South Dakota trip - Day 2 report

519vx

Member
A fellow UPH guy, Reddog, was going to be out in SD while I was there. He and I have talked lots in the past. He?s given me some great help and advice, but we?d never met. I got a nice surprise when I heard from him and he asked if I?d like to check out a piece of property with him on Friday that he had never hunted though he had permission. It was about 75 miles from where I was staying, but that didn?t matter a bit, I was both honored and excited at the thought of seeing and hunting a new place and finally meeting reddog. Season didn?t open until noon, and he gave me the address and we agreed to meet at the farm at 11:15.

The late start in SD is both good and bad. Good, because it allows time to scout around and not rush in the morning, bad because that?s the warmest part of the day and half the day is gone already. I had found a few spots last year that had birds that were on the way to where I was going to meet reddog, so I left the hotel a little early and went scouting. Almost immediately once north of town on hwy 83, I started seeing pheasants. Almost all were along shelterbelts or edges of standing corn. Lot more birds than I saw last year. Some like it, some don?t, but I ditch hunt out there. My dogs are flushers that hunt very close, and being alone, it is a great way to hunt. One of the spots I found last year was an overgrown section road with a small grove of trees right at the edge of the road. I pulled up to it on the cross road, and there were pheasants EVERYWHERE. I must have seen a dozen down the road. Others were flying off (spooked from the truck I assume). This little gem is in the middle of nowhere and there weren?t any immediate signs of it having been hunted yet. I drove around the general area and saw plenty of more birds. I was pleased as that area was my plan for day 3, my last day in South Dakota.

I finished scouting and drove back to hwy 83 and headed north again. A few miles down the road just as I?m passing through the edge of the town of Agar, my truck dashboard warning bell chimes and the readout says low tire pressure. I click the switch and the right front tire that?s normally at 35 pounds now shows 22 pounds. Then it drops to 21, then 20...as I?m watching it. I spin the truck around back toward Agar as I know what?s happening and it isn?t good. Super fortunately for me, there is a service repair shop (Eric?s custom repair). I pull in there and hop out of the truck. I can literally hear the air leaking out. The guy from the shop comes out and says I can take care of you right now and he does just that. Tire off, removed from rim, repaired, filled, and back on the truck in about 20 minutes. I can?t believe my good fortune and even gave him a few extra $$ for taking care of me right away.

Back on the road only a few minutes behind schedule, I make my way up to where I?m going to meet reddog, just outside Gettysburg, SD. I laughed as when you enter town, there is a sign that says Gettysburg, where the battle wasn?t. Funny stuff. I find the farm and reddog is already there. Mind you I?ve never met reddog nor the owners of the farm before, and despite me feeling a bit awkward, they made me feel welcome and like an old friend. Much like my other buddy that I hunted with the day before, these folks were nothing but friendly, genuinely good people. We talked for quite some time about their farm, about farming, birds, and their two dogs. My wife was along and she made best friends with one of the little Jack Russell terriers that their granddaughter had name ?Pig?, because it looked like a baby pig in color etc when it was real young. We then got a tour of the property by truck. It had a variety of cover from CRP land to cut crops, and some small tree groves and ponds.

It was now time to get hunting. Admittedly, I was a little unsure of the whole hunting thing with reddog because I knew from past conversations that he had two pointers that will ?hunt big?. I have not a thing against guys with pointers, but my experiences haven?t been good hunting the public lands with guys with pointers. My concerns were completely unfounded. We discussed it and he was going to hunt a big CRP field where his dogs could cover more ground while I worked a cattail slough. We?d then meet up and compare notes and go from there.

I drove down to a hillside close to the slough and parked. I would go in the slough with the dogs while my wife would walk the edge along the cut bean field as a blocker. It started slow?the dogs were working but not much was going on. It was getting warm, and it was dry to begin with?not the best conditions again. As we got closer to the small water hole and denser cattails, the dogs got birdy. It was clear that the birds were on the run again. Suddenly, birds start to flush, but they are all out of range. Gosh are they spooky!!! It was both frustrating and fun watching birds pile out of there and fly across the field. One rooster held longer than he should have. He flushed and I dumped him. He went down right on the edge of the thicker cattails and water. The dogs are on their way. I wait patiently as I can see them working the area. Nothing. What the heck?.? That bird was hit solid and crumpled up. I walked over there and started looking. My wife joined me. Gone. Vanished after a good hit. This is starting to bother me as this is now 2 birds in 2 days lost. We look long and hard to no avail. There so much scent in the area that the dogs are running in a frenzy.

I continue to push down the slough. While we were looking for the bird, reddog drove his truck near the slough. He sat down on the end in the cut field with his dog at his side. He was sitting and didn?t have his gun at the ready. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was there to block the end of the slough. How cool was that? My favorable impression of him just went way up. Birds continue to flush ahead of me and the dogs, out of range. As we got closer to the end, a rooster that held tight did flush across the field and I dropped him. Sage ran to him and picked him up but she kept dropping the bird on the way back. She was very hot and breathing through her mouth and thus didn?t make a super crisp retrieve. So what?.this isn?t for a field title. :) We are getting closer to the end of the slough. Suddenly reddog is pointing to my right toward where my wife was walking along the edge of the slough. She is pointing toward a small point of cattails/marsh grass. Apparently she saw some birds scramble there. I start to call the dogs to hunt toward her when I see my older dog super super hot on a bird scent trail. I?m stuck?what to do. Follow the dog! I can see ahead of her a rooster running like a track star. He finally squirted out the cover and ran toward a tall grass ditch. I give up on that bird, call the dog and look back toward my wife and see 3 or 4 roosters and a couple of hens bust out from that little point she was standing near. I take the dogs through there but no birds hung around. Birds to my left, birds to my right, a bird in the bag, my head is spinning. It?s great.

Reddog and I decided to try to pin that bird down that had run across the field. He set up on one end as a blocker and I walked it with my dogs. People don?t talk about how sneaky those birds are for no reason?we did that push and that bird somehow snuck away. He must have went up over the hill and ran off. He?s a good one for the pheasant gene pool out there because he just beat two hunters and three dogs at the game.

Up next was a neat piece of cover. The larger part of it was CRP grass, the lower end that came to a point was thicker, taller grass. We decided he would work the larger section with his pointer and I would work the thicker stuff toward him and we?d meet in the field and hopefully pinch anything between us. He goes his way, I go mine. Just a few seconds later, I hear him fire. Good sign. The end piece of the cover that I was going to work had an old fence about 10 or 15 feet inside it. I decided to work down one side, then back up the other. Sage got to a spot along that fence and went crazy. She wanted to get to the other side real bad. Birdy as could be. I called her off and we finished to the end of the fence and started back up. She went right to that spot by the fence and sure enough, mr. rooster was trying to hide. The birds flushed from the cover and flew back across the cut bean field. I dropped it on the cut field and Sage made a real nice long retrieve. You forget how hot, tired, and thirsty you are when your dog is carrying back a beautiful rooster to you. We finished that field and pushed toward reddog. Several other birds flushed, but they were out of range?again very spooky.

We then decided to try another slough on the property. He would walk one side with his dog, I would walk the other. Not long in, he got into the birds near a couple of trees, and reddog finished his limit there. About mid-way along the slough, Sage flushed a rooster and I threw 2 at him but missed. I hate when even I know I was shooting behind the bird. Near the end, Sage got birdy again and flushed another rooster. I rushed the first shot and missed, but took my time on the second shot. I thought I was right on, but the bird flew off. Reddog watched this happen, and somewhat strangely said you rocked that bird pretty good with your second shot, but too bad that wasn?t enough to bring it down.

He was done with his limit and the afternoon was starting to get late. Kathy and I got to witness the migration. Across the section road from us was standing corn and sunflowers. The birds started piling out of the standing crops and would land about 100 yards into the CRP to roost for the night. I can?t even guess at how many birds there were, but it was a lot. I?ve never seen anything like it before and I won?t soon forget that.

I tried another small area of cover while reddog drove off in his truck. I had no luck in that area and went to find reddog. He was parked on the side of a large draw that had a small pond on one end , a dirt trail, and hundreds of acres of CRP to the left. He had binoculars out and was watching the birds. They were everywhere, settling into the CRP for the night. I was super tired and was pondering whether to give it one last push. Reddog was right when he said you?d regret it if you don?t. As I loaded up and got Sage ready, birds were flushing wild all over. I got about 50 yards in and a dandy rooster flushed. One shot and I dropped it. YEAAAAAAAAA! What a way to end the day!! Sage ran to where it dropped and I waited. And waited. WTH? Huh?...No way. Can?t be. She can?t find it. I tell Kathy to bring our older dog and reddog brought out his younger little rockstar Elle to help in the searched. Reddog and Kathy both watched the whole thing unfold and saw the bird pile up. After probably 15 or 20 minutes of searching, we gave up. Three pretty darn good bird dogs, and three people. No pheasant. This is a disturbing pattern of good hits and no birds. I had such a great day but its overshadowed by lost birds.

We went back to the farm and shared our experiences. I had such a fun day. New place, new people, and even managed some birds. I can say I conservatively saw 150+ pheasants that day in total. Wow. And my thoughts about trying to hunt with a guy with pointers?.was I wrong. I wish I had more friends like reddog and that hunted like him. I?d share a field with him any day. He made that day as much about me as he did about himself. People like that are few and far between. Its another day that ends with mixed emotions. Beautiful country. Great people. More pheasants than I?ve probably ever seen before. But I lost birds. And I know tomorrow is my last day in this great place.
 
Sage making her retrieve on that rooster from the fence line. Not sure who was more proud, her with her bird, or me.

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This picture will give you kind of an idea of what it looks like out there and what kind of cover we found most of our birds in on day 2. The darker grass is the cattails and marsh grass in the slough. Toward the top right of the picture, you can make out the point that I referred to where Kathy saw the birds before they flushed.

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Sounds like a great time. I went to the preserve yesterday for a little warm up before our journey from TX to SD next week. I've found it's usually the other way around with pointer guys not wanting flushers ruining their pointers...
 
I had no idea what to expect in this deal, both with the land and the hunter I invited to share the field with me. Both were exceptional! Great landowners with phenomenal habitat for pheasants. ( I dont think you even seen a small portion of the birds I seen while you were finishing up).

Even with big ranging dogs, it was overwhelming in the heat for them. Cant wait to go back though :)

My first venture out onto 600 a of CRP ended with a couple hen points, and one bird the dogs locked down a couple different times, only to slink off into the horizon. ( I seen the brome grass moving) Lots of pheasants flushed wild. As I collected my young dog to take her back to the truck, my old dog disapeared. Shes deaf, and has fogged over eyes, so Im thinking her sight isnt good either. Anyway, I headed off in the direction I last seen her, only to find her standing on the side of a hill about 3/8 mile away. Hit her with the beeper to get her attention, and then the whistle, which sent her running..... the opposite direction. Keep in mind, it 80 degrees, and they were hot to begin with. She hit the top of the hill and sat down, confused and lost. I hoofed it over there, and finally got her attention and she ran the last bit back to me and we headed to the truck with both the dogs at heel.

I got them watered and cooled off and drove off to see how 519 was doing. We finished up his hunt as explained above, and he hunted his way back to his truck. I took my truck to an old abandoned farmyard and layed up for an hour or so. While the dogs lounged in the air conditioning of the Yukon,I took a stroll around the farmyard, looking at old iron and barn boards. I disturbed a rooster from his afternoon siesta and he headed over the hill, voicing his displeasure with me as he sailed away. Headed back to the truck, at a snack, and waited out the heat.

519 and his bride showed up and we put together the plan for the next place, which was coincidentally, just over the hill where Mr Napper headed. I worked around the back of the old farmstead, and Breez locked up on the fenceline, then she relocated, and again. Somewhat out of cover now, Mr Roosters stuck. I walk up and he makes a break for it to the north. I miss with the skeet choke of the 686, but the IC of the little 20 catches up to him and drags him to the ground. Breez makes a nice retrieve,and we move onward. There a small grove further than I had planned on going to the north, but with two flushes out of the timber, I think Id better investigate.. Breez runs around the corner of the trees and locks up, looking back at me.. I walk up, and all hell breaks loose. Not sure which one to shoot at, so I focus on the one running on the ground to my left thru the trees. He gets to the edge of the grove and makes flight. I dont have any choice but to pull a ruffed grouse type shot off thru the brush. He goes down, legs a churning. I get Breez called over there, and she tails him 100 yards back into the brush and locks up.. I walk up and again he sprints out of the timber like a coot on water flapping his wings to get airborne. He struggles with his flight pattern a little till the #6s thru the skeet tube catch up to him and anchor him for good. I make the loop on my part of the field and head back to 519 and find him in position for the pinch point. Trouble is, someone forgot to tell Mr Ringneck the plan. My dog pushes a fenceline too hard and bumps 2. Then some birds start flying from back in the grass, so I try and head that way to herd them back to our ambush point. Not gonna happen . One rooster flushes from the direction of my pointer, not sure if she pointed it or not. I dump him to my left, and the dog goes to find it, and its no where. I found a few feather scattered along a trail, but after a valliant search with 2 dogs (and a rest to try and let the scent cone form) it is decided to move on.

I saved the last bird for the old dog, which was the one 519 talked about around the pond.

While we hunted together, we hunted separately, which is typically my MO. Even when hunting with my regular hunting partner, we hunt separatey, but together, trying to work into a pattern that confuses the birds.


Pretty sure I got the last room available in Pierre on Saturday night. Dont wait till 8:30 to try shouldve been my first clue, but it was clean, cheap, and empty and dogs were welcome.

Then, theres The Cattlemans Steakhouse. Wow. somewhat difficult to find ;) but once we got there, it was nothing short of wonderful. Your steak choices are 24oz. Ribeye, 24 oz Sirloin, and 24 oz Porterhouse, and several different cuts of Prime Rib. I opted for the Porterhouse, because its so rarely seen on a menu anymore.. It was fantastic. Highly recommend it if youre in the area..
 
Reddog, we found Cattlemen's last season. The steak was pretty good for how big of cuts they have. I guess anything they served with a cold beer would have tasted delicious after the hunts we had last season...
 
519vx I love your reports and enthusiasm. Wild roosters on the ground when its above 70 degrees are tough on any dog, and loosing some is inevitable. It's not the dogs fault, but to give your pups a fighting chance, I would really encourage you to consider more and bigger BB's. You need to shatter some bones, it's that simple. #5 is good and #4 is better. Tighten up your choke if you have IC in go to Light Modified, if you have LM in try MOD. Make a change, what have you got to lose?
 
whatever works...once I switch to my 12 ga. auto, which is usually in mid-nov....i shoot 5's out of IC for the whole season...I usually end up out there for trip #6-7 in early January, and I never feel I am lacking with IC from my benelli...but, hey, whatever works...I usually shoot a 20 ga or 16 ga S X S until mid nov, choked sk1 x sk 2 with #6's...from there, the 12 ga auto with the IC til the bitter end...5's are my choice as far as shot size is concerned...that works for me...
 
519vx I love your reports and enthusiasm. Wild roosters on the ground when its above 70 degrees are tough on any dog, and loosing some is inevitable. It's not the dogs fault, but to give your pups a fighting chance, I would really encourage you to consider more and bigger BB's. You need to shatter some bones, it's that simple. #5 is good and #4 is better. Tighten up your choke if you have IC in go to Light Modified, if you have LM in try MOD. Make a change, what have you got to lose?
 
I will post a detailed final day report tomorrow. There was an issue and it was my fault for not figuring it out quicker. I shoot a 12 gauge O/U and was shooting 6 shot Winchester super x. Both barrels choked in IC. More details later.
 
Not difficult to find with a personal police escort...;) :cheers:


But... He was a great escort!

Two guys that had never met. One with pointers one with flushers. Both with double barrels. What are the chances of that?

Uploading some pics today I hope.
 
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