I use the SD 511 website to look at current conditions…there’s several hundred camera’s throughout the state giving nice views of the adjacent ground…ND as well…gives a decent amount of intel, including if the wheat is being harvested, what amount of water is sitting in ditches and fields, and also, if there’s snow on the ground…pics are updated every 15 minutes, I believe…

I wrote about this a few months ago, but the highlight of this season thus far occurred opening week in SD…I parked on one of the corners of my ground and walked west with my older lab, knowing she wouldn’t get too far ahead…took my repro 28 with some #5 lead loads, 1 oz, and started walking, figuring I’d flush a bird or two in the fuzzy ditches that were bordered by corn…nuttin doin after a mile, where some of that CREP began…small cattail slough awaited me in the corner of that CREP, so I drifted north of it, given the south wind…I turned into the wind, and as we got near the slough, Lena told me that there were birds in the slough…birds started flushing, mostly roosters…finally, one in range, think I took 2 shots, and down it went…Lena delivered it promptly…I was pumped! Started walking west, and soon I crested a mild rise in the field, and saw more cattail sloughs…small…perfect! We did the same thing, drifted north by 80 yards, and turned into the breeze…I watched Lena, and could tell she was excited…soon after, a few roosters flushed, the first went down and the second I missed; I knew the first wasn’t a dead bird, but luckily the slough was the size of a 2 stall garage, with little vegetation surrounding it. About 5 seconds after reloading, a cock flushed and headed west, which fell about 30 yards from us, and was dead…Lena went to that bird, so I watched where the first rooster had fallen; sure enough, he attempted to escape on foot to the East, and with Lena to my West, returning with that other bird, I promptly finished the cripple off. It was barely 10:30, I had my limit…much fun! I hadn’t hunted pheasants with that Repro yet, just prairie grouse and huns…it was a real highlight of this season, and my entire hunting career!

Yep, somedays you just hit the hunting jackpot. Great story Mike.

I'm heading out on Monday early and hope to finish up the SD pheasant season again!

Nice last week weather forecast.

Best of luck to you guys & your pups!!

Fine story, Mike! Those days are never forgotten, even by Lena.

You gotta love those WILD roosters..!!

(I agree w/ you about the SD 511 site w/ the cameras.)

Thanks!

FAILURE TO FIRE!!
Had three of these today, using two guns i had carried and shot this week. Started into a WPA and had a rooster get up in front of me, pulled the front trigger and click, light indentation on the primer. Dropped a new shell in and another one got up and again click.
I carried and shot this gun yesterday, a Ugartechea 12, no problem yesterday. Shooting Kent Bismuth.
Went back to the truck, grabbed the 16 Sterlingworth an Boss Bismuth, later missed a bird that got up in back of me. At the end of the day, cutting thru cattails on the way to the truck, a rooster got up fight in front of me, easey-peasey, front trigger and click, light strike on the primer, missed when I finally grabbed the back trigger.
Very frustrated, back at the truck ran shells thru both and worked just fine. I'll be gun shy tomorrow when birds get up.
(No, I haven't sprayed oil in the firing pin holes, or trigger slots. But will spray a degreaser/gun scrubber thru them when I get home--tomorrow is last day.

I feel your pain, Harold! Last year I took a gun out and flushed a rooster right away and when I pulled the trigger, it didn't fire..! I was shocked and then shot the other barrel first. Light firing pull indentation on the first barrel.

I did not trust it after that and went back to the truck to switch shotguns out. No problem w/ the other one. After I returned home, I sent it out for checking and repair. Since then, I do NOT trust it anymore & it sits....

Hope you had better luck today?

You need some Gun 21 Harold. Made for AR rifles, goes on wet and dries with no residue and makes everything slick and protected from rust and will not stain the wood stocks like grease or oil! It is truly amazing stuff. I know because I sell it and get the real-world reports back of how good it is! No one has said nothing but good things on its performance and makes the bores shin like super polish then nothing sticks to them. My original test was on a 410 that was really hard to clean after 100 rounds, now that guns cleans so easy. I will fix you up with a test bottle next time I see you...(-:

Thanks for the tip, Kenny.
Headed home as I type this Terry driving.
Good last day, moved sh*t load of birds. No misfires today. Shot a staggered double with the Fox 16, and on the final hunt picked up my 3rd on the best shot all week.
Dogs are beat, high grass and cattails more in the domain of labs than setters. Looks like great week ahead for those going out. Good luck and post pictures.

Y'all need to shoot your Parkers if you don't want misfires.... :nono:





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