BayDog96
UAEC
Anyone made it out recently? Headed up the 22'nd-27'th myself, hunting public in the southeast part of the state.
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SODAK reports
- Thread starter BayDog96
- Start date
Gator89
Senior Member
I went opening weekend in the central part near Pierre. My buddy and I bagged 11 roosters in our three days.
At the time, no corn, milo or sunflowers had been harvested due to wet fields and high moisture in the crops.
Hope the farmers can get their crops harvested before winter sets in hard.
At the time, no corn, milo or sunflowers had been harvested due to wet fields and high moisture in the crops.
Hope the farmers can get their crops harvested before winter sets in hard.
BayDog96
UAEC
Glad to hear yall found some birds, agreed on the crops. We're staying in Mitchell and planning on hunting a tad north of there.
GAHUNTER60
Senior Member
We're leaving on the 22nd also. Flying to Omaha and driving to Chamberlain from there.
My understanding is the hunting is getting better as more and more crops are harvested. I know one thing, however. We can count on it being COLD!
My understanding is the hunting is getting better as more and more crops are harvested. I know one thing, however. We can count on it being COLD!
BayDog96
UAEC
Oh yes! Going to be a chilly one for sure. Can’t wait.
GAHUNTER60
Senior Member
Four days out from leaving, it really looks like we might have caught a break on the weather. Morning temps are supposed to be in the mid- to high 20s, Warming to the mid- to high 40s in the afternoon. Seeing as it's illegal to hunt pheasants before 10:00 a.m. in South Dakota, it ought to be downright balmy when when we hit the fields every morning!
There's ten of us, and this is the first wild pheasant hunt for each and every one. (We've all shot pen raised, put out birds, and haystack birds, which does not count as "pheasant hunting."
Starting to get excited!
There's ten of us, and this is the first wild pheasant hunt for each and every one. (We've all shot pen raised, put out birds, and haystack birds, which does not count as "pheasant hunting."
Starting to get excited!
trad bow
wooden stick slinging driveler
Hope y’all have a great hunt.
nrh0011
Senior Member
Should be about perfect pheasant hunting weather in my opinion. Good luck
Eroc33
Senior Member
How are yall doing so far? Are the crops out of the fields? I will be there the first week of December.
GAHUNTER60
Senior Member
Got back last night. I'd say that about 75 percent of the corn had been harvested, with a little more being combined every day. It's hard to believe just how wet it has been out there this fall.
Our group of ten ended up with our limit every day, bringing home a total of 90 roosters. It was NOT an easy hunt, however. We worked our rear ends off and had to scramble to get our numbers (which makes, me at least, appreciate our guide and landowners' efforts all the more). We killed almost as many birds off the county road "ditches" as we did in the fields, which is perfectly legal in South Dakota.
One of the things that really amazed me is how hard to hit these lumbering, turkey-sized, squawking, birds are once they get up a head of steam. The local farm supply store (Bomgaar's) loved us, as we streamed in every morning to replenish our shotgun shell supply. I never dreamed it would take me almost as many shells to kill a limit (3) of pheasant as if does to kill a limit of doves! I'm sorry to say we did not represent Georgia very well, in terms of marksmanship.
I promised our guide and we'd do better next year!
Our group of ten ended up with our limit every day, bringing home a total of 90 roosters. It was NOT an easy hunt, however. We worked our rear ends off and had to scramble to get our numbers (which makes, me at least, appreciate our guide and landowners' efforts all the more). We killed almost as many birds off the county road "ditches" as we did in the fields, which is perfectly legal in South Dakota.
One of the things that really amazed me is how hard to hit these lumbering, turkey-sized, squawking, birds are once they get up a head of steam. The local farm supply store (Bomgaar's) loved us, as we streamed in every morning to replenish our shotgun shell supply. I never dreamed it would take me almost as many shells to kill a limit (3) of pheasant as if does to kill a limit of doves! I'm sorry to say we did not represent Georgia very well, in terms of marksmanship.
I promised our guide and we'd do better next year!
ddavis1120
Senior Member
Sounds like you had a good time. Not that I'm a master by any means but you have to hit them before they get up and turn their rear towards you. Couple of ounces of lead in the back side doesn't slow them down.
How was the drive to and from Omaha? We are trying that instead of Sioux Falls this year.
How was the drive to and from Omaha? We are trying that instead of Sioux Falls this year.
GAHUNTER60
Senior Member
It's farther, to be sure, but we took the early flight that arrived in Omaha a t around 9:30 a.m. It's an easy drive from there to Chamberlain. We stopped at the Mitchell Cabelas, bought ammo and licenses and arrived at the Americinn in Chamberlain before 3:30.
i personally enjoyed the drive over, as I'm not used to seeing 350-pound dead deer in the highway in Georgia or 300-mile-long corn fields (at least that's what it felt like)! Coming back to Omaha was a little more challenging, as we met the guide at his house in Ocoma before 5:00 a.m. to pick up our dressed and frozen birds, and then boogied on to Omaha for a 1:00 flight with a snow storm on our rear end. We made it with plenty of time to spare, however.
i personally enjoyed the drive over, as I'm not used to seeing 350-pound dead deer in the highway in Georgia or 300-mile-long corn fields (at least that's what it felt like)! Coming back to Omaha was a little more challenging, as we met the guide at his house in Ocoma before 5:00 a.m. to pick up our dressed and frozen birds, and then boogied on to Omaha for a 1:00 flight with a snow storm on our rear end. We made it with plenty of time to spare, however.
BayDog96
UAEC
Just getting back into Georgia today(the snow made for some awesome hunting, but horrible travel!) We had a great time. Around Mitchell we didn’t see much crops remaining in the fields. Hunted about 50% CREP, 35% WPA, and 15% ditches. We limited out 3/4 days with our first day being a big learning experience(partially frozen cattail sloughs are difficult!). We had multiple big flushes of 5-10 birds together in the cattails. We ended with a fun hunt in the slow, culminating in a windrow on a CREP property where we saw 50+ birds in mere minutes. For 2 first time pheasant dogs and 3 first time pheasant hunters, we were very happy with how it turned out.
Eroc33
Senior Member
Thanks for the updates, looks like great trips. I was really looking forward to going, but my dog had stomach surgery yesterday so, ill have to wait for next year.
GAHUNTER60
Senior Member
If you heard about the plane crash last Saturday in Chamberlain, it was an extended family group of pheasant hunters on their way home from a holiday hunt. Nine members of the group died in the crash; three survived. They took off in what is being described as winter storm conditions from Chamberlain airport.
Odds are they may have been staying at our hotel in Chamberlain, which was occupied by both deer and pheasant hunters during our trip.
Prayers for the victims and their families seems like a trite thing to say, but are offered anyway.
Odds are they may have been staying at our hotel in Chamberlain, which was occupied by both deer and pheasant hunters during our trip.
Prayers for the victims and their families seems like a trite thing to say, but are offered anyway.
ddavis1120
Senior Member
I heard they were at Thunderstick Lodge. You probably saw some of their trucks around. I also heard everyone told them NOT to leave during the storm to no avail (supposedly blizzard or near blizzard conditions).
Prayers to the victims and their families! Hindsight is 20/20 but snow, ice and wind do not mix well with any airplanes much less a small single engine one. Again, prayers to the families and everyone be safe in their out of state travels. We're all in a hurry but a tragedy like this puts things into perspective.
Prayers to the victims and their families! Hindsight is 20/20 but snow, ice and wind do not mix well with any airplanes much less a small single engine one. Again, prayers to the families and everyone be safe in their out of state travels. We're all in a hurry but a tragedy like this puts things into perspective.
ddavis1120
Senior Member
Got back into town last week. Had a really good time. There was a lot of snow on the ground which made the hunting tuff. It did warm up so the second and third days were much better. The first day we plodded in drifts that were knee to waist deep. Even the dogs were whooped!
