A few observations from SD

A5 Sweet 16 said:
Gonna let benellibygolly handle most of this (if he even cares). But most of you guys know me well enough to expect some sort of response. I'll bite.

I agree that you're bound to attract some unwanted attention.....but I'm guessing they were split up: 1 truck, 2-3 guys, 1 dog, probably out in the middle of BFE. Rude?? Offensive?? How so??
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all 3 trucks go different directions everyday. we never see each other until dark, so NO, we are not converging an assault on a ditch line or farm. 3 to a truck, 1-2 german short hairs out at a time, sometimes we walk, sometimes we follow the dogs in truck. when they point, we get out and walk up. we have handicap parking passes, and SD disabled hunter permits. we cannot walk far or in thick grass. we just idle along all day waiting for the dogs to point. not a WAR to draw attention, just occasional shooting. if my dog crosses fence, (which is rare) i tone her to get back in ditch. i dont go looking for trouble, and dont want any. most farmers wave or stop if they have time and talk. one just got butt hurt. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
 
benellibygolly said:
all 3 trucks go different directions everyday. we never see each other until dark, so NO, we are not converging an assault on a ditch line or farm. 3 to a truck, 1-2 german short hairs out at a time, sometimes we walk, sometimes we follow the dogs in truck. when they point, we get out and walk up. we have handicap parking passes, and SD disabled hunter permits. we cannot walk far or in thick grass. we just idle along all day waiting for the dogs to point. not a WAR to draw attention, just occasional shooting. if my dog crosses fence, (which is rare) i tone her to get back in ditch. i dont go looking for trouble, and dont want any. most farmers wave or stop if they have time and talk. one just got butt hurt. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
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before someone asks, the reason we have disabled hunter permits and parking permits, 1 is PURPLE HEART/COMBAT WOUNDED and I am also a Veteran, disabled, but not service connected disabled. we just like to hunt, but cant walk.
 
Thank you for your service Benellibygolly!!!!...and for the way that you responded to the unwarranted criticism, through education and not negatively reacting to an inappropriate post. Thanks again for your service and Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Ditto. We appreciate your service, benellibygolly. Doesn't sound rude or offensive to me. In fact, it's a PERFECT example of why hunting public rights-of-way in SD should remain legal. Other than the rare exception, I'll bet you have LOTS of people (farmers, hunters, whoever) who stop to chat & see how it's going & it never crosses their minds that you're doing something that's in any way strange or inappropriate.
 
Ditto here too Benellibygolly your service is appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and your families!
 
You also handled some potential criticism well I'd say!

I haven't hunted ditches for awhile, but it used to be all I'd hunt. Before I had a dog they were a great way to hunt because the birds didn't have much escape route besides flying. Find a road with ditches of decent cover and picked corn fields on both sides. Park and walk a section down on one side, then walk the other side back to the vehicle. When I first got my dog 6 years ago I did a bit of it, but have slowly gotten away from it. A barbed wire fence doesn't do much to slow down a dog that is dead set on retrieving a running rooster, and I started getting more joy over watching a dog work in big fields. That said, ditches do have their time and place and I hope they always stay public and are used for the right reasons!
 
McFarmer, yes there are quite a few signs in Western Mn stating no hunting due to the buffer laws for any questions please contact your governor. I have spoken to a few of the farmers and it's all about compensation for those buffer acres. One farmer mentioned he lost 25 acres and it's costing him quite a bit of cash. The question I have is that by tiling and taking out wetlands has he not gained quite a bit of additional acres that more than compensate him for the 25 lost? This is a hard topic as I also own land and don't agree with the government telling me what to do with the land on I own.
 
Ive said it for years. End all annual payment programs. That money is wasted. Put every dollar into land acquisition and management.
 
Benellibygolly, thanks for your service and their is nothing wrong with hunting ditches... it's a shame the area I hunt most all cut their ditches. Quite a few lodges in the area and I'm sure that is why they mow.
 
Drake1 said:
McFarmer, yes there are quite a few signs in Western Mn stating no hunting due to the buffer laws for any questions please contact your governor. I have spoken to a few of the farmers and it's all about compensation for those buffer acres. One farmer mentioned he lost 25 acres and it's costing him quite a bit of cash. The question I have is that by tiling and taking out wetlands has he not gained quite a bit of additional acres that more than compensate him for the 25 lost? This is a hard topic as I also own land and don't agree with the government telling me what to do with the land on I own.
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But weren’t those acres already his ?
 
Agreed, that's why I struggle with this issue. However, The government has subsidized farming marginal land, our tax dollars make it worth it for him to farm marginal land.
 
Just back from annual trip. 3 hunters and 1 dog. Hunted 5 days from Saturday 11/17 to Wednesday 11/21. Limited every day 45 birds total. But hunted past 4pm each day to get our limit. Hunted public land and minimum maintenance roads. General observation was that birds were fairly similar to LY. Were we fortunate to have good hatches in a couple or our honey holes that helped us greatly. Saw quite a few hunters Saturday and Sunday but felt we had the entire state to ourselves Monday thru Wednesday. Weather was cold, warm, cold, warm. Pheasants didn't seem to change their behavior in any conditions. Definitely have to work for birds. Experience of 15 trips helped us a lot. But you will have to hunt hard.
 
Perhaps you would share what part of the state you hunted - North? South? Where? You seem to be more successful than most...

thanks!
 
East River. North of Mitchell. I would draw a triangle from letcher to artesian to woonsocket roughly. We cover a lot of territory. Hunting near picked corn knowing where the birds are traveling to and from has always been our key.
 
bman said:
East River. North of Mitchell. I would draw a triangle from letcher to artesian to woonsocket roughly. We cover a lot of territory. Hunting near picked corn knowing where the birds are traveling to and from has always been our key.
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If my memory serves me, there really isn't a ton of public land in that triangle you mentioned. I used to hunt private land around letcher and hunted public land in the artesian area for years, but to my memory there is some land buy not a over abundance of it. I know there are a couple big pieces north of Mitchell and to the east a little but don't remember ever seeing or hunting a lot in the area your talking about. Maybe they have added some in the last couple years as I haven't really hunted that area for 3-4 years
 
We been hunting SD the last four days in two groups. One truck has been getting limits, the other less than half hunting pretty much the same area. Bird numbers are up a little from last year, but not much.
 
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