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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ 1st trip to South Dakota |
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Posted:
Wed Nov 05, 2014 7:01 am
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Member
Joined: 22 Feb 2010
Posts: 90
Location: western new york
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Made my first trip to South Dakota last week. Lots of fun, here are some pics
Emma, 16 ga Uggie
Emma working a bird
Uggie, purple hulls, limit of pheasants
Initially we were a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of the cover
Emma and one of the guide's dogs
OK, I took something like 100 pictures, may post a few more later.
Rob |
_________________ Rob Ogden |
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Posted:
Wed Nov 05, 2014 7:27 am
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Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1698
Location: Minnesota
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Rob, Which part of SD were you in? Whats your read on population levels? |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
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Posted:
Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:22 am
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Member
Joined: 22 Feb 2010
Posts: 90
Location: western new york
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We were in the Aberdeen area. I live in Western NY, and it was my first trip to SoDak, not sure what constitutes a lot of pheasants by South Dakota standards. Compared to Western NY, there were a bunch.
Here is a pic from my first day back to NY though
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_________________ Rob Ogden |
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Posted:
Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:28 am
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Member
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 328
Location: Idaho & South Dakota
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Good trip & nice photos. I leave Sunday to hunt SD for two weeks. One of my favorite annual events. |
_________________ "A gun should be a thing of beauty, something which gives its owner pride and pleasure. For that reason, most men will buy the best gun they can afford. With a good gun on his arm, a man becomes a sporting gentleman, both on the field and off." |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 1:13 am
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Member
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 404
Location: Westport Wa
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Wife and I did S Dakota and came to the conclusion that it is the same there as just about everywhere else. If you know someone that has property, have leased property, or pay to hunt on private land or 'club' there are plenty of birds. Not so much on public lands. Doubt we will go back. To say we were pretty disappointed would be an understatement. |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:11 am
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Member
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 749
Location: Kelso, Tennessee
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GWP wrote: |
Wife and I did S Dakota and came to the conclusion that it is the same there as just about everywhere else. If you know someone that has property, have leased property, or pay to hunt on private land or 'club' there are plenty of birds. Not so much on public lands. Doubt we will go back. To say we were pretty disappointed would be an understatement.
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Without a doubt things have changed in the last 25 years in South Dakota.Since so much private land has been leased up by commercial outfitters or farmers have figured out they can charge people to hunt their land, its put more pressure on public land. Reasonably accessible public lands are pretty shot up within the first two weeks of the season. Having said that, walking that extra mile nobody else wants to walk and doing your homework can still make it worth the trip,and waiting until the weather turns ugly and all of the standing corn and flowers are gone can really concentrate the birds and thin out the competition at the same time.But its not a place you can drive to,stop your truck,and step on a rooster.And you can spend a lot of time learning where the birds aren't. |
_________________ i reckon so. I guess we all died a little in that damn war. |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:27 am
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Member
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 404
Location: Westport Wa
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We are used to walking long distances and did our homework AND put in the walking time in S Dakota. Do the same here in Washington. We even prefer jump shooting doves in the sage to standing still and waiting for them to come to us.
We have done enough 'hunt clubs' (use them for training) to know what they are about. It is not just about bird numbers but working and watching the dogs.
That said, S Dakota was SUPPOSED to be amazing. Meh. |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:10 am
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2067
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
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Rob , MOO is another 2hrs west of there - 30 mi west of the missouri river . Had I had a close working dog , would have done much better . We had 3 dogs amongst us , 1 great and 2 not so much . Many birds crowing and not able to attack . The back of the ranch must have had 100 roosters , but not able to attack ! The limit on the rez is posted at 3/day , but it is really 5 which is the same for grouse . The REZ mosaic is sorta like trying to figure out the reg So. Dak landmap - kinda need a guide . Nick ! I also live in central NY ( Canandaigua) and I drive all over this part of the state - have seen 1 bird all yr . SoDak is a welcome change ! |
_________________ Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:36 am
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Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 1863
Location: Wisconsin
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I shouldn't let the secret out of the bag, but often the best times to hunt the Dakotas is when you see a hole in the weather opening up later or late into the season. You have to be flexible enough to travel at a weeks notice and have your homework done. competition will be scant, the locals have had enough by that time. You're looking for friendly farmers and public land that adjoins private farms and ranches. A satellite view can show you shelters out of sight of state and county roads. Any thick cover near grain farming operations that you can get access to, public or private, is where you want to be. The downside is that the birds can be so concentrated that you can limit in less than an hour, so combining these spots with working larger patches is a good way to go. Just post me on a flyway and I'll wail away at the ones who think they are getting away!
Reno |
_________________ If you speak ill of farmers, don't do it with your mouth full. |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:36 pm
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Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 591
Location: SoCal-FL- NYC
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GWP wrote: |
Wife and I did S Dakota and came to the conclusion that it is the same there as just about everywhere else. If you know someone that has property, have leased property, or pay to hunt on private land or 'club' there are plenty of birds. Not so much on public lands. Doubt we will go back. To say we were pretty disappointed would be an understatement.
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I just got back, and most of you know how I go every year. I hope that I never have to go back to sodak for the rest of my life. I'm done with that place. |
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