Official Mn Pheasant Opener Thread?

Just checking.

I’m undecided on Saturday so far. Several other things I should do instead.

I’m only going because of the good group of guys and the fact we are staying at an old farm where we can hunt right out the door. A mile from MN river so I plan to take a rod too. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother if WMA’s were the only option. I gave that up a few years ago.

I will probably duck hunt instead.
DT

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Otherwise I wouldn’t bother if WMA’s were the only option. I gave that up a few years ago.

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That’s kind of my thought. Too many city folk out there on opener!

My biggest complaint about trying to Pheasant hunt in Mn. Those WMA’s are too small and too few. Revolving circuses. Ever watch one during the day? After setting up to be the first one through in the morning your odds drop drastically. I don’t like that kind of hunting. The hunting areas are not much different in Iowa but at least you get the ditches which is a lot better than Mn.

I will miss the opener as usual, but will be out midweek for MEA with the kids. Seldom do we see others in the WMA’s during the week and our luck is usually pretty good by MN standards.

I have such a hard time taking week days off. I may try it based on my opener findings. How’s the corn situation? I assume not much if any if pulled.

Barely any harvested in western Mn. They might get started again by the end of the week with the warm temps predicted.

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I have such a hard time taking week days off.

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I normally don’t have that problem, but with a baby due before the year is over, I need to save my PTO for more important things.

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How’s the corn situation? I assume not much if any if pulled.

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In the last week Ive gone from Mankato to east of Marshall, nearly Pipestone, just north of Worthington, and north of Fairmont on separate days. Guys were just starting to take fields out which were primarily beans. If we get this nice weather they are predicting this week things will start rolling pretty well again especially on beans. Still likely ~2 weeks till a quantity of corn is out to make any kind of impact on bird numbers in habitats local to those field harvests.

Good Luck on opener guys

Might go this weekend, might hold off until next.

My uncle farms by Marshall and report says LOTS of corn still in the field and they’ve been shut down on the harvest for the past 5 days after all the rain.

Lower bird counts and lots of corn = poor hunting with birds spread out all over the corn.

Grouse

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Too many city folk out there on opener!

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I didn’t want to be the one to say it. Most of my days off are during the week so I will wait. Might take the boys to the range to prepare for deer season and warm the barrel on their .243. All of our corn is in and some beans are just starting to get harvested.
DT

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Too many city folk out there on opener!

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I didn’t want to be the one to say it.

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I’ve learned to never admit it. And while I live in the cities now, I am far from a city boy!!!

Don’t make me dig up that picture.

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Don’t make me dig up that picture.

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Dig it up? It’s probably set as your desktop wallpaper.

We probably should see that picture so we can judge for ourselves.

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We probably should see that picture so we can judge for ourselves.

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You’re better off being left in suspense. There was a lot of beer and a little spandex involved.

ahhh. Reminds me of the twinkie picture of me. Don’t ask.

Unfortunately the image is burned in my mind. Much like Bk shooting snakes.

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Unfortunately the image is burned in my mind. Much like Bk shooting snakes.

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OMG!!! I forgot about the BK snake pic. The horror!!!!

Saw the first corn coming out today.
DT

Report from my uncle in the Marshall area last night.

Corn is still 100% still in field for the vast majority of this area. Late rain and wet weather made the corn die slowly and have slowed harvest efforts.

There are still many farmers who have beans still in the fields as well. He estimated beans are less than 50% harvested in most places.

Bird numbers are, of course, way down. It will be VERY tough hunting this weekend for anyone who ventures out on the opener.

Grouse

Drove Mankato, to Fulda, to Worthington, to Heron Lake and back today. The only combines we saw not harvesting beans were those in the yard with parts of the head being worked on or driving down the road with bean heads on. Corn is >95% standing in that road corridor. Beans falling fast but still ~70-75% standing and changing daily. Saw the first pheasant in two weeks crossing the road today; numbers are indeed low.

Report from Windom, same as reports above. Beans still 50-70%, corn virtually untouched.

As a pheasant opener goes, my prediction is that this one will be one of the worst on record for birds seen and shot. All the factors are stacking up, crops in the field, low numbers, wet ground, warm weather.

My uncle pointed out that right now the most successful pheasant technique this year may well be spot/stalk. He wasn’t joking, it’s that tough out there.

Grouse

Drove Mankato to Cosmos, Hutchinson, Glencoe, Henderson and back today. Few more corn fields out in that area; however still an extremely low percentage over all. No birds seen or heard.

Were scheduled for some possible rain tomorrow in SC/SW MN which may slow up the bean harvest for a day or two pending how much. If we get the rain they are predicting Mon and Tues it will slow the corn harvest as well.

I will be out there tomorrow. I can’t say I’m overly excited but it will be fun to watch the dog work and it is a fun group of guys. It sounds like the numbers on the land we hunt are way down. Work is crazy busy right now but I’m looking forward to getting out a lot during the late season.

Good luck to everyone heading out. If I get my 2 I will be very happy.

Good luck, folks! I’ve got family obligations tomorrow. I’ll get out a bit later in the year.

Hunted Lyon/Murray Cty. Felt guilty killing only rooster flushed. Only flushed one hen. Crops where down around property we hunted. Beans done and they were going to town on the corn. My uncle is retired and drives around during prime time looking for birds are they are just not there. He has trail camera’s on his crp just to watch birds. None he never saw a brood this year on his land. 1st time ever. We never heard any shots and only saw 1 group of hunters. On drive back to the cities we only saw one truck at a WMA in a 3 hour drive. We drove out there at sunrise Sat and never saw a bird fly. I will not head back this season along with all the habitat gone it not going to improve. If its not a WMA/WPA it’s getting plowed up and farmed.

Mwal

We hunted near Benson and the bird numbers are low. In a typical year this land gives up our 12 bird limit on opening day. Last year I think we had 7 and this year was 3. Of the 3 birds, 2 were young and the other was a 1.5 old. I was fortunate to get 2 of the 3 birds. I had 2 easy shots at the third one but instead my 13 year old cousin batted clean up with his 20 gauge and dropped it dead. It was his first rooster so he was pumped. Most crops were still in, but that usually has little effect on the area we hunt. I’ll be out there again in a couple weeks.