Upland hunters open the Minnesota pheasant season under welcoming skies

MADELIA, MINN. – Jason Gordon of Caledonia, Minn., is an active upland and waterfowl hunter who favors outings close to home on the Mississippi River in the state’s southeast corner.

But to partake in Minnesota’s pheasant opener on Saturday, he chose to drive west to a particular state Wildlife Management Area in Watonwan County, near Madelia. It was the same field we’ve chased roosters in for five opening days in a row, but he beat us to the spot.

It was a sinking feeling at 7:15 a.m. to see the field already taken. There were eight of us in our opening-day hunting party, and we were suddenly without a field.

Hunters were out in force for this opener, and all the other public lands in our proximity were taken — orange-clad men and women sitting in vehicles at every entrance we checked.

I pulled my sedan next to Jason’s SUV and we both rolled down our windows.

“Good morning. Do you mind if we hunt with you?’’ I asked.

While his dog Pepper peeked out the window and wagged his tail, Jason welcomed us without hesitation. He was solo and the field was plenty big.

Excluding Jason and Pepper, our group of fathers and sons were all from the Twin Cities: Scott Ward with sons Steven and Mike; Corky Newton and his son Adam; and my sons, Joe and Jack Kennedy.

While we waited for shooting hours to open at 9 a.m., we chatted about the season’s strong outlook. In August, the Department of Natural Resources completed an annual roadside survey that showed a nearly 50% increase in pheasant numbers. All regions of the state saw increases, the DNR said, with the overall tally coming in 21% above the 10-year average.

Less than 30 minutes into our combing of the grasses, the optimistic forecast rang true. Birds were popping up from their hiding places with some frequency, and two ringnecks fell early on from our shotgun fire. Another two roosters were so small and lacking in plumage that we mistook them for hens until it was too late.

By noon, when we broke for lunch, our group collectively reported sightings of 12 roosters and 14 hens. Of three ringnecks bagged, one went home with Jason. He said he was happy with a single bird, but just as happy to walk some plush pheasant habitat with Pepper at his side.

Nearly 80,000 people a year buy licenses and stamps to hunt roosters in Minnesota. It will be a surprise if participation doesn’t trend upward this year, given the unseasonably high temps early in the season and the roadside counts of greater bird densities.

Last year Walz hunted in Sleepy Eye during the opener, accompanied by a crowd of about two dozen reporters and influencers, as well as a Secret Service team. Footage of the governor fussing with his firearm led to viral accusations that Walz, an experienced upland hunter, did not know how to use a shotgun. He didn’t get a bird or fire a shot, though he had a chance at a rooster that was just a bit too far away.

The crowd of onlookers this year was much smaller, and this time the governor hit two birds, bagging one. Walz said he saw this year’s opener as an antidote to divisive partisan politics.

“There’s things that unite us in a really deep way, beyond politics,” he said. “I think pheasant hunting is one of those.”