Minnesota’s pheasant opener this year is Oct. 16, a week later than the normal opening weekend, cutting the season short by seven days.
I have attended the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener for the past 10 years or so, but the jury is still out as to whether this is actually going to happen in 2021, so I made other plans.
My Pheasants Forever chapter and I are now hosting a ladies-only mentor hunt on the opening weekend. All lady guides and all lady participants. This should offer up a really good time to all who are involved.
Hunting on opening weekend is certainly a tradition many hunters look forward to. The real deal here is that hunting on opening weekend usually results in less than perfect conditions, as crops are often not out and you have to share the field with other others. These are two legitimate issues. The issue that ranks higher for me is how hot it might be that weekend.
It was about eight to 10 years ago that over 200 dogs died of heat exhaustion in South Dakota over opening weekend when temperatures were in the 80s. For the vast majority of dogs that had done nothing but sit on the couch the previous nine months and because dog owners either did not pay attention or did not understand, the signs of heat stroke resulted in many dogs perishing as a result.
Last year on Sunday I was all ready to go and when the 9 a.m. opening bell rang, I headed out with a diligent and conscious intent to worry more about my dogs than the number of birds harvested. I was able to hunt for exactly 15 minutes on opening weekend Sunday. I dropped off a friend and drove to the other side of the spot, but before I could get out of the truck, my phone rang. It was the same guy who had downed a bird and could not recover it.
I got back in the truck, drove back to the original spot, and after only a few minutes the bird was in hand … and I was out of dog. “Out of dog” means I had a dog with more than enough desire but no ability to hunt safely any more that morning. I had no birds, but I did get out for the last 15 minutes that day and had some success.
Sportsmen and women really need to adjust their calendar for best results. Hunting pheasants after the opening weekend rush is gone results in more crop out, less hunting pressure, and temperatures that allow a dog to hunt longer. Snow on the ground is a great advantage to both dog and hunter.
Those same pheasant hunters that go gung-ho the first two weeks of pheasant season will be readying their deer rifles when the best pheasant hunting presents itself. Those same deer hunters will put the rifle away and start ice fishing during the best days of pheasant hunting.
I never hunt in big groups. Hunting with two others would be about as big a group as I am comfortable with. A few seasons back I hunted a federal waterfowl production area by myself near my home on a Thursday. I left tire tracks in the snow that day. I went back for three weeks in a row and each time mine were still the only tire tracks in the parking area. I shot two birds each of those four trips.
Be ready when the opening bell rings on the 2021 pheasant hunting season, but don’t use up all of your vacation in October. Save your free time and travel money for after the firearms deer season is over. This is usually the middle of November when the roosters are older and fully colored.
This makes for a better mount if you ever want to take one to the taxidermist. You will have a higher quality outing, your dog can hunt safely, and you can roam the planet all by yourself. Adjust your calendars to the later part of the season. Your harvest will increase, and so will your satisfaction.
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com or on Twitter @habitat champion.