VicR
Basic Member
Posts:296
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| 10 Dec 2010 09:23 AM |
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North Dakota Hunting Trip this week.
Hunted alone. Makes
it tough cuz birds were huddled up a day after snowstorm. They act like a heard. Weather was great for ND (high's in Mid 20's,
gentle wind). Did not see 1 other hunter
in any walk-in area (or anywhere for that matter).
Tons of birds. Found a PLOTS honey-hole after I finished up
Monday at around 2:00. When lots of
birds around, they act like a heard.
Only successful attacks were in morning while on roost. 1st day about 200 birds flew. Second day down to 100. But I did pick up 1 straggler on each day to
limit out twice before sunrise.
Hard to get any points when birds are flying in front of
your dogs. Dogs went crazy. But Shotgun has a nice point on a rooster (a
straggler) on way back to car to finish out hunt.
Left early Thursday morning.
Brought back 11 birds. Was great fun. 
Vic
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DOHawk
New Member
Posts:54
Concordia, Kansas
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| 10 Dec 2010 09:52 AM |
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Vic R, you need to keep this on the downlow. I've been hunting soutwest ND for five years now. In my opinion it's better than anything ever experienced in South Dakota. Two years ago it was simply amazing how many birds they had. Last year they lost about 50 percent of their population due to a horrible winter. They had a great hatch this year and numbers have bounced back. We hunted opening week, seven of us, and were done no later than 11:00 everyday. I love it there. Great scenery and great people. We're fortunate to hunt all private land, but Plots ground is excellent as well. |
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| CPR TGK Nala's Right Stuff Winifred |
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VicR
Basic Member
Posts:296
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| 10 Dec 2010 11:09 AM |
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Wow, DOHaek, I'd love to hunt on private land. 7 people done by 11:00. You really have it made. But the PLOTS suited me well. You are right ND is the "destination" for me. In SD a lot of the land is all leased up. But I do know people who hunt the walk-in areas successfully. Plus in ND you can actually hunt 30 minutes before Sunrise. In SD have to wait until 11:00 or 12:00. Personally, I like to get them on the roost. I debated not giving out the info, but I figure my friends in the APLA would like it. And being a board member I am all for helping out the membership. This pic is from 1st hunt. Vic  |
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bsmiley
Veteran Member
Posts:1063
Fishers Indiana
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| 10 Dec 2010 11:18 AM |
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Good trip Vic! Nice pics.
I was in SD last week near the ND line. 25-40 MPH winds and low teens first part of the trip. Shelter belts and cover areas were just crazy packed with birds, all were skittish from the high wind. We left shelter areas alone and hunted the grass to shoot over the dogs and limited out pretty easily by early afternoon each day. 3-4 hours of chasing dogs through the prarie grass in that wind was about enough. Last day was 6 degrees 3" of snow and 5mph breeze - birds holding (felt like Miami Beach after the high wind days). I stopped counting at 6 rooster and 12 hen points over Cruz in about 3 hours. That 3 hours made my 16 hour drive worth it.
Good year in much of the Dakotas. I hear west KS is having a great year. May have to make that haul in January.
BTW - it's 10:00 start time in SD after the first few weeks which, sadly, gives me a couple hours each morning to work before I hunt.
Bruce |
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Cruz, 4XGMPR HRCH MH ("CAT 6")
Yeager, MPR HR (Master Pointing Lap Dog)
Cody, 2XGMPR, MH (BAMF,RIP Friend)
Runnin',Gunnin' & Pickin' Up the Chickens!
www.browngundogs.com
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DOHawk
New Member
Posts:54
Concordia, Kansas
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| 10 Dec 2010 12:08 PM |
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Grew up in Western Kansas. Haven't been back to hunt this year. Dad still lives out there and runs a local Co-op. Lots of guys leasing out ground now. Birds are patchy. If you go Bruce, I'd do some calling around in advance. The Colby area is good this year in Northwest Kansas. Also down around the Dodge City area in Southwest Kansas. Hope the info helps. Def. makes some calls before you head out. It's not like ND, SD where just about everywhere is good. |
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| CPR TGK Nala's Right Stuff Winifred |
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VicR
Basic Member
Posts:296
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| 10 Dec 2010 04:32 PM |
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Hey Bruce, tough hunting in those conditions, but hey, you take what you get. That last day you had sounds ideal. The perfect hunting storm. They do happen, I mean we are both talking about it. Love those shifting challenges (high wind, skittish birds). Have to attack the hunt differently. Makes for a challenge. Ah, the fun of the hunt. Hey Doe, where you live now? Do you get out in the Mid-season? Tells us about yourself....  Vic |
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bsmiley
Veteran Member
Posts:1063
Fishers Indiana
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| 10 Dec 2010 07:57 PM |
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DOHawke, thanks for the advise. I have only been out that way once and really liked it. The ability to work birds in those 1/4 section grass fields is a great experience for dogs.
Yes, Vic, regardless of conditions, its all good when you are doing what you love. You take what mother nature gives you when you have the time to be there.
Grounds where you went look pretty cool. Great pics and looks like a couple of good hunts. Love those mornings when the grass is frosty and the birds go up in the trees - looks bizarre though. |
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Cruz, 4XGMPR HRCH MH ("CAT 6")
Yeager, MPR HR (Master Pointing Lap Dog)
Cody, 2XGMPR, MH (BAMF,RIP Friend)
Runnin',Gunnin' & Pickin' Up the Chickens!
www.browngundogs.com
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DOHawk
New Member
Posts:54
Concordia, Kansas
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| 11 Dec 2010 10:45 AM |
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Grew up in a little town in Western Kansas called Scott City. Mostly just hunted pheasants growing up because that's all there was. We would drive hunt with blockers in milo stubble and hunt fire weed patches and tailwater pits. Also hunted my grandfather's farm in North Central Kansas for quail and pheasants. I live in North Central Kansas now in Concordia. It's pretty much a hunter's paradise. Pheasant, quail, ducks, geese, and lots of turkey. Lots of deer too if you prefer hooves. The pheasnt population has been pretty bad the last four to five years. Really bad weather during the hatch. I've been fortunate to have a brother-in-law that managed a feedlot in Scranton, North Dakota. He kept telling me you had to see it to believe pheasant wise. Five years ago I took him up on it, and he wasn't lying. It's been fantastic hunting, and we've been up every year since. I started waterfowling heavily seven years ago and it's become my real passion, that, and turkey hunting. Have been fortunate enough to head down to Stuttgart twice and am headed back down the last week of this month again. I do hunt pheasants still mid season, but around here, it's become mostly exercise for my dog and I. The birds just aren't here anymore. Kind of sad really. Am really excited, I just put a deposit down on a pup from Aaron Stover in Nebraska out of Ridley. It will be my first pointing lab. All my others have been out of Field Trial lines. Am looking forward to becoming active in the APLA and hunt tests if the dog is capable. |
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| CPR TGK Nala's Right Stuff Winifred |
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mb4czech
Basic Member
Posts:188
Castle Pines, CO
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| 13 Dec 2010 07:23 PM |
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This thread is getting me PUMPED!!! No pheasant hunting thus far, but 5-days between Christmas and New Years I'll be in SoDak w/ the pack and then the late season Western KS trip to Atwood. Bruce, it will be a good one again, the guys made it out this past weekend and felt like crap by Sunday because of all the beer they HAD to drink after getting done EARLY!!! Well, you know how I roll. Good luck to everyone... hunting quail down here in GA is fun, but just not the same!!
Martin |
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-MPR Highpoint's Mellow Yellow Quinn
-Poudre River's Blowin 'n' Goin Springtime Lilly
-P4PLABS Macy Gray of High Caliber
-No Fences Allowed, 100% Wild Outdoors-
-"I don't like repeat offenders, I like DEAD offenders" (Ted Nugent) |
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bsmiley
Veteran Member
Posts:1063
Fishers Indiana
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| 14 Dec 2010 02:51 PM |
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Martin, good luck bud, and don't hurt yourself! I am concerned that your blood is now too thin from that GA weather and you can't handle the late season temps in the upper midwest Personally, I prepared all fall for the weather by adding a "protective layer" under my skin. Hope all goes well. DOHawk - good luck with your pup. Ridley is a cool dog. Perhaps will see you at a test. |
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Cruz, 4XGMPR HRCH MH ("CAT 6")
Yeager, MPR HR (Master Pointing Lap Dog)
Cody, 2XGMPR, MH (BAMF,RIP Friend)
Runnin',Gunnin' & Pickin' Up the Chickens!
www.browngundogs.com
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tuckerminden
New Member
Posts:29
Parker,Ks
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| 14 Dec 2010 08:13 PM |
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Hey Bruce I am planning a trip Mid Jan i you want to come down we are hunting around Dodge city
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ASTOVER
New Member
Posts:75
Nebraska
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| 14 Dec 2010 08:55 PM |
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Martin, When are you going to Atwood? I would hate to have to use hunting as an excuse to visit the in-laws  |
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www.tgksptlabs.com
CPR Blue Collar Hershey of Black Forest
CPR TGK's Lady Tess
CPR TGK'S PRINCESS NALA
GMPR,MPR,APR, CPR Murphy's Kiera of TGK, JH
CPR TGK's Chocolate Candi
APR, CPR TGK's Return of The Jedi, JH
CPR TGK's Just go with the Flo
??? TGK's The Mountains are Bleu |
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PtLabRobert
Basic Member
Posts:318
Olathe, KS
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| 15 Dec 2010 01:45 AM |
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Sounds like a great trip Vic! More ideas on where to hunt...much appreciated. I'm just hoping for a few inches of snow in western/central KS b4 I go back out... |
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| 2.5xGMPR HR Chapman's Vision Quest Valerie SH "Val" |
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PtLabRobert
Basic Member
Posts:318
Olathe, KS
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| 15 Dec 2010 02:59 AM |
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Andrew and I went to Atwood, KS 3rd week in Nov and saw lots of birds...problem is it was just the two of us and one dog and they were running way out front...no matter what we did. Got a few birds..but we really want to go out again... |
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| 2.5xGMPR HR Chapman's Vision Quest Valerie SH "Val" |
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VicR
Basic Member
Posts:296
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| 15 Dec 2010 10:26 AM |
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Posted By DOHawk on 11 Dec 2010 10:45 AM
It will be my first pointing lab. All my others have been out of Field Trial lines. Am looking forward to becoming active in the APLA and hunt tests if the dog is capable.
Hey, welcome to the PL world! These dogs are a lot of fun, both in and out of season. I've seen some Field Trial PL dogs you know..... Vic |
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jhov4
New Member
Posts:3
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| 15 Dec 2010 12:23 PM |
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Hey vic. great pictures from both trips! I was unaware that that part of North Dakota had a solid pheasant population. Ive been going to Charles mix county in South Dakota since 1996, and it has been going steadily downhill. This year was so-so. I was wondering if you could give me a heads up on where to stay in Bowman. I was actually wanting to go back to South Dakota, but neither of the places i have stayed are hunting dog friendly, and i wont leave my dog crated in the back of my truck during late season, it just gets to cold. Thanks! |
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mb4czech
Basic Member
Posts:188
Castle Pines, CO
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| 15 Dec 2010 02:14 PM |
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Aarron,
I will let you know on the long-weekend, probably the 21, 22, 23. We have a bunch of nice WIHA's that are perfect for big groups and then a bunch of private ground that my buddies K-State fraternity brothers own/farm. I will keep you updated as it gets closer.
Bruce,
unfortunately the cold weather will probably be hurting this newly crowned "Georgia Boy", but it is something Ill have to get through to hear that lovely cackle!! Oh, and just cause Im down here doesn't mean I put on that extra layer... funny how that works!! |
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-MPR Highpoint's Mellow Yellow Quinn
-Poudre River's Blowin 'n' Goin Springtime Lilly
-P4PLABS Macy Gray of High Caliber
-No Fences Allowed, 100% Wild Outdoors-
-"I don't like repeat offenders, I like DEAD offenders" (Ted Nugent) |
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VicR
Basic Member
Posts:296
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| 15 Dec 2010 05:22 PM |
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Posted By jhov4 on 15 Dec 2010 12:23 PM
Hey vic. great pictures from both trips! I was wondering if you could give me a heads up on where to stay. I was actually wanting to go back to South Dakota, but neither of the places i have stayed are hunting dog friendly, and i wont leave my dog crated in the back of my truck during late season, it just gets to cold. Thanks!
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JRB
New Member
Posts:4
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| 26 Apr 2011 01:24 PM |
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Man that sounds like the place to be. I am looking at planning a trip up north this year with my three boys for a hunt. Currently live in Northeast Ks. What areas of ND do you hunt? Are they anywhere near the southeast corner of the state? Would really like to know so maybe we could make it up there this year. Thanks
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DOHawk
New Member
Posts:54
Concordia, Kansas
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| 27 Apr 2011 06:55 AM |
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We hunt in Southwest ND. It's terrific. Don't have any idea on Southeast. The Plots ground is closed to out of staters opening weekend, but after that, they are open. They are a gold mine. We've been fortunate to have private ground, but you can have great success if you find the right Plots places. My brother-in-law lives in Dickinson and traveled south last week. Said the numbers looked pretty good still following a really tough winter up there. |
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