Mitchell Area

1

1stbrittany

New member
The last two years I've hunted the Mitchell area on opening weekend with a group of about 12 with 4 dogs, we've shot a few here and there. We hunted both private and public land. Is this common for the Mitchell area and are there better areas we should be trying. This year we will be there the second week. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Regardless of where you are hunting, if the crops are still in it makes it tough...if you aren't hunting land that is groomed for pheasants (food plots, in particular), the hunting isn't that good until the birds leave the corn and head for their roosting areas, like CRP. When bird #'s were much higher, like 8+ years ago, it hardly mattered, but since birds have become more scarce, it is harder early in the season. Once the crops are in the birds bunch up and are easier to hunt...I really like the early to middle of november. Mitchell has had lots of ground go back into crops out of CRP, which has hurt the #'s. If I were starting from scratch today I would spend more time closer to the river, from Pierre north...I sense it may be a bit easier to get on land up there vs the chamberlain to Pierre stretch, but I could be wrong. I think there is till more habitat in those areas than the Mitchell area...good luck!
 
Not sure it matters a whole lot If you don't have access to good private ground. Having 12 guys makes it tougher. Also, The public ground gets hit hard those first couple of weeks... I agree with BB, later in the year the birds bunch up and the number of hunters is on the decline.
 
12 guys is a lot and way too many in my opinion. The more people, the more difficult it is to get on private land. It's hard to get access to private land in the first place but pull into a farmyard with 4-5 vehicles and your odds of getting access are about nil. I think you would be better off breaking into 3 groups of 4 regardless where you hunt.
 
I can't stop myself from asking this but what is the experience you hope to have hunting with 12 guys? 4 dogs for 12 guys can work out fine if the dogs are good, you break up into 3 per dog and don't hunt together. If the dogs don't mind and aren't good bird dogs I can't imagine a worse time unless it's me spending one more minute with my ex wife.
If you want a challenge for a large group of friends and a few dogs I'd suggest going to a pheasant preserve and buying birds on a windy fall/winter day. Get a 25mph+ wind and even if they're planted you won't hit many which gives a lot of opportunities to laugh and point fingers at each others incompetence. The fall colors alone should set a great mood for a good time.
If you want to hunt wild birds, the number of birds you have to find for 12 guys to say it was fun puts a huge amount of pressure on flocks in a small area. It amounts to almost being a military/industrial/ flock of locusts deal in my unasked for opinion and isn't nearly as much fun as smaller groups hunting separately and getting together at the end of the day to lie about everyones personal skill at wing shooting.
It's the experience and not the number of birds bagged that makes the effort worthwhile..in my unasked for opinion.:cheers:
 
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Why not try using all your group members to your advantage...target areas that you can spread some people around...have your hunters with dogs push the middle with advanced wing containment...I giant horseshoe with the dogs in the middle...use 3-4 guys to cap and block the end of your push...put the plan down on a white board so everyone can see their spot and is on the same page...sometimes I wish I had more people so the birds couldn't leak...put your fastest guys on the outside wing so they can run ahead if the birds find a hole. Good luck!
 
Pride o presho said:
Why not try using all your group members to your advantage...target areas that you can spread some people around...have your hunters with dogs push the middle with advanced wing containment...I giant horseshoe with the dogs in the middle...use 3-4 guys to cap and block the end of your push...put the plan down on a white board so everyone can see their spot and is on the same page...sometimes I wish I had more people so the birds couldn't leak...put your fastest guys on the outside wing so they can run ahead if the birds find a hole. Good luck!
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We have a couple fields (food plots)we hunt that I wish we had 10-15 guys.

U can hunt part of the time with a bigger group part of the time with a smaller group. its not a one way or other choice.



I do agree with previous post also, there is Zero chance of getting on private land if you show up with 12 guys.
 
12 guys can be very effective. Birds like to run. With that many hunters birds can be pushed, funneled, and blocked. This is particularly effective on grouped up, late-season birds.;)

Nick
 
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