never did get anything to come into the corn field blind. Still, a glorious time out in greater Nebraska. Took a break to watch the last 3 quarters of the Husker game in Lewellen. Other hunters in there reporting little success as well.
MontanaHusker
Recruit
Where were you hunting? I grew up hunting around Torrington, WY and the Morrill, Ne area. Seems like there have been some big swings in the bird population over there. One year it will be way above standard and the next year it is garbage. I only get back about one time per year and mostly goose hunt when I am there.
We did the waterfowl hunting between Lisco and Oshkosh, just north of the river. Also did some pheasant hunting there, which has been decent in the past. Also pheasant hunted northeast of Dalton. We have had good luck in recent years north of Sidney. It's all about habitat. They still have wheat, millet and milo there. Hearing there are a few birds in the Mitchell area this year. Basically, the only decent pheasant areas anymore are Southwest Nebraska and parts of the panhandle. Northeast Nebraska was good during the CRP years. Southeast still has quail but hardly any pheasants.
The 90s was real good in NE Neb, Bloomfield, Plainview, Wausa.... Lots of set aside acres, CRP. Limits were not an issue. Oh where have those days gone.
There were plenty of draws and areas between fields. Those have all been dozed up and tiled in. They used to just be water collection, and areas that ran the length of a field, say 1/2 mile long, by about 20 -25 yd wide, of chest high weeds and volunteer growth, perfect habitat. its all gone now. every inch is being farmed.
There were plenty of draws and areas between fields. Those have all been dozed up and tiled in. They used to just be water collection, and areas that ran the length of a field, say 1/2 mile long, by about 20 -25 yd wide, of chest high weeds and volunteer growth, perfect habitat. its all gone now. every inch is being farmed.
I went to NW Kansas opening weekend about a month ago. I've only been hunting that area for the past 4 years, but by far the fewest number of birds I have seen in that time. Locals are definitely blaming it on the lack of moisture.
That was my 'Go to' area when I lived in Colorado and I still go back there when I head west to pheasant hunt. I end up going later in the year when much of the cover is gone and the birds more condensed. Last time was 2018 and the population wasn't great. Still shot some birds, but I worked for them. That year was actually likely too much natural cover and too many places for a late season rooster to hide.
I think it was actually 2018 which was the first year the county (Cheyenne county) which we primarily hunt started mowing the ditches. This made hunting far tougher. Used to be that after walking fields in the morning we could drive down the roads and spot pheasants. Now the only ditches that have any cover at all are those that have fences.
That was one of the biggest draws for me going to Kansas. They didn't mow the ditches or burn the fence lines.