When she goes to southwestern Minnesota to hunt pheasants, Duluth's Debbie Waters usually hunts public land. She carries the "All-Outdoors Atlas" by Sportsman's Connection, which includes large-scale maps showing public lands and habitat types. W...
Remmi, Debbie Waters' Gordon setter, covers a lot of ground during a southwestern Minnesota pheasant hunt. Remmi wears booties that Waters makes to keep snow from coagulating in the fur between his pads. (Sam Cook / scook@duluthnews.com)
When she goes to southwestern Minnesota to hunt pheasants, Duluth's Debbie Waters usually hunts public land. She carries the "All-Outdoors Atlas" by Sportsman's Connection, which includes large-scale maps showing public lands and habitat types. Waters also has printed out and put in a binder of aerial photos of the public lands she plans to hunt.
Late-season pheasant hunting in Minnesota requires a complete assortment of clothing options. Wind protection can be vital, and a lightweight wind shell in blaze orange is handy. Keeping hands, feet and ears warm always is a challenge. Insulated boots are a good option, but they need to be light enough for laborious tromping through heavy grasses and cattails. Julie O'Connor, who hunts with Waters, has knit blaze-orange stocking caps with a hole in the back for pony tails to poke through. The women used a combination of stocking caps, regular caps and head bands depending on conditions. Gloves must be as warm as possible, but the shooting finger must allow dexterity for operating a safety and trigger.
Waters makes her own dog booties for Remmi, her Gordon setter. She uses them only when there is snow on the ground, to keep the snow from balling up between his pads. She sews the booties with one layer of Polar fleece and an outer layer of Cordura nylon. They secure to Remmi's feet with hook-and-loop closures. The key is getting just the right fit. Usually, one set of booties lasts Remmi an entire season, Waters said.
Waters and O'Connor stay in a motel room with a microwave and a small refrigerator. They bring along a mini-crockpot to heat up pre-made soups at lunch and dinners such as barbecued pulled venison, chili and Indian dishes.
Because most creeks and sloughs are frozen this time of year, Waters carries in her hunting vest an athletic-style water bottle to rehydrate Remmi in the field, squeezing a stream of water into his mouth. Most hunting dogs will learn to drink from such a water bottle. The alternative is to pour water into a collapsible fabric dog dish or even a zip-top bag.
