pheasant hunts

[ghillie]

Anyone hunt SD for roosters??  Is there public that out-of-staters can stomp around??  Or is it better to be with an outfit??  Once again my outlook for Iowa roosters is dismal...

I would really like to get the dog on birds this year and I think a trip is the only way it's gonna get done.

I prolly walked 200 miles last fall here and we never even saw a rooster...just two hens the entire season...

thanks for any info...

[LX_Trkyhntr]

I would love to hunt SD some day, but haven't had the chance yet.  We always go to KS, they have lots of public land and you can get your dogs on some birds out there!! 

Good luck

[ghillie]

Thanks for the info...deffinately will be heading west...SD or KS,  either will be fine...not looking for any honey holes just curious if there is public that I can drive to and run the dog through...

[Turkey Trot]

You can write KS or SD and get a map of public lands.  SD has quite a bit.  However, SD has some restrictions on lead.  I haven't hunted SD public lands in a while, and what I did back was coincidentally waterfowl production land with sizable lakes.  You'll need to look at that.  I would not go to the public lands the first week, it's overrun with people and hunting does not start til noon.  It starts at 10 am the second week.

Kansas has more public land and allows hunting from daylight to sunset.  Sometimes, being able to get out there at daylight and hunt before the wind really starts kicking is an advantage.  It also has a limit of 5 birds vs. 3 in SD, and the chance of some quail was good in the past.  A lot are saying that the dry weather has hurt them.  SD has public ownership of ditches by the road, which is good pheasant cover.  SD farmers tend to leave more edge and they strip crops.  In KS, things tend to be cut cleaner and they plant between the utility poles, they don't leave any crop strips unless its for their family hunting or a lease.  They use pivot irrigation rigs, and that leaves some "corners" outside the circle.  Also, birds tend to congregate around irrigation rigs in the WIHA grass, which are occasionally found in WIHA apparently due to rotation of the patch out of cultivation.  With grain prices being as high as they are and have been, you may not find many of them now.   

If you go out to KS, you really need a long day dedicated to scouting and perhaps knocking on doors.  You should find the different types of cover that you may need for the predicted weather conditions.  For example, if you find some trees in the grass on WIHA land, that is where you want to go on a windy morning.  Some of those public areas have ponds, stands of woods, and thick cattail sloughs.  I've been with people that insist on hunting from minute one and those patient enough to scout, and I prefer scouting first and hunting second.  Moreover, if you are from farm country, you're probably more likely to get permission from farmers for private land.

People in SD have a bad perception of Minnesota hunters, so make sure they know you're not from MN.

ND is not a bad choice either, one can get an out of state waterfowl license there much easier than in SD.  Western ND and eastern MT have been hit with really hard winters and wet springs, and bird numbers were off last season and will likely be worse this season.   

[ghillie]

Excellent report!!  thank you sir...

Was chasin gobblers this last spring in both SD and KS...already have a KS license...will have to check out the WIHA's...are they the same for roosters that it was for gobblers??

Do you know if can you chase roosters on tribal ground in SD??

[Turkey Trot]

One can hunt pheasants on the reservation, but that's another layer of rules and expense.

[bird]

One can hunt pheasants on the reservation, but that's another layer of rules and expense.

Depending on the reservation, only if you hire a guide.

[Old Gobbler]

"Jimbob" here , A long time close friend of mine....his father runs a top of the line Pheasant hunting operations in SD and Nebraska - last time we talked I was under the impression it was $800 a day but found out it was more ! This is a all out operation , no expense sparred , year round pheasant habitat program , they kill thousands and thousands of pheasants yearly -

It cost big bucks but if your really into that Pheasants  shoot me a PM and I will forward your contact information to him so you guys can discuss details and see if they have any openings

[stinkpickle]

...already have a KS license...will have to check out the WIHA's...are they the same for roosters that it was for gobblers??...

I think the WIHA properties change a little bit between the seasons, so it's a good idea to get an updated map.  I think the maps are available online, too.

[gotcha]

Contact the Chamber of Commerce in Winner SD.They have a listing of landowners/farmers in the area,game available,kennels,etc.Many landowners allow hunting for a small fee plus many will put you and your dogs up.I was very surprised on the list the chamber had available.I assume alot of smaller rural towns there offer this info,also check around Gregory.Be prepared to see a pile of Merriams as well.

[bird]

Sssshhhhhhhhh...... You guys offer way too much info sometimes.