North Dakota Pheasant Opener

kamloops · 10-15-2003, 10:45 AM

What can I say?
Words could not describe the Pheasant population
in North Dakota this season, unreal. :grin:
We hunted in Hettinger County which is in the Far S.W. part of North Dakota, appx 50 miles southeast of the start of the "Bad Lands" National Park.
Pheasants were everywhere, on the roads in the fields, everywhere. It's funny to look on the side of the road and see 4 of 5 roosters looking at the passsing traffic, peeking out from the hedgerows, with as much interest as we humans have at spotting them. No particular reason other than to keep from getting sqarshed under the autos and trucks as they run from field to field.
We hunted Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Sunday we were finished with 21 birds by 11:00am, 7 bodies hunting in our group.
Monday we hunted a farm that the Farmer had put most of his land in CRP, found mostley Hens, no food crops no roosters. Anyway, we hunted till 4:00pm and were still 9 birds shy. We finished the day up at the Cannonballs caretaker/office managers back yard, we had spotted several hundred birds the day before. We finished in 45 minutes.
Yesterday was a classic pheasant day, clear skies with white puffy clouds and rolling wheat stubble, looked like Eastern Wa, we hunted several CRP quarter sections, had limits in 2 hours.
Yesterday I shot a 410 1100 with 2.5" #4's and
what a blast. As long as you had 20-30 yard classic flushing birds a 410 is all you need over there, and I am a not a good shot. The overhead passing shots it's still nice to have a little more power.

If I can figure out how to post pictures and get some time I'll do it.
Anyone interested in the Hunt it's called the Cannonball Company in Regent North Dakota, I have some flyers if anyone wants one.
Oh yeh, my dogs not very impressed with me

, he sat home and took it out on the cats.

fishstik · 10-15-2003, 05:52 PM

i am so jelous, hopefully some day i will make there, i even have relatives there.....is most of the land posted???

10-15-2003, 06:30 PM

kamloops · 10-15-2003, 06:42 PM

Pretty much all posted, I did see a few road hunters though, proly knew the farmers and had permission.
Most of Hettinger Co. is tied up in the
Cannonball CO-OP deal. Can't speak for the other counties, they may have fields that you may get premission from the owners if their land is not leased.
North Dakota does not have much, if any, non resident public Bird hunting. Read that in the local Dickensen paper. Also Hettinger Co has the highest Pheasant harvest rate in the entire state, some where around 500,000 birds. Funny thing is that the harvest bird count has gone up in the last 5 years. This is primarily due to the
farmers plotting more food plots together with the CRP programs. Cannonball Co. pays the farmers for the birds harvested on their land so they want to improve the habitat, it's more money for them at the end of the year.
I am no expert on Pheasant hunting in the Dakotas cause I have always hunted around Hettinger Co.But,I know freinds who hunt South Dakota every year.
They have farmers who trust and know them and have built good relations with the same guys year after year.
I also know that if you find a local Tavern and spend an hour or two talking to the locals and if they know your hunting they will most always/sometime invite you to hunt on their land if it's not leased.
These are very good, honest hardworking people that will trust a stranger as long as you give them the respect they deserve.

fishstik · 10-15-2003, 08:55 PM

Kamloops, well said

deschutes2 · 10-16-2003, 09:21 AM

So...was this hunt entirely on public land or did you have to pay a trespass fee anywhere?

10-16-2003, 09:27 AM

My wife works for the largest farm land owners in Klamath County and I am working on getting permission for my son and I to hunt pheasants on their land. They have historically not let hunters on.

Kamloops,
If this works out I think I owe you a hunting trip for all of the quality tuna time you provided me this year.

[ 10-16-2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

Miss B Haven · 10-16-2003, 02:34 PM

So Tom... it sounds likes there is "life after TUNA" :grin:

crabbait · 10-16-2003, 08:02 PM

Unless the state has changed since I lived there (two long winters and hot summers), any land that is not posted is open to hunt. No permission required unless the property is specifically posted.

gotZem · 10-19-2003, 07:25 AM

Ahh-the Dakotas! I hunt South dakota every year and am a homeowner there now (gives ya' a place to sleep at the end of each hard day of hunting!). We hunt ducks, geese, and roosters- Ducks and geese in the AM and switch to roosrers in the afternoon. You must put in for the waterfoul hunt in June. Well worth the few bucks! Really makes for a lot of bird cleaning each day as there isn't a day that you don't limit out! Some days are easy and some tough(due to weather) but that limit is always there. Permission is easy to get as people are really "people" back there. Just be "people" to them! A lot of CRP land is available by contacting the SDPFG. And the ditches are fair game and very productive sometimes!

I don't get to go this year and not sure how to act right now. My buddy is leaving in a week and I'm staying home!! Guess I'll just keep fishing!
GotZem!!

kamloops · 10-20-2003, 06:50 AM

Deschutes2

We hunted on a series of Farms, the Land Owners
got together some 15 years ago and started a Corporation (Cannon Ball Co.)to charge Hunters for access to hunt their land. These fee's the owners collect at the end of the year in some/most cases mean they keep one step ahead of the Banks.
Any land not posted in North Dakota can be hunted
but some of these states are getting a little funny about "out of state" hunters.

Lee I would take up your offer in a second.