I am heading out to SW MN on Friday. Taking my 8 month old lab. We have been out a lot this year on public land with no luck. I hope to change that this week. My grandpa lives in Tyler, MN. It is about 20 miles NE of Marshall. Has anyone heard how the bird numbers have been out there this year? I am sure better than around the cities. I have been reading a lot of posts and it sounds like most guys are seeing a lot of birds now. I hunted the Faribault WMA on Sunday morning and saw 10 roosters fly from the public ditch across the road to the private land. Frustrating! Any info about the Tyler, MN area would be appreciated. Good luck this weekend. I am sure a lot of guys will be out with the short work week!

Who is your Grandpa? But, Tyler is 20 miles "Souhtwest" of Marshall
I have not heard much about the bird numbers recently, last I heard the corn / crops were pretty much done.
So this should make it huntable, Do you have private land available to you??

Good Luck...

You are right, I meant SW. My grandpa is Don Nelson. Has lived in Tyler his whole life. Are you from there? I do have access to a private farm. Have not hunted it before. I suspect it will be mostly ditch hunting. I see there are a lot of WMAs around Tyler. I wonder if they get pounded pretty hard. Any places you would suggest to try if you know the area? Taking my 8 month old British Lab.

Don't overlook any hairy waterway running between crop fields. Corn or beans. It will be ten times easier to cover than a giant cattail patch on a WMA especially with an 8 month old pup. We are shooting birds out of those places consistently.

So, I am assuming you are talking about on private land? I hunted similar areas out by Willmar on a farm and got 8 birds up with my then 7 motnh old pup. I think that is beat. They don't have this type of thing on most WMAs, do they? Glad to hear you are shooting some birds. Thanks for the info.

a lot of birds around the marshall area now since the corn has been out. Be sure to play the wind to avoid spooking the birds and you will do fine. Good luck!

We might cross paths. I will also be heading out that direction as well on Friday. It'll be my older son, a friend, myself, and my 2 dogs. We'll be heading out as far as Ivanhoe.

That's funny. My cousin is dating a girl from there. Never thought I would hear that town again.

Highway 23 runs at a 45 degree angle from Marshal to Pipestone. RTR, Russle, Tyler, Ruthton are the whisle stops. This is some of the best hunting in the state. Many WMA's in Murray and Lyon counties. This area gets pounded on the weekends, but during the week it gets lonely.

Our farm is on the Pipestone Murray co border, and there are many areas near us that produce all year. I like the Ghermstad/Current lake area south of Tyler on 91.

Lyon county has one of the most active PF chapters and many of their WMA have been upgraded with native prairie and hedgerows. Murray is full of neglected WMAs, but almost everyone has a wetland full of cattails. Sometimes that is all they have. Lake Benton straight west of Marshal is a great place to base out of, but I have friends that stay in Tyler for a cheap stay.

You should do fine. Hans

There are no birds in SW MN!

Seriously, stick to the sloughs or other thick cover like native grasses and you shouldn't be dissappointed. We had some snow a few weeks back closer to the SD border in NW Lincoln and Western Yellow Medicine County. Lots of the native grass fields got flattened, but they are starting to bounce back a bit since most of the snow is gone.

Not as much snow near Marshall. Your best bet is to avoid weekends if at all possible if you are going to hunt public land as Hans mentioned.

I can attest to the cattail sloughs. The birds were holding tight in there last week.

Biff Tannen
whats the name from Ivanhoe?

The name is Ashley Steffes

Snow gone? I do not thinks so

Just got back from marshall, saw about 40 hens, and put down two roosters, all in the cattails.