5 MOST OVERRATED HUNTING GUNS
ByJohn Mcadams
Some guns have reputations that, for some reason, far outweigh their actual performance in the field.
There are many truly great guns specifically designed and marketed for hunting that are absolutely outstanding choices to take afield. However, there are also a number of highly overrated guns that don't live up to their glorified reputations in reality. Yet, somehow they still maintain a very devoted following.
Some of these overrated guns used to be great, but are now only popular among certain segments of the hunting and shooting populations due to their their past reputations or due to a certain amount of nostalgia or romanticism among their respective fan clubs. Others are great pieces for a gun collection or for taking to the shooting range, but aren't the best choices for a hunting gun.
In any case, virtually all of these rifles (I did not include any handguns or shotguns on the list) are extremely popular among certain segments of the hunting and shooting communities and their inclusion on this list will be considered almost sacrilegious by the respective fan clubs for each gun.
Don't take anything I say in this article personally. If I think your favorite rifle is overrated, I'm not attacking you personally. If that particular firearm works well for you and you like it, then by all means keep using it and don't worry about what I think.
Also, keep in mind that this is an article on the most overrated guns for hunting, not the most overrated guns for collectors, or the most overrated guns for shooting enthusiasts. Additionally, I'm not saying that any of the entries on this list are bad guns or that they don't work well in certain applications.
I am saying that the actual performance by these guns does not measure up to the hype that surrounds them (or their price tag in some instances). In almost every case, there are many other guns currently available that would be better suited for use as a hunting gun than any of the overrated guns on this list.
Scroll through to learn all about the most overrated guns for hunting, and why they aren't the best choices for most hunters.
Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70
When it was first introduced in 1936, the Winchester Model 70 was an instant hit among American sportsmen. It didn't take long for the rifle to develop a well-deserved reputation for reliability and accuracy and it quickly became the standard against which other rifles were judged.
Unfortunately, Winchester made a number of modifications to the iconic Model 70 rifle in 1964 to make it cheaper and easier to manufacture. Though many changes were made, the primary difference was that rifles produced after 1964 no longer had a Mauser-style "controlled round feed" bolt.
This change, combined with a general decline in the overall quality of craftsmanship, made the newer model rifle very unpopular among shooters and it was widely panned by critics as inferior to the Pre-1964 Model 70. As a result, Pre-64 Model 70s are in high demand among collectors and shooters all over the world and fetch fantastic (and some would say unreasonable) prices on the current firearms market.
Fortunately, FN Herstal began producing the latest version of the Winchester Model 70 in 2007 and the rifle is currently produced in most of the popular centerfire rifle cartridges these days like the .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, 270 WSM, 30-06 Springfield, .300 Win Mag, and .375 H&H Magnum (just to name a few).
This incarnation of the legendary rifle was a dramatic improvement in quality over the other Post-1964 Model 70s and once again featured controlled round feeding. Among many other improvements, these new rifles feature outstanding triggers, great barrels, and excellent bedding jobs. Not surprisingly, they are quickly becoming known for incredible accuracy and reliability deserving of the good Winchester Model 70 name.
Look, I get it: people love the Pre-1964 Model 70 and there are a lot of reasons why it's still an awesome rifle.
However, with a great utilitarian option available for hunters in the current production Model 70s, most of the value in a Pre-1964 Model 70 is derived from its value as a collector's item (especially if you have a particularly rare specimen, such as one chambered in .300 Savage, .35 Remington, or .458 Win Mag).
If you're a gun collector or just someone who loves old rifles, then the Pre-1964 Model 70 is perfect for you and there's nothing wrong with owning or hunting with one. On the other hand, if you just want a high-quality hunting rifle, then there's virtually nothing the Pre-1964 Model 70 can do that current production Model 70s can do (and maybe even do better) at a fraction of the price.
Post-2007 Marlin 1895
A cousin to the venerable Marlin 336, the big-bore Marlin 1895 chambered in .444 Marlin or .45-70 Government is commonly used by hunters pursuing large, tough game in North America. Nicknamed the "guide gun," the Model 1895 was especially well-liked among those who might have to deal with an angry brown bear, grizzly bear or moose at close range.
For many years, Marlin made great rifles suitable for deer hunting, brown bear hunting, and almost everything in between.
However, Remington Arms acquired Marlin Firearms in 2007 and the quality control on their rifles (especially on the Model 1895) noticeably slipped. Shooters started complaining of problems with the wood on the stock, unreliable feeding and just generally poor quality work in general.
Though Remington claims to have fixed their quality control issues, the jury is still out on current production Marlin rifles at this point. Unfortunately, Remington has had its fair share of problems in recent years with the Remington Model 700 recall and the recent decision by the company to file for bankruptcy.
The older Marlin Model 1895 rifles are still fantastic for hunters wanting a good quality and hard-hitting, lever-action hunting rifle, but be cautious about buying one made after 2007.
Blaser R93
Quite common in Europe, the Blaser R93 also has a smaller, but still loyal following among hunters in the United States. The rifle is accurate, has a fast cycling straight-pull bolt action, and Blaser produces a line of interchangeable barrels that allow the owner to completely customize the rifle for a wide range of situations. For these reasons, it's not surprising that the Blaser R93 is so popular.
The rifle is not without a serious flaw, though, which is why it's on this list of overrated guns.
The most notable problem with the Blaser R93 is the fact there have been multiple cases of the bolt on an R93 unlocking when fired and striking the shooter in the face with disastrous results.
It's tough to separate fact from fiction with these incidents.
People in the Blaser fan club state that all of these episodes were the result of the shooter using poor quality handloads that greatly exceed the maximum safe pressure of the rifle.
Critics of the rifle counter that the shooters were using factory ammunition and that a rifle design that allows the bolt to fly straight backwards with such force, even when subjected to excess pressure, is inherently flawed.
Sure, all rifle actions will fail, sometimes spectacularly, when subjected to enough abuse. I've never seen or heard about a bolt actually flying straight back into the shooter's face except with the Blaser R93 though.
Interestingly enough, Blaser introduced the new R8 rifle a few years ago as an upgrade to the R93. Among other changes, the R8 features a completely reworked bolt that appears to be better designed than the one on the R93.
So far, the R8 has been well received and incorporates almost all of the features people liked about the R93.
Additionally, the new bolt appears to be a dramatic improvement over the one in the R93 and I have not heard of any incidents involving catastrophic bolt failure with the R8.
So, if you really like Blaser rifles and want to hunt with a straight-pull, bolt-action rifle, pass on the R93 and buy an R8 instead.
Any Rifle Chambered in .375, .378, .416 or .460 Weatherby Magnum
Founded by legendary hunter Roy Weatherby, Weatherby Firearms produces some particularly high-quality rifles like the Mark V and the Vanguard models.
Chambered in a wide variety of cartridges, including many common rounds like .270 Winchester, .30-06, and .300 Win Mag, these rifles are known for their accuracy, reliability and sturdy construction. For this reason, Weatherby rifles are understandably popular among big-game hunters.
Weatherby also designed a line of high velocity magnum cartridges, like the .270 Weatherby Magnum, the .300 Weatherby Magnum, the .378 Weatherby Magnum, and the .460 Weatherby Magnum. Weatherby Firearms has continued the tradition of high-velocity, flat-shooting cartridges when the company released the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum in 2016.
Now, there's nothing wrong with Weatherby rifles in general or the smaller caliber Weatherby cartridges. However, the big Weatherby Magnum cartridges are, in my opinion, overrated.
The high velocity .257 Weatherby, .270 Weatherby, .300 Weatherby and .30-378 Weatherby are especially popular among hunters pursuing animals like elk, caribou, mule deer, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn who want a flat-shooting cartridge that's more resistant to wind drift and still hits hard at extended range.
However, that extra velocity comes and the associated performance improvements that speed brings comes at a cost of increased recoil and muzzle blast. While there are many hunters who can shoot the smaller Weatherby cartridges accurately and take advantage of their slight edge in long-range performance, this is often not the case with the larger Weatherby cartridges like the .375, .378, .416 and .460 Weatherby Magnums.
Those massive cartridges have such heavy recoil and so much muzzle blast that it is a rare hunter who can really handle them well.
Due to the fact so few hunters can accurately shoot the really big Weatherby Magnums, they have developed a nasty reputation among African professional hunters, some of whom refer to them as "Wounda-bees" due to the propensity of Weatherby armed hunters to wound animals because of poor shooting.
For example, on page 96 of "Africa's Most Dangerous" (which is a fantastic hunting book by the way), Kevin Robertson told the tale of a visiting hunter who took several shots at a cape buffalo with a .460 Weatherby Magnum. When it was all over, Robertson joked that the buffalo was in better shape than the hunter, who had two black eyes and a bloody nose from the recoil of his rifle.
Yes, that's an extreme example to be sure. But what about the hunter who can handle that recoil and accurately shoot one of the big Weatherby Magnums?
Well, most shots on the big animals that necessitate the use of larger caliber cartridges (like cape buffalo) are taken at short range where the high velocity and flat shooting characteristics of the Weatherby Magnums aren't much of an advantage. In fact, the high velocity of these cartridges might even prove to be a disadvantage since extremely high impact velocities often result in bullet failure, erratic terminal performance, and excessive amounts of blood shot meat.
Cartridges like the .270, .300 and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum are all well suited for hunters who want a flat shooting cartridge for taking long range shots at animals like elk and pronghorn. If that's your cup of tea, then by all means use those cartridges when you go afield.
Even so, exercise caution when hunting (especially for dangerous game) with the big Weatherby Magnum cartridges. There are many other proven cartridges out there (like the .375 H&H, .416 Rigby and .458 Lott) that are both easier to handle and often more effective on the really big animals like buffalo and elephant.
Holland & Holland Double Rifle
Double-barreled firearms first became prevalent during the days of the muzzleloader. Having the ability to quickly fire two shots without going through the lengthy reloading process required of a muzzleloader was a great advantage for hunters.
Breech loading double rifles, especially those chambered in big bore cartridges like the .450/400 and .577 Black Powder and Nitro Express rounds, remained in widespread use during the late 1800s and early 1900s among hunters in India and Africa pursuing large species of dangerous game like tiger, buffalo and elephant.
These rifles really proved their worth during close-range encounters with these animals where having a nearly instantaneous follow-up shot could be the difference between life and death.
Holland & Holland rifles were (and still are) regarded as the the cream of the crop among double rifles. Known as the rifle equivalent of a Rolls Royce, they are fashionable and have historically been the most popular rifles used by the rich and famous. Frederick Selous, Theodore Roosevelt, and numerous members of the British Royal Family have used Holland & Holland double rifles on safari.
Holland & Holland advertises that all of their firearms are hand made by master gun makers and that 850 man-hours of work go into making each of their rifles in order to ensure that they are the finest guns that money can buy.
Their double rifles are also often custom made to the exact size specifications of the hunter who will be using them. This is to make sure that the rifle fits the shooter and points perfectly. For these reasons, Holland & Hollands are among the most reliable and "best-feeling" rifles available anywhere in the world.
That being said, Holland & Holland double rifles (really all doubles for that matter) have a few inherent disadvantages.
The first disadvantage is the rifle's small magazine capacity. Yes, double rifles allow the hunter to take a very fast follow-up shot. However, a well-trained hunter with a good quality bolt-action rifle can get off an aimed second shot nearly as fast as with a double rifle. Combine that with the fact that a modern bolt-action rifle can hold up to 5 big bore cartridges in the magazine, and a bolt-action rifle has a clear advantage if more than 2 shots are required.
The second disadvantage is that a double rifle is a specialized tool and, like any highly specialized tool, it struggles in applications outside of its intended use. No other rifle in the world can compare to a big bore double rifle when it comes to stopping large, dangerous game at close range. A good double is handy and points almost as well as a fine shotgun, which makes it ideal for stopping an angry buffalo or elephant at ranges measured in feet.
While it would be wrong to say double rifles are inaccurate, there are many other rifles that are much better choices than a double rifle for shooting at targets further away than 50-75 yards.
These rifles are also typically quite heavy, which is necessary to dampen the fierce recoil of really big cartridges like the .500 and .577 Nitro Express. This makes them much easier to shoot, but a 13-pound rifle is pretty darn heavy and will quickly wear down most hunters during the 10-20 miles of walking per day that may be necessary on an elephant hunt.
The other big disadvantage that's most apparent with Holland & Holland double rifles is they are incredibly expensive. Prices start around $100,000 and go up fast from there.
Sure, they're great guns, but a large portion of that cost is paying for the name "Holland & Holland."
Most hunters (myself included) have no problem paying extra for the quality that comes with a good brand name. However, I'm not convinced you're really getting enough extra performance in this case to justify the incredible cost of these rifles.
For instance, a CZ 550 Safari Magnum chambered in .458 Lott is a capable rifle at both short range and out to about 200 yards, is very reliable, holds six cartridges (five in the magazine and one in the chamber), weighs less than 10 pounds with a scope, is an excellent dangerous game-stopper, and can be purchased for less than $2,000. In many respects, it compares favorably to a 13-pound Holland & Holland double rifle that costs over 50 times as much.
Is paying that much more money for the Holland & Holland name on a rifle that is a slightly better short-range stopper and is extremely reliable, but worse in almost every other regard, really worth it?
For the vast majority of hunters, I would say no.
Even when talking about someone who often needs to deal with stopping a large and angry animal at close range, like a Professional Hunter guiding elephant and cape buffalo hunts in Africa, there are several other more reasonably priced double rifles that still perform very well at a fraction of the cost of a Holland & Holland.
For one thing, there comes a point where a rifle is just too valuable to take hunting for fear of damaging, destroying, or losing it somehow. You've got to have some serious money to drop $100,000-200,000 on a rifle and then take it on a hunt for dangerous game in the African bush.
After all, there is a reason why Professional Hunters that have double rifles normally use Merkel, Krieghoff, and Heym rifles instead of Holland & Hollands.
For that reason, the Holland & Holland double rifles are much better suited for a gun collection, for taking to the range, or even as an investment than for actually taking afield on a hunting expedition.
What do you think of our choices for the most overrated guns for hunting? Did we miss any?
HUNTING DEER IN THE WIND: UNDERSTANDING WIND, THERMAL AND WHITETAILS
by Todd AmEnrud
We’ve all heard statements like, “A whitetail ‘lives’ by its nose.” It’s true! To be able to identify another deer or the threat of a human or other predator from just a miniscule, molecular whiff of odor would probably make most humans freak out. The olfactory portion of a whitetail’s brain is said to be approximately 1,000 times larger than a human’s! That’s difficult for most humans to even comprehend.
So, knowing that a whitetail's number one guard is its extremely responsive sense of smell, it boggles my mind why some hunters don’t do more to contest it. Besides combating this olfactory offense by reducing odors on our person and eliminating scent-transfer, we also need to understand how whitetails use air currents to their advantage. This is one of the keys in predicting whitetail movement.
Most of my hunting companions know that I am more cautious about scent elimination than any other “three people combined.” Everything I bring into the whitetails' domain will be treated to destroy odors at the molecular level. I literally use gallons of Wildlife Research Center’s Scent Killer during the hunting season. We need to reduce any smells that we carry into their domain to a minimum, especially something as offensive to deer as human scent. Pay attention to odors on you, your clothing and equipment.
It is also important to pay heed to scent transfer, in other words, the odors you may be leaving behind. Aside from the previous step of reducing odors, rubber-bottomed boots will help when walking through their territory and rubber gloves or trapper’s gloves will help if you need to touch anything. To sum it up, try not to transmit odors to a spot where you think a deer will be able to smell it easily. It’s like you’re “pushing” odors into any object you touch.
In addition to reducing odors, we must learn how to play the wind and thermal currents. Basically, they're the means that carry smells to a whitetail. You have to know how to place yourself within their terrain so you can see them before they smell you. Moreover, understanding these currents is a key to comprehending deer movement.
Learning how air currents behave and travel will aid you
in predicting whitetail movements.
Obviously, we must estimate the wind effectively while we’re physically hunting, but learning how these currents work will assist you in forecasting which routes whitetails will use and when they will use them. Knowledge of how air currents act will significantly help you in calculating whitetail movements.
Air currents can be caused by the rotation of the earth, temperature variations, air pressure, weather changes, global shifts and a multitude of atmospheric and land based influences. Warmer air is less dense than cool air making it lighter. So if there is warm air under cool air, because of gravity the warm air rises. In the northern hemisphere, a high pressure system next to a low one causes wind direction to flow clockwise and outward. A low pressure system causes wind direction to flow counterclockwise and inward. All of these major airflow patterns can be affected by smaller influences like obstructions, topography and temperature variances.
Everybody knows what the wind is, but most whitetail hunters don't pay enough attention to thermal currents. The heating and cooling of the air makes it do some strange things. When various objects retain temperatures different than the air, this also makes the currents flow distinctively. In western states, because of the mountainous terrain, most veteran big game hunters are very familiar with thermal. However, it's extremely important in flat areas too.
It could be as simple as when you’re hunting a small clearing, when the sun comes up it shines on one side of the clearing first. The sun warms the air and the current rises on that side of the clearing before it does anywhere else. Or the opposite, if an area begins to shade and the air temperature starts to cool, the current may begin to draw to the ground.
Pay particular attention around water, rocks or anything that may retain a temperature different than the air. When the air temperatures differ, you'd be amazed at how your scent may be swirling around. Dark conifer trees are notorious for holding warm temperatures.
Physical barriers also have a huge impression on air currents. Tree lines, rock out-croppings, ridges, mountains or buildings obviously obstruct and influence currents. When this happens the air currents tend to move just like river currents where you may have eddies, dead spots or a whirlpool effect. If these barriers hold temperatures different from the air, this may also have an effect on how they flow. For instance, if the warm sun is shining on a dark, muddy swamp all day long—in the evening when things would normally cool and the air current descend, the warm air held by the dark swamp may still inspire an upward draft.
Firefly Electronic Wind Detector down to the seed hair
floss from a milkweed plant. A simple “dust puffer” like
this will do the trick. With down, small flecks of
unscented cotton or particles like these you can watch
the currents flow for some distance.
So how do you know what the air current will do? I believe this is where many mediocre hunters goof up. Some hunters find a spot where they have big buck sign everywhere, then they lick their fingers, stick them in the air and point downwind to the spot where they'll place their stand. Sometimes this might work, at least this hunter has realized to be fairly consistent we want to try and remain downwind or crosswind whenever possible. But often the sign you’re observing might have been made under totally different conditions than the wind blowing in that particular direction. A whitetail is NOT going to spend a great deal of time in an area where it can't use its nose efficiently. A deer may never use that trail or enter that area under the conditions you've set up on him for.
You can't set up downwind of an area and think "they won't smell me here," and expect to have regular success. First, you have to think about why and how a deer might use a given wind to their advantage in that specific area. I want the buck to think he has the advantage, so he needs to feel comfortable with the spot AND the conditions when I'm going to hunt the spot. Then, set up where I believe I can remain undetected from his nose.
My best advice is to get some type of simple wind detection device, dust puffer, down-patch or some unscented cotton. Dust particles or small flecks of down or cotton can be released into the air so we can observe the air currents. I used to release a tiny fluff of down from a patch taped to my bow, in addition, I had a string tied to a small feather also attached to my bow. The stationary string and feather will only tell you what the wind is doing at that single spot, but a dust puffer, down or something you can release into the air will flow for a distance allowing you to visualize the current. Once you can see the breeze, it really helps you to understand how the air currents actually travel and why heating and cooling needs to be factored in.
With a wind detection device you can actually see how your scent is being carried to a deer. With today’s modern technology, there are also tools like the Firefly Electronic Wind Detector that will tell you wind direction by electronic means. A good woodsman will also know of things that can be used in nature like the fluffy seed hair or “floss” from a milkweed plant or cattail duff. I prefer a down-patch or a dust puffer, this way I can watch the particles flow for some distance. Besides being great tools to physically play the wind, when you can actually see the air current flow for some expanse it really helps to teach you why, when and where deer will move.
Begin with a large regional review of wind direction and speed and then reduce it to your property, then to smaller sections like a valley, ridge or small woodlot and then to your specific ambush site. Start with the weather report on your local TV station or the Weather Channel. Then take an observation from a wind vane, flag or wave action on a body of water on your property. Finally, use your “duster,” down patch, milkweed hair or whatever means you choose to test and document the wind direction at your ambush site. Because of physical barriers, thermal influences or temperatures emanating from different sources, the actual air current may be flowing in a completely different direction than what was claimed on your local weather or what you saw based on observing your wind-vane or flag. Once you start cataloging this you’ll begin to know exactly what the air current is actually doing at your ambush site because of repetition and good record keeping.
exactly what the air current is actually doing at each of your
ambush sites which makes predicting deer movement much
easier.
Along with direction, wind “speed” can also be essential. A strong wind can nullify most thermal influence. Maybe you’re sophisticated in your record keeping and have an anemometer, which is basically an instrument to measure wind speed. I like to know and document a number of precise weather details. Whitetails are creatures of habit and will do things over again as long as the circumstances are remotely the same and the reward is still there. Knowing as many of these conditions as possible will help you in predicting whitetail movement.
For a property manager, understanding air currents can be a key to selecting successful ambush sites and achieving harvest goals. I suggest printing out several maps or satellite images of your property and map out air flow patterns during various times of the season. You should also fine-tune these charts after every time you hunt. Just because the Weather Channel says the wind will be blowing from the west, as an example, when you get to your hunting site it could seemingly be blowing from a completely different direction because of influences from thermal or physical obstructions. Document this so the next time the wind is said to be coming from a certain direction, you'll know what it's really doing at your hunting site.
Whitetails use the air currents to their advantage when they travel. So once you have an understanding of what the actual air currents will do under various conditions and different times of the year, and you put in some time observing whitetails with this known, now you can begin predicting deer movements much more efficiently. You start to understand why whitetails do what they do, and when they’ll do it.
Good record keeping is also a key. Whitetails are creatures of habit. Once you see them do something, for instance, use a certain trail from point A to point B, if conditions are remotely similar on a comparable day they will likely do the same thing again. It’s important to only put pressure on your ambush sites when the conditions are in your favor for success. They are creatures of habit, but their instinct for survival outweighs all else. If you intrude and they sense it, they will change something to avoid making contact with you. Don’t let them know you’re hunting them.
Playing the wind is important, but we must also understand how a whitetail uses the breeze and thermal currents to his advantage. When I first started hunting, my grandfather told me, "Deer always travel into the wind so they can smell what's up ahead of them." I'm sorry grandpa, but with the prevailing currents that we have in the United States eventually every deer would end upon the West Coast. The fact is, that whitetails travel with the wind, against the wind, and side-cut the wind - they still need to get from point A to point B regardless of the wind direction. They will take the route that gives them the best advantage to use the air currents and cover. Keep good records and watch the air currents, they will lead you to predicting whitetails much more accurately.
North country woodcock
hunting tactics
by Tony Peterson
Early grouse are tough, but if you mix up your routes to include some low ground you can work in woodcock as well. Oftentimes, this can be a hunt-saver.
My hunting partners and I never really consider woodcock and grouse hunting two different things when the season is open. We just work good cover for either and wait for the dogs to put flush something.
With the woodcock season coming in not long after the grouse opener, this isn’t a bad strategy. But, there’s also something else going on. Early grouse are tough, and we are more likely to hear a grouse flush than see it. This means that during the first part of the season, unless you’re running a good pointer, the odds of a flush turning into a little heft in your game bag aren’t great.
With woodcock, they’re better, however. Not only are they a great option for a young dog to cut his teeth on, but the are also a hunt-saver if you know how to deviate from a grouse plan a little bit.
We do this when the migration ramps up and the grouse hunting is tough. Oftentimes we’ll work stretches of high timber that feature patches of gray dogwood or other grouse food, and then we’ll swing down into the lower ground to see what the timberdoodle population is like.
Sometimes you find both species in the same cover, but oftentimes it’s a matter of adjusting your routes to cover some less grousy country in the hopes of having some of the slower, easier-to-see-and-shoot woodcock flush in range.
When the ruff flushes are few and far between, this is my strategy during every hunt for a couple of reasons: The first is that it’s more fun to have a few chances to actually shoot and to round up some dinner in the wild. The second is that it gets the dog a good chance to experience what you’re out there for so that they don’t lose interest.
If your grouse experiences are leaving you (and your dog) wanting a little more, take a look at some aerial photos of your hunting ground to identify low spots where higher ground meets lower edges. These are ideal for woodcock, and they can prove to be a hunt-saver.
1st time hosting Governor's Pheasant Opener, Walz bags a rooster
The 170 hunters who joined Gov. Tim Walz took a total of 44 roosters, including the governor’s bird. Credit: Governor's Office
In his first time hosting the Governor’s Pheasant Opener, Tim Walz bagged a rooster despite windy and wet conditions in Austin.
“This weekend was about conservation, community, and companionship,” said Walz, in a statement released by his office, “but I am proud to report I was able to bag a bird, which made the weekend even better.”
Saturday’s hunt was exclusively, or largely, on private land — a courtesy, by tradition, to avoid using up public grounds surrounding the host city, which this year was Austin.
Walz was joined by Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Explore Minnesota Director John Edman, members of Pheasants Forever, as well as local elected officials and Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm.
The 170 hunters who joined the governor took a total of 44 roosters, including the governor’s bird.
This was Walz’s first pheasant opener as governor. He’s previously attended as a guest of Gov. Mark Dayton, when Walz was a Congress member.
The DNR says the its annual survey indicates Minnesota’s pheasant population is down from last year, but birds are still abundant in some areas.
The Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener was established in 2011 to highlight Minnesota’s hunting heritage and the economic impact the sport makes across the state. Next year’s opener will take place in Fairmont.
20 Public Waterfowling Destinations for 2019-2020
Five unique public-hunting destinations in each flyway
Five Public Waterfowling Hotspots in the Atlantic Flyway
Photo © Michael Furtman
The Atlantic Flyway offers waterfowlers a diverse selection of species to hunt in a dizzying array of habitats. From big water to agricultural fields, hunters can pursue light geese, sea ducks, and everything in between. Whether you’re into dabblers, divers, or geese, the Atlantic Flyway offers them all on public hot spots like the ones listed below. Find your next Atlantic Flyway adventure.
Five Public Waterfowling Hotspots in the Mississippi Flyway
Photo © Michael Furtman
The Mississippi Flyway offers a wide variety of habitats for migrating and wintering waterfowl, and you can find an abundance of public waterfowling opportunities from north to south. Check out this list of five fantastic options for hunters looking to bag public-land ducks and geese this season. Find your next Mississippi Flyway adventure.
Five Public Waterfowling Hotspots in the Central Flyway
Photo © Michael Furtman
Millions of waterfowl funnel through the Central Flyway each fall, offering hunters a variety of opportunities to target ducks and geese. The quality of the hunting is some of the best that North America has to offer, and much of it can be found on public land. Following are five Central Flyway public hunting areas where you may want to find yourself this season. Find your next Central Flyway adventure.
Five Public Waterfowling Hotspots in the Pacific Flyway
Photo © Michael Furtman
The Pacific Flyway offers wide-open spaces for waterfowl hunters and boasts the longest duck seasons in the country. Habitats range from the salt marshes of the Pacific Northwest, across the expansive watersheds of the Columbia, Snake, and Sacramento Rivers, over high-desert playas and lakes, to the nation’s lowest-elevation hunting hot spot, the Salton Sea, which lies 226 feet below sea level. Here are five fantastic hunting destinations in this diverse flyway to help get your 2019–2020 waterfowl season started on the right foot. Find your next Pacific Flyway adventure.
