ShopPosts Tagged ‘Minnesota’
Live Life Like a Bird Dog
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
PF Member Joe Nicklay's Britt, Daisy
My love of bird dogs is obvious to regular readers of this blog. Today, I’m honored to share the story of a fellow Pheasants Forever member, Joe Nicklay, and his beloved Brittany, Daisy. As I’ve said before, the only thing bad about bird dogs is the short length of time we get to spend with them.
The Day the Bell Went Silent
For nearly fifteen years I’ve listened to the sound of a sleigh bell as it rang in the woods, fields and sloughs. I followed this sound listening and waiting for it to go silent. And when it did, I approached with great anticipation, knowing that Daisy had once again located a grouse or pheasant. She would remain motionless as I approached to flush the bird. Many of the times I would fail her efforts and the bird would sail off untouched.
As the years unfolded from her days as an excited puppy when I wasn’t always sure if we were hunting bugs or birds, to her transformation into a seasoned hunter, she became the real joy of fall. Her endless energy and enthusiasm supplied by an internal drive to endure hours of heat, wet and often cold days when the snow was deeper than she could stand, left all that hunted with her in awe. If she had any shortcoming it was only a result of me.
She taught me more than I ever could teach her. She reminded me daily that life should be approached with a smile or wag of the tail and enjoyed even when it seems less than ideal. This fall there will be some grouse and pheasants that can breathe a sigh of relief for on Sunday, June 26th, the bell went silent for the final time.
–Joe Nicklay, Pheasants Forever Member from Finland, Minnesota
Thanks to Joe for sharing his memories, and for reminding us all . . . Time is short – Live life like a bird dog!
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
October 2011
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Are you counting the days till October too?
As the snow falls out the window behind me again today, I can’t help but think about pheasant hunting season. Apparently, I’m not alone. According to our website’s analytics, the most commonly searched term driving pheasant hunters to our website the last few weeks is “October 2011.”
My hunch is that folks are already planning their 2011 fall pheasant hunting calendar. While not all states have announced their 2011 pheasant seasons yet, I’ve been able to find opening day dates online for most of the top pheasant hunting destinations. So here you go!
2011 Pheasant Hunting Opening Days
(These dates are tentative, please be sure to check your state’s regulations)
Colorado Not announced till July
Iowa Saturday, October 29
Kansas Saturday, November 12
Montana Saturday, October 8
Minnesota Saturday, October 15
Nebraska Saturday, October 29
North Dakota Saturday, October 8
Ohio Not announced till July
South Dakota Saturday, October 15
Wisconsin Saturday, October 15
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
Pheasants Forever’s Ballroom Blitz
Monday, February 21st, 2011
It's banquet season in Pheasants Forever land.
As I shoveled my truck out from a foot of fresh snow this morning, a smile came across my face as I remembered pitchers and catchers report to spring training this week. Yes, winter still has its icy grip on pheasant country, but not for much longer. Another clear indicator of spring’s approach is the activity at your local banquet hall. February, March and April are the months of banquet season on the Pheasants Forever calendar.
Nearly two-thirds of all our members join Pheasants Forever during the spring banquet season. As a non-profit conservation organization, our entire existence flows from members. Members are the dirty fingernails that plant habitat. Members are the mentors that introduce a new generation to our hunting traditions and land ethic. And, members are the votes our elected officials pursue with conservation policy decisions. Plus, Pheasants Forever boasts the unique model in which our local chapters are empowered with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent – the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.
So what Pheasants Forever banquet will you be attending this spring? Consider this your invitation to join our conservation cause.
I’ll be emceeing Scott County Pheasants Forever’s 25th Anniversary Banquet this Thursday in Jordan, Minnesota. When I checked this morning, there were only 18 tickets left available. If you’d like to join the fun and buy tickets, call Stacy at 612.202.6119. Hope to see you there!
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
Opening Day Puppy
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Here's a photo of Trammell on the first hunt of her life. Notice that there are no birds in the bag as yet.
Yesterday afternoon at the office, fellow PFer Rick Young and I were discussing the best time to bring home a puppy if you wanted the dog ready for this fall’s hunting season. In Rick’s opinion, folks had better be looking hard at breeders now if they are planning to be hunting over a new pup by autumn. I’d have to agree with that assessment.
My pup, Trammell, was born in mid April of 2007. She came home with us in early June. So at 5 months old she hunted ruffed grouse in Michigan and at 6 months old she hunted pheasants in Minnesota. Okay, “hunted” is an exaggeration. She went along for a run and learned “how to hunt” from the other dogs. However, by the end of her first season at nine months of age, she was certainly showing the signs of becoming a darned good bird dog with solid points and confident retrieves.
Backing off the math from my experience with Trammell, I’d assess that puppies born in February would enter into the 2011 pheasant season in pretty solid form, given proper obedience training and exposure to both gunfire and live birds.
Which brings me to Pheasant Fest in Omaha this weekend; whether you are interested in pointers, retrievers or flushers, attendees will be able to check out a wide array of breeders and litters. There will be breeds I can’t pronounce (Braque du Bourbonnais), breeds that sound like ice cream (Spinone Italiano) and the most popular breed in America (Labrador retrievers).
So what do you think, if you could pick the perfect age to have your pup enter into his/her first hunting season, how old would that pup be on opening day? Drop your comment below.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
Day 2 – Minnesota
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Bob and Andrew ready for day 2 of the Rooster Road Trip.
Is this November 9th in Minnesota? It’s going to get up near 60 degrees again, which has us wondering if our Rooster Road Trip vehicle is a time machine that’s taking us back to October. No one’s complaining, just de-layering.
One concern heading into the first two days of the trip – in North Dakota and Minnesota – were the firearm deer seasons in those states. We’ve come across very little deer hunting pressure, and competition with other bird hunters has been nonexistent. It’s nice to have the place to yourself!
After getting up (literally) in the dark to hunt at sunrise in North Dakota yesterday, returning to the “gentlemanly” starting hour of 9AM in Minnesota was quite the pleasure. The reality of what we’re trying to accomplish – hunting 5 states in 7 days – is finally creeping into our bones. Translation: it felt good to sleep in.
We started off a few minutes after shooting hours opened at a Minnesota Wildlife Management Area / federal Waterfowl Production Area complex southwest of Madison, Minnesota. For those who don’t know, Madison, located in west-central Minnesota not far from the South Dakota border, is my hometown, and we decided to put my local knowledge of the area to use for the Rooster Road Trip.
The home field advantage paid off at the first area – a spot on which I’d duck hunted a month ago and had seen some pheasants. An hour or so walk had yielded no flushes, when Andrew and his Lab, Beau, worked through the last area of cattails on the tract. Lesson: always finish walks out. Two hens flushed out the front, then a rooster went out the back door. Bob made sure he didn’t have time to close it.
This afternoon, we’ll be hitting two more public areas concentrating on willows and cattails edges. More on that subject from Bob later. For the “Golden Hour” today, we’ll close out at one of the newest pieces of public property near Madison – one purchased with the help of the local Lac qui Parle County Pheasants Forever chapter and Minnesota Pheasant Habitat Stamp dollars. So more on that to come, too.
If you’re reading this in Minnesota, please be sure to tune into WCCO radio this evening where I’ll be recapping our first two days afield on LIVE OUTDOORS with Mitch Petrie and Mike Max.
Time to hit the road and see if we can yell “Rooster!” a few more times today.
Are Possession Limits Additive Over State Lines?
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
Anthony, Andrew & I pose for a picture in my front yard before launching our Rooster Road Trip.
As we embark on the Rooster Road Trip, it’s obviously important for us to follow the letter of the law in each state we visit to pheasant hunt. Most issues are pretty clear (non-toxic vs. lead shot, shooting hours differences, private lands access programs, etc.).
However, there is one issue we began to get concerned with addressing: possession limits in hunting five different states consecutively. Are possession limits additive based on the number of different state licenses you have to hunt pheasants in your possession?
For instance, how should we identify birds bagged in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska to make sure a conservation officer in Kansas doesn’t issue us a citation for having more than the possession limit for pheasants in Kansas on their opening day?
Likewise, is it legal for us to bag our South Dakota 3-bird individual limit by noon and cross over into Minnesota with those SoDak birds in the truck to chase Minnesota roosters till sundown?
To obtain the answers, I emailed the wildlife department of each state’s natural resources agency. Turns out, these questions aren’t asked very often. Easy to see why! And, yes, I’m probably over-estimating our expected success. However, I live by the “better safe, than sorry,” mantra. Anyway, here’s what I’ve found.
Pheasant possession limits are additive by the state licenses in your possession . . . mostly. The best guidance offered was to bag each bird individually with the hunter’s name, license number, the state harvested, and date. They also all reminded me that it’s important that each bird has the proper body parts left on for identification (wing, head and/or leg).
Although the burden of proving wrong-doing falls upon the state conservation officer, it’s pretty guilty looking for three guys to be in possession of a couple dozen birds in a cooler on Kansas’ opening day. Our Road Trip would certainly present trouble for a conservation officer that encounters our ugly mugs.
The solution may be to simply fire up the Smokey Joe each day and cook our harvest as we go. At least that will give us a few built-in recipe blog entries along the way.
The other recommendation given was for us to gift birds to folks in the state we’re hunting. For instance, in Minnesota the law requires the donor to write his/her name and address, along with the recipient’s name and address on the bag. The law also requires the donor to date the gift, including a description of the gift (number of birds and species), and the license number the animals were taken under.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
A Bird Dog’s Life List
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Me & Tram after putting a checkmark next to ruffed grouse on her life list.
Over the holiday weekend, I caught up on some reading. An article in the most recent issue of The Pointing Dog Journal particularly caught my attention. The piece titled “My Bucket List” was written by Tom Davis, also a contributor to the Pheasants Forever Journal. As the name implies, Tom writes about the hunting adventures he’d like to have before he passes on. It was an interesting read and likely follows thoughts many of us have this time of year as we review our calendars, health, and dog power for the coming autumn. I wrote a similar blog post a year ago titled “My Bird Hunting Bucket List.”
However, what really grabbed my attention was Tom’s tally of the wild upland game bird species shot over his bird dog. Turns out, this sort of “Bird Dog Life List” is fairly common. A couple of guys; Joseph A. Augustine (English Setters) and the renowned Ben O. Williams (Brittany) have even penned bird dog hunting books on the topic. The consensus is twenty different North American upland game birds constitute a “Grand Slam.”
So as I look toward my own German shorthaired pointer’s fourth season, I have taken inventory on Trammell’s own bird hunting life list. Here is Tram’s current tally: a) species I successfully shot over her point, b) the year it occurred and c) the state in which it took place.
- Ruffed Grouse, 2007, Michigan
- Pheasant, 2007, Minnesota
- Timberdoodle, 2007, Michigan
- Hungarian Partridge, 2008, Montana
- Sharp-tailed Grouse, 2008, Montana
In some respects, I look at that list and feel guilty. There’s the greater prairie chicken I missed in South Dakota’s Fort Pierre Grasslands last year. And there’s the doggy plane ticket to Georgia I couldn’t afford preventing bobwhite quail from hitting her list.
On the other hand, three seasons with Tram have been the best three seasons of my hunting career. And if you consider the dozens of states and subspecies necessary to reach double digits, a guy could go broke chasing this list. Plus, I’ll be in the Fort Pierre Grasslands in three weeks and I smell redemption. Come to think of it, I’ll be in Nebraska (bobwhite quail) and Kansas (lesser prairie chickens) in November too. Hunting season is here and things are looking up!
In the comment section below, post the following: a) your dog’s breed, b) your dog’s name, c) your dog’s age, and d) how many birds on his/her life list so far?
What Shot Size Should I use on Mosquitoes in the Grouse Woods?
Monday, August 30th, 2010
It's easy to see how wet it is in the grouse woods even through the lense of a poor quality camera phone.
Minnesota’s ruffed grouse hunting season is still three weeks away, but I couldn’t wait any longer. So on Saturday morning, my pup and I headed to the grouse woods of northeastern Minnesota for a scouting look around. What did we find?
1) It’s REALLY Wet in the Woods. Trammell, my shorthair, literally went on point when a creek chub startled her from a puddle in the middle of a logging trail. Creeks, streams, swamps, and bogs are all overflowing their normal banks. Every path I took led to wet feet. Plan to wear your knee high rubber boots for the grouse opener unless we experience a significant lack of rain between now and mid September.
2) The Mosquitoes are Hungry. To most of you reading this, the obvious reaction is “Duh!” Well, here’s what I was thinking: it was noon on a sunny summer day in the high 80s. It was also incredibly windy. How bad could the blood suckers really be? I got my answer. I’ll be hoping for a hard frost in the coming weeks.
3) Not a single bird. That’s not really a surprise when you consider I never wandered off the main trails and the ATV traffic was INTENSE.
In any event, I for one am looking forward to Wednesday. Wednesday is September 1st and the door opens to autumn. I understand the ruffed grouse drumming counts to be down in the Great Lakes states this year; however, I’ve heard excellent reports from friends and family in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Three weeks till ruffed grouse season also means pheasant season is quickly approaching on the horizon. On your mark, get set . . .
We’re talking huntin’ !
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Leaders of west central Minnesota's Otter Tail County Chapter study a map of the many habitat projects they've done, some of which we hunted to great success (photo by Mark Herwig)
Yeah, it’s a bit early, but I can’t wait and I don’t think you can either. So here we go.
The next Pheasants Forever Journal, Fall Preview issue, includes our 2010 Pheasant Hunting Preview. The new mag will be mailed on July 2.
I mean, October and November are still a hot summer and then some away, but we don’t care. Here at PF, the hunters are always chomping at the bit to grab a gun and their dog and head out to the fields. In fact, a co-worker just walked into the office with a new gun we’re selling. You gotta love it around here! The excitement level just intensifies as the hunting season draws nearer.
Anyway, in our next issue, check out Ron Spomer’s piece on planning your fall hunting trip and hunting on a shoe string budget. This guy travels the country and world hunting. He knows his stuff.
Also, I’ve written a fun piece on hunting with the Otter Tail County Chapter in west central Minnesota. This chapter is run by a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pro and does he ever know how to grow habitat and roosters – a pile of which we put in the bag last fall. He’d tell you, too, that he couldn’t do it without his fellow chapter volunteers and partners.
On the conservation side, because after all there won’t be any birds, ‘guns or dogs’ without it, we have a great warm up piece on the upcoming battle for conservation funding in the as-yet unwritten 2012 Farm Bill by Dave Smith, a conservation insider.
And hey, check out this year’s new PF MarketPlace merchandise. We make up a new catalog once a year. Buy your next hunting coat or other gear from us and it helps fund our efforts on the Farm Bill, field staff to plant habitat and bring you this magazine! Thanks for walkin’ the talk folks!
Thinking Spring
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Have you heard the cackling of roosters this spring?
It’s supposed to break 70 degrees today in Minnesota. Those temps have got me thinking about spring. Here’s a mixed bag of what’s rattling around in my head today.
Pheasant Mating Season: Have you heard the roosters cackling? That’s right, it’s mating season for ringnecks with the all-important nesting season right around the corner. The peak of the pheasant hatch typically occurs about June 10th. My fingers are crossed for a warm and dry early June in states like Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota to help the birds rebound after a harsh winter. In western states, I’m hoping for some early spring rain to green up the vegetation and kick off insect production. Did you know that pheasant chicks’ main diet right out of the shell is a high protein insect buffet? It’s true. Learn more about pheasant nesting season and the ringneck’s lifecycle by following this link. Also stay tuned to www.PheasantsForever.org. PF’s super intern Jared Wiklund is putting the polishing touches on Pheasants Forever’s 2009/2010 winter impact assessment.
Morel Mushrooms: According to www.Morels.com, folks have already found morels as far north as Ohio and Indiana. It seems like we may be in for an early mushroom hunting season this year. Excellent!
Boat Shopping: My wife Meredith and I are in search of our first boat. As a household with two non-profit incomes (Meredith works for Ronald McDonald House Charities), it’s going to be a used starter boat. We’re looking for a skiff that will satisfy our fishing focus of muskies, pike, bass, and panfish . . . with a little sun deck for the gal when the fish aren’t biting. Hopefully we find one this evening . . . the ice is coming off Bald Eagle Lake today – our neighborhood fishery.
College Sports Predictions:
NCAA Basketball Champ: Michigan State University Spartans
NCAA Hockey Champ: Miami (Ohio) University RedHawks
Timberdoodling: That’s right, Trammell (my German shorthaired pointer), pointed her first woodcock of the spring on a WMA near Forest Lake, Minnesota last evening.
WMAs closed to dogs on April 16th: Speaking of bird dogging, please remember that Wildlife Management Areas in Minnesota are closed to dogs on April 16th through July 14th to protect ground nesting birds like pheasants and ducks. Please be sure to check with your state’s natural resources agency to find out when your public lands are off limits to canines.
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