South Dakota Pheasant Hunt...

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I am considering heading to SD for a pheasant hunt after the election and subsequent riots in November ;) . Anyone has done this hunt before? If so, any advice? I figure it would be a good opportunity to bloody the pair of Grulla SxS guns I had recently acquired. Here is the outfit I am considering.

 
I've hunted pheasant in SD in Nov, and love it. The weather could be in the 50s or in the teens with winds blowing 30-40 MPH. I've hunted the area of Winner, which is in Tripp County. Great pheasant population. I was supposed to go this year, but didn't draw a deer tag, so I'm staying local.
 
Looks like a great place with a comfortable lodge. Hope you go and enjoy the hunt. I will be Sandhills crane and waterfowl hunting in ND near Canadian border the second week of October.
 
...The weather could be in the 50s or in the teens with winds blowing 30-40 MPH...

Yeah, I will need to do a bit of shopping for appropriate clothing. Don't think my Africa gear will cut it. ;)
 
Looks like a nice place to hunt and you are hunting wild birds vs pen raised birds. Yeah, you may need something a bit warmer, but then who knows how the weather will be
 
Bird populations can vary a lot from year to year. Might call the fish and game and ask about the population in the part of the state you're thinking of hunting. I used to go to ND for Pheasants. Depends a lot on how that years hatch went. Will make a difference in how hard you have to hunt, if that matters.
Our Sharptails had a good hatch and we have a lot of birds around this year so could be the same a little to the east of me..... Have fun!
Bruce
 
Bird populations can vary a lot from year to year. Might call the fish and game and ask about the population in the part of the state you're thinking of hunting...

I did check. It is supposed to be very good this year.
 
Birds are supposed to be excellent this year, there is talk of extending the season into Jan. It will be too cold for me in Jan. LOL.
 
Ask what type of hunt it will be. Some outfits want the max no of hunters in a drive/block which means they will mix you in with others. Not my thing. I like to follow good dogs through the fields with one or two friends.
 
Well, I won't have any friends with me so there will be a group of other people that have booked the same days, but the place seems to have plenty of good dogs based on videos and references.
 
Ask what type of hunt it will be. Some outfits want the max no of hunters in a drive/block which means they will mix you in with others. Not my thing. I like to follow good dogs through the fields with one or two friends.
Walked up pheasant with strangers ? No Way ! In God I trust and never a stranger with a shotgun.
 
Dick Cheney might be coming too ;)

Any place I go for pheasant in SD it would be a walked up pheasant with strangers. There will be guides for dogs and safety. I guess I could wear my vest. ;)

If anything they should be more fearful of me as that would be my first walk up pheasant hunt.
 
I hunted with out of Colome with Triple H Outfitters and 8 buddies a few years ago, first week of November. Super good time. We all shot our limit of pheasant every day and added a few turkeys also. Weather was super cold, like 0 deg, in the mornings. The guides and their dogs were all excellent. We stayed in an old farm house everything was all inclusive except ammo, booze and bird cleaning. Breakfast every morning at the local restaurant, lunch was at the farm in the barn prepared by the outfitter, and dinner was at the local pub.
We took the birds to local bird cleaning shop and they cleaned, froze and packaged them for us. $5 a bird for cleaning and packing if I remember correct.
I would do it again in a heart beat. I think we should put together an AH SD pheasant hunt sometime...
 
I am considering heading to SD for a pheasant hunt after the election and subsequent riots in November ;) . Anyone has done this hunt before? If so, any advice? I figure it would be a good opportunity to bloody the pair of Grulla SxS guns I had recently acquired. Here is the outfit I am considering.

I live in South Dakota - message me if you'd like. Crops should be out early & the hunting should be up this year.
Look into Garnos Ranch in Presho. Top notch people & hunting
 
Well, it is not looking good. A couple of outfitters I looked into are only allowing groups even though corporate groups are not booking this year. Another couple including the link I posted are no response to inquiries.

I would do it again in a heart beat. I think we should put together an AH SD pheasant hunt sometime...

Let's form that group. Anytime in November.
 
I am a fanatical bird hunter and have hunted pheasant all over the west. Many South Dakota operators have developed a drive/block style of hunting that is very unappealing to me. They haul hunters in large groups (the legal max is something like 16 or 18. 1/3 of the party serve as blockers, the rest drive. The birds get up in bunches near the end of a drive once the hunters have them roughly surrounded. Everyone is shooting and it is difficult to know who shot what. Low birds are very dangerous with inexperienced hunters. The operator wants to limit the traffic on the fields so they try to get a group limit in two or three drives. I’d just as soon stay home. There is great hunting in South Dakota but you really have to make sure you know what kind of hunt you are in for.

I far prefer to follow my dogs to the horizon with one or two buddies.
 
Well, plans changed. A friend of mine wanted to go, but wanted a different place (a bit more upscale).
Booked at https://paulnelsonfarm.com/

We'll have our own group of two with two guides, dogs etc..

Here is an introductory video.

 
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Well, plans changed. A friend of mine wanted to go, but wanted a different place (a bit more upscale).
Booked at https://paulnelsonfarm.com/

We'll have our own group of two with two guides, dogs etc..

Here is an introductory video.

I know the place. He actually just died this year in a freak accident.
Enjoy your time in South Dakota
 
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