Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

Anyone make it out for 1st gun season or hunting now during 2nd?

With the archery changes I've been out a couple days and had some great opportunity. Plenty of birds and have had quite a few in range but haven't been able to draw yet, either the under-story was too thick or they pinned me down. I was hoping to do this without a blind or using natural blinds, but I'm thinking now it may be a must. Had I been sitting with a shotgun I could have had at minimum 4 mature toms dead so far just from what I've had inside of 30yds in my time sitting.

regardless each morning I've had some great shows from tom's strutting, gobbling and fighting.

Got this guy last Thursday (4/14)

21 pounds
9 7/8" beard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7otjx0xEqE

Nice!!! Yea I've wished a few times now I would have put in for a gun tag..... of course what fun would it be tagging out on day 1 vs. pulling your hair out all season trying to kill one with a bow

Hunted the second season with shotgun. Couldn't manage to get a Tom with-in range. Hunted 3 days total. Could of shot a Jake at 10 feet. Seemed to be plenty of birds down in the SE bluffs. They would gobble good on the roost in the AM. Then not much all day. One afternoon I sat by a tree for 8 hours, on a ridge where they always roost. Of course I didn't see a thing. Then 2 days later they gobbled over there all morning.

Sounds like I am heading SE next Friday to hunt a couple days with the bow. If I don't fill I will hunt closer to home rest of the season

Good luck MLDS...... I just spent a few days down there. It was the worst I've seen it in 20 years of hunting 349. There's birds but when their feet hit the ground they got really quiet and were hen'd up. I heard that 1st gun and the first half of 2nd gun was pretty amazing but somewhere toward the tail end of 2nd gun they got quiet and paired up with females.

I've got a much better chance killing one back home. Thank goodness again for the archery changes.

Ya I haven't noticed many out and about anymore, figured they were in the woods with hens now. Just my luck

Ain't siht for gobbling out here, heard one gobbling. Had a couple hens walk through

Had a tom cross he wasn't interested. Then had 3 Jake's come into 20 yards. I wasn't going to shoot but decided what the hell. Right over his back...I am an idiot and used the wrong pin thinking it was my 20 yard pin...pretty sure it was 30

I have been seeing more toms out in the mornings now, than I did through out the early season. One tom was out all by himself, way out in the field, I previously saw him with 13 hens. They must all be on the nest. I hope this nice spring continues, should be lots of pheasants and turkeys.