ND Pheasant/Sharp-tail Hunt

Anyone have any info on ND Pheasants/Sharp-tails? Looking to do a week long hunt on Public Land. Been to SD the last couple years. I’m well versed with Public lands in MN(dealing with multiple hunters at each WMA),been doing this the last 20 years, looking for something new. I guess the ability to start at Sunrise vs. 10 a.m. in South Dakot has my uncle and I interested in North Dakota.

I have never even been to N.D, so I have know idea where to start. Should we head west of the Missori River? Stay tight to S.D.?

Any help on Towns or Motels would be greatly appreicated. I don’t need spots, just a general location where bird numbers are good and decent Public land available.

If you want sharptail, you are better off heading farther West. I have been going to ND on and off for the last 8 years and we always hunt in the SE corner of the state near Forman. Last year, I heard the pheasant numbers were down so we just targeted waterfowl. It didn’t take long to tell that the surveys were right. In a normal morning duck hunt, we can hear a dozen roosters cackle in the area. Last year we hear a half dozen over 5 days. We did flush birds while we were walking around, so I know they are not all gone.

Hunting the birds early in the morning is kind of a double edge sword. Scenting conditions are perfect and the birds are making a lot of noise, but they are usually on the edge of cover and spot you coming from a mile away.

I heard on the radio from Pheasants Forever that they had a good nesting season in ND. Find an area with a lot of public land and you won’t have to worry about any pressure. We rarely hunt public, but I have never seen another hunter when we have.

Thanks for the info. Our main target is pheasants, but we like the opportunity for a mixed bag. I heard there are area’s with good populations of Huns? Anyone have info on where all 3 birds can be taken.

We did get all 3 around Mohall in the mid 90’s. Pheasants were not very common there.

Mwal

The MO river corridor is a good target region. The motel in Garrison is a nice place for hunters. There’s also a new motel in Oakes that is frickin’ immaculate for the price/location if you’re looking to stay in the SE corner.

You don’t need permission to hunt unposted land in Nodak….and there are more WPAs and PLOTS than you can shake a stick at in that country. Stay off I-94 and away from Devils Lake and you will be fine.

If I were doing just an upland trip I’d go to the western edge of the pot hole region the week before Thanksgiving…..hunt the slough edges/cattails. Ponds should be well frozen by then so walking should be easy. A little snow can only help.

We got all three a few years ago in ND. Cant remember town right now. Will update post when I find out.

Ashley

What is considered the Western Edge of the “Pot Hole” region? Is the Missouri the cut-off of the Pot-Hole Region?

Again, I have never even stepped foot in ND, so I have no idea what we’re getting into. I’ve heard getting rooms are tough, so I’ like to get a spot booked and the will just have to put on lots of miles in the truck.

One of my long time dreams is to take a multi-species upland trip. It looks like I now have the dog that can handle it. I’ll probably do it the next few years depending on how fast my young dog matures. Sound like ND may be the state? I want at least 3 different upland birds available.

ALSO-Catman on this site had a hunting house out there he rented to other hunters. I dont know if he still has it or not but it was perfect for the job.

Yes, the MO river corridor is a pretty good target. I know this is a ducks map…..but lots of breeding ducks means lots of habitat. The west edge because it gets you further away from MN/Fargo pressure (that was the stay away from I94 and Devils Lake comment)….and historically the further west you go, the better the pheasant hunting.

The reason I would stay in the PPR is because there are alot of available PLOTS and WPA’s you can hunt.

Here is info on the PLOTS – Private Land Open To Sportsman
http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/private-land-open-sportsmen

Also, the further NW is better sharpie habitat….wheat and grass vs. in the south you get into corn, sun flowers. The towns of Garrison or McClusky would be my suggestion.

I’m not sure what room availability is with the Oil boom going on. I would definitely call and ask though!

Thanks all. I know Chris W.has his place out in Ashley, Nd. Kind of what got the Juices flowing.

I guess deep down I figured if I get West of the Missouri there will be more land and less Hunters. At least that is my thought. Looking into Hettinger, N.D or Lemmon, S.D. for lodging purposes, but most places are all ready full for late Oct. That is diminishing my hope for less hunters.

In October, you still have a lot of people hunting waterfowl. If you get into late November and December, you could probably get in about anywhere. I prefer late season, so one hunter can walk the field edge of the cattails and the other on the ice.

I told myself a month ago that I was going to save my money and stick around home this year, but now this post really has me excited to get back to ND again.

I friends just returned from ND and said the population of pheasants is way up from the last couple years. They went to waterfowl hunt, but decided to buy the pheasant licenses after seeing so many birds. I was pretty set on staying in MN this year, but now I think I better plan a trip.

Garrison and McCluskey are good bets. Mohall and south to Des Lacs are good. Williston area would be awesome.

Plan ahead though with rooms. Gone are the days of showing up in Minot or Williston and hoping for a room. With the oil boom, you can’t get a hotel in Minot for under $200/night. We just returned from ND and we saw all three types of upland, sharptail, huns, and pheasants. We were just fowl hunting so really didn’t pursue.

Find sunflower stubble for the huns and sharpies, grass pastures for the sharptails and there is now enough corn around for pheasants, though they are also in areas with water. Shelter belts around sunflower stubble is ideal!!

Eric