Pheasant Hunting Tips:
I've always enjoyed starting the Minnesota pheasant hunting season by visiting
a pheasant hunting preserve at least five or six weeks before the actual Minnesota pheasant opener. It's amazing how just a few preseason trips
to local Minnesota pheasant hunting clubs can help your hunting dog rekindle those natural skills that laid dormant all winter long. These Autumn hunts
also give dogs the opportunity to adjust to the warmer conditions they'll experience on the opening day of the Minnesota pheasant season.
Pheasant hunting success during the first few weeks of the Minnesota pheasant hunting season depends largely on the amount of crops that are still in the field. Early
season pheasants typically hold tight once they’re found, but abundant crops can make locating the birds difficult. The mild temperatures
and numerous food sources will lure most of the pheasants out of the grassy fields well before the 9AM opener.
On most Minnesota pheasant hunting openers, I resist the temptation to hunt the morning shoot and wait until the late
afternoon instead. I've found that when the birds are in the corn, the pheasant hunting is usually slower in the mornings. And when the day heats up,
the hotter temps can really put a hurt on your pheasant dogs. I've seen some sad cases where hunters actually injured their dogs while hunting during these warmer temperatures.
I wait until the late afternoon to start hunting. Prior to the season, I've scouted and gained permission to several big canary, or buffalo, grass fields
adjacent to large fields of corn. These grassy fields are prime roosting locations for the pheasants. A good friend of mine nicknamed these types of
spots, “jam-me" land, many years ago. As the evening draws near, the warm temperatures will usually
start to break. These early season hunts are short and sweet. Not only are they filled with plenty of wing-shooting action, but they’re much easier
on the dogs.
It’s amazing how many pheasants can fly into one of these roosting areas during the last hour of legal shooting time. Find a hill with a good vantage point
and then just sit back and wait for the birds to fly into the grass. As the pheasants fly
from the corn, mark their landing locations in the grassy field. Pheasants
flying into “jam-me" land for the night have a tendency to hold tight. This is
not a hunt for inexperienced pheasant dogs. Your time is limited. You'll
have at most an hour to hunt before the end of legal shooting time.
This is one of the reasons why I like to start the pheasant season with a
couple of
trips to a Minnesota pheasant hunting club. The pheasant preserves allow your dog to
experience the exact same pheasant hunting conditions they’ll encounter in the wild.
And one of the
best Minnesota Pheasant hunting clubs that I’ve found has been their pheasant
hunting club in Little Falls, MN.
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Mid Season Tips
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From large
groups to small;
the small quality
service applies to
every group that
visits their MN
pheasant hunting
preserve.
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