Pheasant hunt planning in the Mecca

BPKHunter

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As things start slowing down here I am thinking next year I may need to make a maiden trip to S Dakota with a few buddies.

Any tips?

I have no leads at all on properties. I do have dogs.
 
Used to go with my Dad to the Aberdeen area many years ago, '95 might have been the last year? then we started going to North Dakota. Last year was when SD started the NR war.
may have changed a lot since then but we used to camp in town at some old lot for free. Was filled with many other hunters who did the same in the pickup campers, tents etc...
Then we mostly just hunted ditches, we did knock on a few doors and shared venison with those couple that let us hunt pheasants.
Was a great time out there.

ND was fun too, we hunted ducks/geese along with pheasants there. It was cheaper back then but also if property wasn't posted, then you were allowed to hunt. Made it easier for a NR who drove many hours there to hunt. Again may have changed by now that was late '90s.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Yea it's changed alright and not for the better. In my opinion, SD has always been a pay to play place for pheasant hunting. If you like paying to hunt and walking in lines with 12 other yahoos then SD is for you. Sure theres a few public places but you know how public places can be. Now with the loss of over a million acres of CRP between North and South Dakotas and the oil BS taking 10s of thousands of more acres out of the game hunting spots are at a premium. If you're dead set on SD, I've done good just hunting around reservoirs. Also the Indian reservations allow hunting, I've never done it but that's an option too.

In my experience, if your looking to just go and knock on doors to get permission then ND was a friendlier place for that, just stay out of the south west corner of the state, it's much like SD there.

Also in western ND is the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Its a beautiful place and holds birds. Pheasants, sharptails and Huns. It's worth checking out.
 
While I'm generally a DIY guy, I am at a point in my life where I can and am willing to pay a reasonable fee if anyone is willing to PM me on some places to start from that perspective I would greatly appreciate that.

That said, the idea of a place that has Pheasants, Sharptails, and Huns sounds good too. My dogs are very familiar with Huns. I'll check out the LMNG.
 
Get on line and find the public land map on the SD GFP site. there are enough areas to keep a dog man happy. You can also find some trespass or lease deals with a little effort. Stay away from the large commercial operations if you want to work your dogs. They like large groups for large drives. They shoot lots of birds but not for everybody, including me.

And my very best advise for a DIY hunter is to avoid the first two weeks.
 
I went and hunted pheasant in Kansas this year and it was fantastic. I did go through a lodge and they made it even better. The lodge you stay in is nice they provide all the food and drinks you want and the hunting was awesome. You can bring your own dogs or use theirs. I highly recommend them. http://www.uplandinnhunts.com/
 
I go back every year and hunt SD, Can't beat it. We always have a great time. First week or so of Nov.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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If you are coming to Kansas, I would definitely recommend hooking up with a lodge, numbers are still way down and nothing close to SD.

Rut
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-12-16 AT 07:30PM (MST)[p]Bpkhunter you gather any info on pheasants in sd yet? What state you live in?
 
Highest population of birds is around Mitchell, Chamberlin, and James River area.But those areas are hard to get any land to hunt with out kicking in big dollars per day hunts.
Good hunting Between Huron, Aberdeen, Watertown, Mobridge, Brooking, Pierre.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 

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