October 6:

MN Deer Archery season week 3 update-

Hunt #5 Oct. 2

Temp 73F Wind N 3.5 mph Barometric Pressure 30.08 (steady) Moon Waxing Crescent

With warm temperatures and little wind, I was not expecting great deer movement.  I set up in the oak ridge stand again over looking my other food plot.  I was hopeful that the 2 nice bucks I saw a few nights before were still on the same pattern.  This was not the case as there was no deer movement this evening.

IA Deer Archery opening week update-

I did not hunt the opening weekend of the Iowa Archery season.  I had some family events that took priority, but there were a couple of Cornbelt Outdoors contributors hunting the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids areas.  The common theme was: warm temps, lots of bugs, and little deer movement.  I suspect deer movement should really improve this upcoming weekend with a cold front moving in and temperatures dropping 15 degrees throughout the weekend.  

North Dakota Pheasant Opener Outlook-

This weekend Cornbelt Outdoors will be traveling to SW North Dakota to hunt the pheasant opener.  Opening day of pheasant season will always be more about spending quality time with family and friends than the number of roosters harvested (although I suspect we will bag a few birds).  The farm that we will be hunting has done a tremendous job in terms of land stewardship.  Shelter-belt tree plantings, CRP enrollment, and established food plots have created tremendous opportunities for upland bird hunting.  Drought conditions in the southwest part of the state has led to a projected 20% decline in the pheasant population. This area of the state however, still maintains the highest population density of pheasants according to a Pheasants Forever report.  Below is a highlight clip from our 2014 North Dakota trip. -KK