South Dakota Pheasants

Arctic403 · 05-02-2005, 01:25 PM

I've been to South Dakota pheasant hunting for two years. Both years we have gotten about 160 birds between 6-8 guys on a three day hunt. We hunt on a private ranch. It has been a blast and I look forward to going this year.

James B · 05-05-2005, 07:23 AM

Good news for hunters in SD. I drove through central SD the other day a couple hours before sundown. I drove up 83 from Pierre to Selby and then over to Aberdeen. I saw hundreds and hundreds of Pheasants along the roadway. More than I have seen in that area in many years. They were everywhere. Must have had a good winter.

dogdr · 05-05-2005, 09:45 PM

Is there a website where i could go to find out about planning a trip to SD? my father and i are hearing great things about the pheasant hunting up there. we have also heard there is lots of good public ground available. wondering about where to go, licenses, fees, etc. thanks in advance.

James B · 05-07-2005, 09:24 PM

I would start by contacting the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Dept.

Also the South Dakota Deprtment of tourism.

Nemont · 05-08-2005, 01:35 PM

Dogdr,
check out this link for info on hunting SD.

http://www.pheasantcountry.com/forum...isplay.php?f=1

Guss · 05-08-2005, 03:47 PM

dogdr, I have never hunted SD, but I have been to ND a few times. My old man has been to SD at least 10 times, but got sick of the #of people, so we started to go to ND. There are not as many birds but they have lots of public land and lots of the farmers have let us hunt for free (hunting for free, that is starting to be a thing of the past), we just left them a few birds of dinner. We never shoot no were nere 160 birds but we have a great time, and for us it is alot closer (from Upper MI). It is all about what ya want from a hunt, lots of birds and lots of people or good numbers of birds and vary few people, some days we didnt see another hunter.
I would love to go to SD some day just to say that I have.

drgildy · 05-09-2005, 07:58 PM

Some of you guys have unfortunately heard the truth about hunting SD pheasants. It used to be easy to get permission on private land, now you better have lots of money to spend. Also a lot of the commercial shooting places are getting many of their birds from Wis. and Minn. game farms. When I was still working I saw many truckloads of them coming into the state once the season opened. I used to hunt pheasants but now just waterfowl and deer. It just got too darn expensive to justify the "sport".

TYLEETESS · 05-13-2005, 06:13 PM

I go back twice a year. I usually wait until at least the 3rd weekend and then go back in December. I have a guy that charges me $75 a day for access to 800 acres and I rent a fully furnished house for $35 a night per hunter. There still are a few ways to still get good hunting cheap but most of them don't advertise and are by word of mouth, i.e hutterite colonies.The amount of people in the early season is terrible. December is a good time to go out there. Most of the people have forgotton about pheasant hunting with all the holidays around and there money is tied up with Christmas, traveling, etc. Besides it getting very cold in December. By December mast of the birds are bunched up and it is not unusual to see groups of hundreds of birds, but they are very skitish by this time of year. Most places that charge offer a a discount at the end of November into December, that may be a consideration if you want to cut down on the cost. One thing to consider is it takes a trip out there or two to get familiar with the land, Most guys figure what and when to hunt after a trip or two, that's a huge dissadvantage to living so far away. I live in Colorado and am looking for a partner to go out there with me in November to share some gas expense if anybody is interested.

snip · 05-26-2005, 03:13 PM

please email me for dates and very reasonable prices for pheasant on 4,000 acres managed just for wildlife, no cattle for four years.

huntsd@sdplains.com

Thanks Randy

mathewsconquest2 · 05-27-2005, 08:23 AM

To the Dakota residents:

I have gone for the past two years to a family farm near NW of Mitchell (all wild birds). I will continue to go until I can't walk (I'm only 38), then I'll be a blocker. So far we haven't shot our limit, but we come close and always have a great time. I start looking forward to the SD pheasant opener right after my Turkey season ends here in Wisconsin.

Just curious about how the weather has been this spring so far? Hoping for a better hatching than last year. Have you guys heard anything about the hatching estimates or is it to early?

-Matthewsconquest2