Excited, Dazed, and Confused!!! (NoDak)

[MO_GSP]

I have been excited about the possibility of my first ND trip this year and just confirmed that I will be going.

But, I need a huge favor from you all that have experience up there. I don't want to know your personal favorite hunting spots, I have a new pair of boots with plenty of leather on them but what I do need help with is that it is my understanding I will have the ability to hunt sharptails, huns, and pheasant on this trip. Sounds like a dream come true, except my dog and I have never hunted sharpies or huns and have limited exposure with pheasants.

So my questions are can y'all give me a few pointers or a little advice on how to go about them, maybe what to look for to find birds, certain cover or elevation??? Also when is a good time to go my availability is the first week of october (i know pheasants not open) or 1st of november or pretty much all of december.

Thanks in advance any tips are greatly appreciated!

[PntrRookie]

I would go 1st of Nov. Pheasant is open. If not, those sharpies and huns can be a tough bird for a newbie to point. You may come home frustrated. Pheasants are not easy either, but at least you have another option. Find crops around crp. The crops do not have to be right next to them, but within nesting distance is good. Crops will be out by Nov. but the stuble is good too. Any grassy creek bottom, slough,crp, etc. is good cover for pheasants. let your pup roll on the hill sides of those fields and you may pick up some sharpies. Huns like structure...buildings, trees, etc...along with the hillsides of grasslands (like sharpies). That in a nutshell is my Cliff Note Version of ND...you will LOVE it even if you do not kill a bird! Go to breakfast in the local diner and ask the waitresses if any of the local farmers come in - may want to go early - when they are free ask them if they have any land they would allow you to hunt on. Since you are alone, they would probably be more than happy to help. If they don't, ask them if they know of anyone you could ask. Ask at the gas station when you fill up too. If you can get on private land 1-2x you will be blessed. Take your camera! South of I-94 is usually good.

[deseeker]

My buddy and I hunt the SW corner of the state--mostly wheat country there. We hunt mostly phez but will pick up a few huns and sharpies hunting the same areas we hunt the phez in. We hunt mainly CRP along the crop edges or creeks along the crop edges---it seems like the crop edges(food) is what draws all 3 species to the area.. Shelter belts are good but the areas we hunt don't have many. The cover is pretty short in the areas we hunt and its real easy to see the dogs(even my britts)--most places we don't need bells, which is a plus since the birds can be spooky. You can get a plots book(walk in private land) from the game and fish dept.--it lists the walk in CRP areas. A word about the walk in areas this year---since it's been so dry in this year, Nebraska has okayed the hay harvestin of about 1/2 of CRP ground(I don't know if ND does the same thing, but you might check). Also ND is one of the few states that allow hunting on unposted private land---most of it is posted, but if it isn't you can hunt it. If I were you I'd hunt mainly phez and just pick up the occasional grouse, hun. As far as the 3 possible times you listed, Nov might be your best option since you can't be there for opening phez in Oct. Dec usually is REALLY< REALY cold in ND. and if there is alot of snow, you won't be able to get around. Alot of min maintance roads in the area we hunt--alot of them are 1 lane, no gravel, tire track roads. Nov can be cold as well(sometimes). Cattails are good after it freezes(phez)--not many cattails in the area we hunt. I'm sure other parts of ND are different--maybe someone else can help you out there. The pictures in the above post is kind of representative of the area we hunt. Good luck

[MO_GSP]

Thanks for the replies it is very much appreciated, I will be staying north of I-94 but we will be traveling wherever we can so thanks for all the advice

[PntrRookie]

I will be staying north of I-94...

What area?

[MO_GSP]

I will be staying north of I-94...

What area?

Just south of Watford City

[PntrRookie]

You might also think about going west to Montana.

[Bberry20]

i wouldnt waste your time south of watford unless you know someone with land. With the oil boom there are soooooo many trucks and rig sites that finding birds is very hard to do. Not saying they arent there, but will be more difficult then going south. Basically, I-94 to Williston is all oil rig sites, trucks, and people.

[MO_GSP]

rookie- thanks for all the help, I will look into Montana also

Bberry- thanks for the tip, I know about the oil boom thats why I will have a free place to stay! But figured that we would need to do some traveling from there too, once again I'm very thankfull to everyones replies

[Bberry20]

If you nail down a date let me know and i might be able to take you some places outside "bleep". Would be a little drive but might be able to get you on some birds.

[MO_GSP]

Thanks a bunch, I will definately give ya a heads up once I know the final plans.

[southwayno]

I'm heading to McClusky, ND Area for the first time to chase some Sharpies Also. I will be out there form the 19th to the 22nd. Might see you out there.

[bert01]

Good luck in ND. Some good advice.

From what I've read, the sharptails, huns, and others will covey together later in the season which makes them a) more difficult to locate and b) more difficult to approach and hold. I too will be heading out for my first trip the last week of October and am trying to decide if it's better to just concentrate on pheasants and see what happens. Is finding and locating the other species for a first timer that late in the season a hopeless event? we'll be further west in centeral montana but i imagine the birds' habits are much the same. Most of my time chasing ruffies around the woods is obviously much different and as much if not more about hunting the habitat and not the bird, if that makes sense.

[Bberry20]

we went out for grouse on saturday, we did find 4 or 5 coveys, but they were all very flightey. Hard for the dogs, even the experienced ones to hold them on point. We put on 10 miles and didnt limit out. Good luck for all who hunt them.