16ga.com ~ View topic - south dakota pheasant lodge recommnedations

Looking for south dakota pheasant lodge recommendations? thanks, George

What are your expectations? As in most things lodges are different with some providing three meals, guides dogs and transportation. Others offer sleeping and gathering quarters only and access to quality habitat.

Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 310

That can get expensive... what's your budget?

It's expensive, but Thunderstik is hard to beat. Nice facilities, guides and great hunting:

http://www.thunderstik.com/

Another one I've heard good things about but never been there is K&M, which I think is a bit less expensive but still a pretty penny:

http://www.huntkandm.com/default.htm

That being said, you can always go self-guided. We've paid a guy for exclusive use of his land near Gettysburg ("Where the Battle Wasn't") and stayed in the local motel, and had great experiences without paying for all of the lodge amenities or guides.

Full service facility is preferred. Lodging,meals, shooting range. Hunting from lodge without having to drive to hunt area. Wild birds only. Nice accommodations.

Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 310

Big Spur Lodge www.bigspur.com PH 605-724-2358

I'm taking to Antler Ridge, Big Spur, and Buffalo Butte. Cheyenne Ridge and Thuderstick seem pricy at $3000 for a three day hunt. I prefer to hunt wild birds and I think the latter two are preserves as well. Any references on these places appreciated. George

Member Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 1863 Location: Wisconsin

Studdog,

You need to Moo, as in Moo Dairy Ranch. It's not fancy, but it's what bird hunting is all about. Great sharptail and chinese chicken hunting with 16 ga. guys like yourself. If you feel the need to spend lots of money hunting with snooty, overeducated blue-blood wannabees, cure yourself, save your money, or send the money to me.

Deerhunter, want to weigh in on this one?

Reno

reno - you're NOT supposed to let the cat out of the bag ! The 1st trip out , got to see lots of country and try lots of techniques . Cozy little cabins with the loudest snorrer in the midwest . Way too much food . Lotsa great company . Many birds in some places . Know some guys who went farthur south , they got a few more birds and spent more money ... when the opp came to go out the 2nd time , went thru all kindsa hoops to get there . Fortunately , wifey is a former L-D-T and likes driving , so we rented up again and took off - last minute . Both times were GREAT ... If you go this route though , get on a treadmill and only put it on fast . Dave and Nick are tough to keep up with and there may not be landmarks where they lose you ! (still thinkin walleyes too , Dave)

Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 477

Most of the lodges in SD are preserves. Don't confuse it with put and take shooting for poultry. The lodges are required to relsease birds to cover the number that are taken. They don't throw them out the morrning of a hunt. Its a paperwork thing that requires so many birds to have been put back based on the number recorded as taken over the course of a season. I've neer been able to tell which of the SOBs bustin out might have spent some time in a cage. Iwouldn't shoot a place that looked like planted birds.
We usually go to Circle H Ranch in Gregory. Nice facilities, good people, full service. Its not gourmet cuisine, just home cookin' done by local farm ladies. We pay about $1850 for a three day hunt.
I also like it because they only hunt small groups of 5-7 or so. None of this 18 guys lining up and everybody blasting at anything that gets up. Small parties only way to go.

www.circlehranch.com

Moo dairy, Wild birds. 3 days. Less than a couple hundred bucks all told.

Bill& Dave. How many trips can be made for a couple grand?

Not much to think about here is it? Real wild birds- -----(planted birds)
I certainly WILL NOT Drive nearly a thousand miles to shoot a pen raised bird.

Wild Birds for me.

Best regards. , Nick

Nick , I agree - Moo Dairy is the bomb for birds . 3 things about it and this isn't to discourage ... Peach could use a helper . Wish i could bring a bird dog - you are right that the area size will overwhelm a dog into behaving ...One really needs a guide like yourself for at least the 1st trip as it's tricky to know where you are and it's ok ... The 3rd is the same whether I go moo or elsewhere out there - it's 240 gallons of gas and about 250 for a rental to get there . The ranch is WAY cheap for accomodations - it's just getting there - already saving ! Of course , carpooling would help ! Also note : Bison are right across the street - not sure if TRED BARTA'S young buddy didn't film his bison there ... We saw some pretty good deer there , so there's a lot more than just birds too !

I have to say that Ron Borko and I had "luxury" accommodations at Moo Dairy Ranch when we hunted with Nick and Eddie 2 years ago. Nick must have felt sorry for us "old guys" because he reserved the house trailer for us.

Also, hunting on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, the limit is 5 birds per day. Pheasant and grouse permits must be purchased from the Reservation, but a non-resident state license is not required.

I have been invited to go pheasant hunting (no sharpies) with my nephew at Outdoor Obsessions near Downs, KS in November (Limit is 4 birds in KS). Otherwise, I'd asking Nick if I could join him, Deerhunter and Two Pipe Shoot at Moo Dairy this year. Maybe in 2012?

Member Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 1863 Location: Wisconsin

Dave's 80 miles away from Moo, and he just bought a 15-passenger van to pull a camper. He thinks he can tote a pile of hunters (sans mutts) for some hunts this fall, maybe even from the airport in Bismarck.

Just a thought for you out-of-towners. Could be a plan...

Reno

Member Joined: 12 Mar 2010 Posts: 76 Location: NE MA

My hunting buddies have been returning to this place for awhile, even though I have not able to make with the trip with them yet. They have been very happy with it - it is a family run outfit in Miller SD and costs about $1500 for three days of hunting

http://www.dakotaexpeditions.com