SD Pheasant Opener!!! Who's heading back

Heading out there for my first time on Halloween. It'll be me, a good friend of mine, my dogs Ellie and Maggie and his dogs, Juice and Mac. Five days and lots of boot leather should get it done! Very excited to get out there! Can't wait! Good luck to everyone, stay safe.
 
This year I will be heading out the week after Thanksgiving. I normally head out the second week of November with my dad, two brothers and cousin, but was thrown a curveball this year as my wife and I are expecting a little baby girl the first week of November. My wife tried to sabotage our twelfth annual, once in a lifetime trip to South Dakota, but I made it work! We hunt exclusively public and can't wait for those wild roosters to come off the dogs nose and for those 8 mile walking days and a nice steak or two at Bob's :). Looking forward to the reports. Travel and Hunt safe my friends!
 
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These are from yesterday, my first day in SE South Dakota. Very happy for my first time in SD. Today the shooting was abysmal!:mad: We had plenty of opportunities. Had legitimate chances at 9 roosters. Got one and lost another that must've hit the ground running.:( Hope everyone has a safe and successful season!

Lee
 
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I'm not BD but yea, I believe that is the Cabela's vest that has the shells in a tube to dispense them out the bottom. It's a pretty slick system.
 
Curious, BD23, what are those "things" hanging out the bottom of your pockets? I can only assume they have something to do with holding shells. Maybe they are dispensed out the bottom??? What is it? Does it work?

Yep, they work. They hold 12's normally and have an insert to stick in the tube for 20s. You can set up one side for 12s and one for 20s if you so choose. (If you do that, only load one side of the vest. Not good to stick a 20 in a 12. ;) )

I've had one of Columbia's Quickloader vests for years. Not sure if they still make them.

My favorite though is an old Cabela's Upland Legacy strap vest; they don't make it anymore either. Some day I'll learn to buy two of the good stuff.
 
Yep, they work. They hold 12's normally and have an insert to stick in the tube for 20s. You can set up one side for 12s and one for 20s if you so choose. (If you do that, only load one side of the vest. Not good to stick a 20 in a 12. ;) )

I've had one of Columbia's Quickloader vests for years. Not sure if they still make them.

My favorite though is an old Cabela's Upland Legacy strap vest; they don't make it anymore either. Some day I'll learn to buy two of the good stuff.

You're right Chestle; never load 12's & 20's in the same vest; 35 years or so ago I was guiding two men hunting released quail over my Viszla. They were both shooting 12 ga sxs, and half way through the hunt, in the heat of action, one of them had a 20 ga and unknowingly slid a 20 ga shell, then put a 12 ga shell in
It blew the barrel out where the shell was lodged and he lost a finger. Could have been worse. It can happen in an instant. I shoot 12, 20, and occasional 28 ga
That experience is a painful reminder to always make sure you don't have mixed Ammo in your vest
When we come to SD we only bring 1 gauge, 20 gauge. I learned to give safety speeches, shotguns are not forgiving. It's a good reminder to me as well. Be safe everyone and enjoy your time in the field
 
Yah, I'm not even sure what brand the vest is, but it could be Columbia. They are pretty slick. I'd look but I'm at work.
You take a shell out and the next one slides down. So if you miss and have to reload a lot quickly like me, it works well.




Curious, BD23, what are those "things" hanging out the bottom of your pockets? I can only assume they have something to do with holding shells. Maybe they are dispensed out the bottom??? What is it? Does it work?
 
What the picture doesn't show is two large sloughs that are 100 yards back behind me.

Maybe the springer could hunt them, I don't know :)


My goodness, a slough? We better pack up the Spaniels and head for the food plot.
 
My goodness, a slough? We better pack up the Spaniels and head for the food plot.

;);););) Right, springers wouldn't know what to do about cattails. They only hunt corn fields - weedless ones. Sheesh.

My current dog Buzz loves cattails so much, given the choice he'd hunt them over any other cover. When he sees cattails, his preference is to be in them - the muddier or snowier the better as far as he's concerned.
 
Yah, I'm not even sure what brand the vest is, but it could be Columbia. They are pretty slick. I'd look but I'm at work.
You take a shell out and the next one slides down. So if you miss and have to reload a lot quickly like me, it works well.

Huh. Never seen that before. For the past 30 years I've preferred just dumping some shells in my vest pocket (lost too many in my younger days out of those dang shell loops). But maybe when my vest wears out, I'll have to look into those. Hi-tech!!!
 
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