east central SD pheasant 10/17-10/18

[zdmiller]

Got out for opener, corn won't be down for a few more weeks. We limited both days. Saturday went quick, group was done fairly quickly, sunday went a little slower. The weather was fair both days. We hunted all public and CRP. We saw a lot of hens, more than usual, and less young of the year roosters than last year. We moved a good 400 or so birds both days, not what we hoped, numbers will be thinner from here on out until they knock some corn down. Expecting great things in Nov. and Dec.

me and birds

10/17 birds

[harvey lee]

Lokks like a great trip with all the corn still in. I agree our best hunting is yet to come.

[zdmiller]

Yes it was pretty good, been wet though so hopefully it stays dry a few weeks so they can get the corn out of there! I'll be going back second weekend of nov we'll see if they have anything knocked down by then, im suspecting they wont though. I might stick around in MN and wait for a later weekend if some of it isn't knocked down by then. There was variability of birds in between the areas I hunt out there, the populations seem decent all around but there are particular areas that definitely have more birds. A few of the public areas didn't hold birds that usually do, its definitely wetter than last year!

[gspman]

Nice! I'm planning to be between Faulkton and Gettysburg next weekend. Very excited to go. Planning and early Dec. trip to NE SD area too.

[zdmiller]

Where in the NE are you planning your dec. trip? You might be in the same general area as myself, could get you onto some land that hasn't been pushed relentlessly. We hunted CRP with a couple acre corn and milo food plots last year and the birds were amazing.

I'm not real sure what the birds are like out there by the river, my buddy that hunts out that way had to go to PA to visit his sister and his new niece, and wasn't out there yet. I am sure there are plenty of birds to be had out there though.

[gspman]

I'll be looking at survey counts etc. to determine where to go in Dec. Nothing firmed up yet.

[zdmiller]

Alright, well ill keep you all posted in a couple of weeks whats goin on over there. Not a ton of hunters in Dec, so if you want to get together let me know, have yet to leave the field with less than a limit in Dec.

Good luck out in Gettysburg area.

[delta dude]

Anyone ever hunted the Bonellia area?

[zdmiller]

I have not heard of Bonellia, what county is it in?

[Jarrod32]

Are you talking about Bonilla, south of Redfield/Tulare?

[delta dude]

Yes the Bonilla in Beadle county.

[zdmiller]

We were hunting out near Redfield, my dad is from Redfield, it's only 30 miles or so North of Bonilla so it is probably pretty similar to the hunting we had.

[Jarrod32]

I've been hunting north and west of there...did you have a particular question?

[delta dude]

Question I had about Bonilla is how much public land is there to hunt in the area? My father was born there and we had relitives who had farms there but have lost touch over the years. Just thought I may try to hunt the area my Father came from.

[BlueLundFishrman]

what's last name?

[delta dude]

His name was Howard Parkinson, His Fathers name was Ernest Parkinson

[Jarrod32]

Not a whole lot of public land in that area...you need to go west/northwest about an hour or an hour and a half to get a lot of public land. Should be good road hunting in that Bonilla area, though...at least, it will be once the crops come out. If you are out there later in the season, knock on some doors...you are likely to get permission to hunt someplace.