Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days...
 

...Are Stones. We've been escaping the Missouri deer hunters this past week, crossing over the border into Iowa where the firearms deer season begins in early December. Slim pickings so far -- more stones than diamonds. Lots of crop fields still standing on the farms we hunt, and, at least at first blush, the pheasant numbers seem to be proving out the DNR prognostications of lower bird numbers. I've been using my "new" VHE 12. It's a 30 inch barreled gun with .030/.049 chokes with a straight/splinter configuration and high dimensions. I'd like to report that the first shot I fired took a bird, but such is not the case. Our puppy, Aspen, worked hard for us, and he finally produced a young rooster at end of day when, on a whim, we stopped at a WMA with about an hour of shooting time left. He made a nice point in tall, heavy cover, and I rushed the shot being barely able to see the bird with big bluestem in my face. Aspen tried to retrieve the hard hit bird from a small water-filled ditch, but we had to give him a hand. The water soaked bird was a real trophy for us in a young season with few chances at Iowa pheasants, and even fewer at quail.

All week long we've gotten up large bucks, most with does. Several would be B&C candidates. We see this every season when we bird hunt Iowa during the rut. Today we hunted a new farm and got up several roosters and two nice coveys of quail that offered no shots. We'll log these coveys and roosters for later in the season when conditions are -- hopefully -- better. The VHE performed well when I did my part. I'd like the chokes a bit more open, but they make an impression on pheasants, and should be well suited for the few, tough roosters that make it to the late season.

A few more hunts in exile, and then our home season opens back up.

Key to the photos:

1. After a spring of heavy rains, the cover is heavy in South-Central Iowa, and many of the crops are still unharvested, making for tough hunting.
2. This is one of the many bucks we "flushed" from fence lines and draws while looking for a covey or rooster. Hard to tell from this photo, but this was a very(!) good buck. I'd be in the B&C record book several times over if I could carry buck shot in the left barrel and shoot the bucks that the dogs roust out.
3. I've seen buck rubs on fence posts several times over the years, and once on a telephone pole. I'd sure like to be there when these posts are rubbed! There are some very large bucks in Iowa, and we see them during our "exile week" when we cross the border leaving Missouri's deer hunters for the peace of our neighbor State.
4. Aspen tried to get our one pheasant out of the small water filled ditch the bird dropped into. He ended up dunking the hard hit bird -- but he was proud of his trophy.
5. Certainly not a suitable bird for a cover photo, this hard hit and water soaked rooster was a real trophy under the tough conditions we encountered, and it was my first pheasant taken with this 1912 Parker purchased with pheasants in mind.

Garry,

Some days are a little rough. Hunted all day in KS on Saturday. I walked about 7 miles to get a shot at one rooster. Belle worked the bird for about 3 minutes before it held and my shot was terrible. We couldn't find the bird. It was a day where I saw plenty of birds just nothing in range. In one field, I saw 20 plus hens and only one rooster. Good news there are birds out there!

Ken

Ken, Glad you're finding birds (at least). I hope when the corn is all harvested we'll see more here in Southern Iowa, but I fear not. I'd still rather be hunting...even on a poor day.

Garry,
Thanks for posting some pictures of your hunt. This is always one of my favorite things to do in this forum is looking at all these great pictures. That cover reminds me of where I grew up in southern Michigan. I used to shoot at (and occasionally get) pheasants with my bow and arrow as a young boy. I saved up my money for a flu flu arrow and then the pheasants were in trouble:)

Ed, I, too, shot a bow when I was a kid, and also had some flu-flu arrows. You were obviously a better shot as I never hit any sort of bird on the wing with mine. Growing up in Virginia, the only game bird available was quail. I can barely hit them with a shotgun, and have no chance whatsoever with a bow.:crying:

We are off again today for another "good walk spoiled" in great cover with few birds. Still, it beats working for a living.

That sure looks like bird country.

I leased 2,500 acres for quail and pheasant in the Corning-Creston area in the late 90s until a group of Omaha deer hunters bought my lease. Some great memories hunting that area with family and friends. The ashes of my first Brittany is spread on our favorite field just outside of Corning!

That's some great country. We hunt as far west in Iowa as Taylor and Ringold counties, just to the south of Adams County. If the nesting season is good, there's decent mixed bag hunting in Southern Iowa -- not to mention world class deer hunting.

Not to mention Corning is the birth place of Johnny Carson!

Once upon a time I knew a bit of Clark and Union counties. I have seen the most impressive fence posts rubbed almost in half. A lot of very nice folks in those areas let us hunt for the asking.

Great country, Brett. Iowa is almost begging for out of state hunters, so you should start scheming to renew some old memories.

No! Here in northwest Iowa the last thing we need is any more nonresident hunters. The first three weeks of the season are downright spooky. NR hunters camp out in the parking sites at public hunting areas. They drive where they are not allowed. Trash the ditches. Not all of them mind you, but enough to tar the whole group. And I won’t even address their propensity to shoot hens figuring correctly that the one CO we have in the county probably won’t catch them.

Jeff, Rest assured I'm not begging for more out of state hunters to visit Iowa, but the DNR announcements I get bemoan the low pheasant hunter numbers. I like my fields without competition. I do think Brett could revisit his old haunts and be counted on to not cause any trouble. Come to think of it, I'm an out of state Iowa hunter, and have been for over 30 years. I hope you'll continue to let me cross the border and take a bird now and then.

BTW, Elaine and I missed seeing you in Minnesota this past October. The birds were there, but the weather was colder than normal. Maybe next year?

NR hunters
 

Garry— check pm. I really missed the North Woods. Best wishes to Eileen. Jeff

No worries Jeff, at last count we had around 7000 acres of private property to hunt. A handshake and maybe a pound box of Sarris Candy. I still get plenty of Christmas Cards from Iowa. Sincerest group of people I have come to know. But now my heart is all in following a Setter through Aspen laced with some hawthorn.

So, Brett, I won't tell you about the grouse in Northeastern Iowa and Southeastern Minnesota. Forget I even mentioned it.:whistle:

At the risk of getting kicked out of Missouri, I agree with your sentiments about Iowans.

Oh I may have taken a gander at that corner. Our youngest is set to get hitched next summer to a wonderful young man that hails not so very far from there in Iowa. Buzzy the Setter pup is getting him accustomed to having bird dog hair on him every time they visit. While I have noticed he made eye contact with the dog. Also he liked the bird pants and Russell boots I lent him while he helped me split wood. Right handed, looks like 14 3/8" -1/2". He has a new car that could fit two dog boxes. And thinks nothing of driving 10- 12 hours.

Break him in right(!) Nothing better than to have a younger guy that can tote and fetch on a hunting trip (I've been that toter and fetcher on more than one occasion in my life). It also helps to keep one optimistic about the future.