SD Pheasant

[BSLNORTH]

Has anyone heard reports for pheasants in SD. I will be heading out for opener this year...Aberdeen area. Cant wait, hopefully some corn will be out.

[leechlake]

bird numbers are up however that's from the low numbers the last two years. Some areas are up over 100%, if I recall the report I saw in the last month the Aberdeen area was up 35-45%? We hunt south of there and I think I saw Brown County as about that number.

I talked to the farmer we hunt with the other day and from what he's seen the bird numbers are pretty good and he's got high standards. Should be a good year, but in my mind So Dak is almost always great. Frankly, the guys I hunt with and I would rather work for our birds than be done in 45 minutes, gives the dogs more work and it's more fun for us too.

[rundrave]

Bird numbers are up, but still about 50% less than the 10yr average.

If I was spending the $$$ for a non resident license this year, I know I wouldn't be using my first 5 days for opening weekend.

They are just starting to harvest beans, unless we get some hard frost or weather to start drying fields out its gonna be a while before any corn comes out.

I have family commitments this weekend but took Monday off to go out for the last day of our resident opener

[carpshooterdeluxe]

A few guys are going on corn, most just getting rolling on beans though. Throughout all the scouting I've done for ducks and geese this fall I've seen very few broods on the roadsides. My buddy has trucked 7 loads of roosters out to lodges in SD from MN so far with 14 more loads to go...so the pay to play boys will see plenty of "wild pheasants." just like always.

[BSLNORTH]

I hunt private land from family farm....no worries about not filling out but just wondering how long it will take before we get our daily limit of 60 roosters. It is nice to actually hunt a few hours versus 1 hour. I too enjoy actually hunting for them and working for them!

[TylerS]

Corn hasn't even started getting combined in the Dakotas. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[CaptainMusky]

Daily limit of 60 roosters, that's quite an army to hunt with.

[creepworm]

Corn hasn't even started getting combined in the Dakotas. I wouldn't hold my breath.

This is not correct. Not a ton of corn harvested, but there is some. I am hearing some corn is down around 20-22% right now. Of course there is some that dodged the frost that is not even at black layer yet.

Basically some corn is harvested, most is not. And I expect a very long drawn out corn harvest this year with the variable crops.

[BSLNORTH]

Daily limit of 60 roosters, that's quite an army to hunt with.

When we are hunting 1000's acres and huge corn fields, and CRP, it's nice to have a lot of people.(20) Cousins, uncles...etc

[CaptainMusky]

When we are hunting 1000's acres and huge corn fields, and CRP, it's nice to have a lot of people.(20) Cousins, uncles...etc

That is something that would be fun to experience one day. Even as a casual observer. I have seen shows where they have tons of people, but never witnessed it in person.

[BSLNORTH]

Yes, its pretty amazing when there are 100's birds flying inf the air and your just trying not to shoot a hen.

[rundrave]

I have seen shows where they have tons of people, but never witnessed it in person.

Its sad what I see is portrayed as pheasant hunting on TV these days. Intentionally stripped out land, finely groomed easy walking lanes, birds that get up at your feet only to land 30 yards away and sit right back down again, watching an army walk down row after row of crops.

I prefer hunts where the dogs out number the shooters and the birds actually give you a challenge, and the dogs and I can barely get back up into the truck at the end of the day. Too each there own

I cant wait to play a game of chess with some wild roosters this weekend! Its almost time.....

[reddog]

[BSLNORTH]

We have plenty of dogs, and its work! We are spread out and many birds get by us.

[BSLNORTH]

Another amazing SD pheasant hunt! We got our limit..60 saturday by 3:00, another 30 sunday, only hunted a couple hours on sunday. Lots of corn still standing but some was cut. Plenty of birds out there and there still is, as we had our share of misses!

Overall, amazing hunt and looking forward to heading back after deer season.

[FishHawk11]

Ended with 87 for the 4 days with 12 guys. Lots of corn standing, lots of wind blowing. High temps. We took it easy for our sake as well as the dogs. We were all pleased. Our area(Platte) was down from previous year, due to lack of water. When we found water we found birds.

[BLACKJACK]

Our hunt SW of Aberdeen was about the same, hot and lots of corn. Was 76 one day, 84 another, we'd hunt a spot, then go dunk the dogs in a stock pond, hunt, find a pond, we still ended up taking a break so we didn't kill any dogs and then doing the sunset hunt. Hunt started out good where the crops were out but after a few days they were all in the corn. We did see lots of birds which bodes well for our Nov. hunt, by then the corn will be out, can't wait!!

[ClownColor]

Talked with a farmer this weekend and he said in two weeks all the corn should be down. They were moving fast on some fields near us and it made a huge difference almost every day when more and more corn was down. Still plenty of action even on land surronded by high corn...but the whole time I was thinking what it would be like when it's down!

[Bureaucrat]

It shouldn't be long now. A week or so ago, corn had hardly started. As of a few days ago, the combines are rolling full speed.

[rundrave]

North and West of Huron in Beadle County into Hand county very little corn left. Go East of there towards Lake Thompson to Brooking still lots of corn in as of last night.

I found some birds over the last 3 days but had to work hard for them. Windy made it very difficult on Saturday. Talk to some non-res hunters this weekend didn't sound like many guys were having great luck hunting public land.

[BLACKJACK]

Did SoDak get enough rain in the last several days to slow down the corn harvest or is it going full blast yet?? Especially west of Redfield...

[rundrave]

Did SoDak get enough rain in the last several days to slow down the corn harvest or is it going full blast yet?? Especially west of Redfield...

looks like most places got less that .10 of an inch of rain. as dry as things were already I doubt that will make any impact to slow down harvest. There is a 40% chance of rain though for tomorrow.

I was just up that way this weekend and there was very little crops still in when I was west of 281 into Hand County etc

[creepworm]

I don't bird hunt real often but talking to some folks in this area (Yankton and Bon Home Counties), the ones actually getting out of their pickup and walking land are seeing birds. Not epic amounts but with a little work they are getting limits. The guys that load their dogs in the back, put on a blaze orange cap, and drive around for hours and call it hunting are struggling to find birds.

[rundrave]

I don't bird hunt real often but talking to some folks in this area (Yankton and Bon Home Counties), the ones actually getting out of their pickup and walking land are seeing birds.

Funny you mention that, I honestly felt I had more bird encounters hunting Turner county with crops still in a couple weeks ago than I did in Beadle, and Hand counties this last weekend with very little crops in.