New to SD pheasants

beach004

beach004

Member
Hello, pheasant hunters! I'm an aging white male, been hunting since I was five, in the Southeastern states, doves, quail (gone with the wind, alas) grouse and turkeys; about six years ago, I was blessed to find a friend in NE who took me pheasant hunting, in the snow, in the cold, in the wind, in a dearth of birds--I was hooked! Been back every year since, brought two sons-in-law, last year my daughter, all have loved it, and the people we met in the Wayne area.
But the hunting was so sparse last year, and the warnings of more of the same so dire for this year, that the four of us are gambling on SD this year; going up Nov. 16, hunting in the Wagner area; have one contact there I met on the internet, no idea where we'll hunt--public land if necessary (steel shot will be a problem; all our guns are old and short chambered); WIA, CREP, and hopefully some friendly farmers will take pity on us--no dogs, just walk and look. Having ruptured a disk two years ago, I am thankful, totally, just to be able to walk and watch.
Just joined so I can hear what others are doing, and try to learn--if old dogs can.
Beach004
 
Yes, I am an old dog too and I learn something new most everyday. Welcome to UPH drop by often we like to see you here.............Bob
 
Thanks, Bob. We're looking forward to the hunt. I'm a reloader, mostly for doves; but you don't save any money on those light loads. But on pheasant shells, I find it worth my while, especially for four of us. I'm four boxes into some 1.25 ounce #4's, which seem to work well for us, hunting mostly without a dog. Getting ready for a trip like this, and then stretching the truth about how it was when you get back, are pert near as much fun as the trip itself; the more so when you're from sunny North Carolina, and suddenly you find yourself at 8 degrees, a howling wind, with nothing but a few leftover corn stalks between you and the North Pole, feels like!
 
Beach, What recipe do you use for your hunting loads and what gauge are they. I'm also a reloader........Bob
 
:welcome: I too use to walk and kick up birds, until I was invited to hunt behind a Britt one time, that was enough, I got me setter pup and it changed bird hunting for me, no dog is fun, with a dog: priceless!
 
Welcome beach004, this is a great site and there are some old farts like Bob and I on here so feel right at home.

You really need to get a dog. Hunting SD without a dog, especially public land, is real tough. Maybe someone on here with a dog or two would be willing to do some hunting with you.
 
bobeyerite said:
Beach, What recipe do you use for your hunting loads and what gauge are they. I'm also a reloader........Bob
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Glad you asked! To some extent, it was just "what I had around the house." I had lots of Gun Club hulls, and Versalite wads; so I bought a pound of Herco, and a bag of #4 shot; 25 grains of powder and 1.25 oz shot, 8500 psi I think (my book is out in the workshop), a MEC 36 bushing in an old single stage reloader, my Grabber being tied up with dove loads.

It worked fine last year at 8 degrees in Nebraska; this year I couldn't find Herco today locally, so I switched to Unique, 23.5 grains; luckily the same bushing delivers that load. Haven't shot one yet, but it's advertised at 9600 psi--again, that's from memory. Since I shoot mostly an old Ithaca 37, I don't fret over these loads cycling an automatic; but my daughter shot a Rem. 1100 on that same hunt last season and had no trouble--other than face planting in three-foot snow drifts, but that's another story!

I figure it saves me five dollars or so a box, a lot more than I save on dove loads. And it's a nice harbinger of the hunt.
 
FieldKing said:
:welcome: I too use to walk and kick up birds, until I was invited to hunt behind a Britt one time, that was enough, I got me setter pup and it changed bird hunting for me, no dog is fun, with a dog: priceless!
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I know; I've hunted quail with Brits, English, Gordon Setters, and my first dog, a pointer; sometimes just me and three dogs. Those were the best days of my life, and I don't regret being out there every possible day for fifty years. But the quail are gone from these parts, woodcock are a poor substitute, grouse don't hold--and I can't ask my remaining setter to fly to SD to point a bird that won't behave! She's mostly a pet, anyway. So we'll take our chances, unless we get some canine loaner, which is possible.
 
Dakotazeb said:
Welcome beach004, this is a great site and there are some old farts like Bob and I on here so feel right at home.

You really need to get a dog. Hunting SD without a dog, especially public land, is real tough. Maybe someone on here with a dog or two would be willing to do some hunting with you.
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I hear you; my internet contact in Avon hopes to be able to go with us at least part of the three days, and he has a couple of good dogs, he says. That'd be nice; but we've taken our chances in Nebraska for five years without a dog, and had a great time; it really hurts us on cripples; after I lost one several years ago, I took the plug out and use only #4's, trying to keep shooting till the bird is very dead, rather than lose one. Not ideal--but we none of us have time to drive to SD, 30 hours, nor do we really own proper dogs for pheasants.

For us, it's all about being together, meeting great new people in a really different part of the country, seeing beautiful birds, hiking till we're exhausted, eating food our wives forbid at home; the birds are lagniappe, as the Cajuns say--we usually give them away if possible, though I have a pair from the first year mounted. We'll be all right; can't wait!
 
beach004 said:
I hear you; my internet contact in Avon hopes to be able to go with us at least part of the three days, and he has a couple of good dogs, he says. That'd be nice; but we've taken our chances in Nebraska for five years without a dog, and had a great time; it really hurts us on cripples; after I lost one several years ago, I took the plug out and use only #4's, trying to keep shooting till the bird is very dead, rather than lose one. Not ideal--but we none of us have time to drive to SD, 30 hours, nor do we really own proper dogs for pheasants.

For us, it's all about being together, meeting great new people in a really different part of the country, seeing beautiful birds, hiking till we're exhausted, eating food our wives forbid at home; the birds are lagniappe, as the Cajuns say--we usually give them away if possible, though I have a pair from the first year mounted. We'll be all right; can't wait!
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excellent answer to us "get a dog man" folks, glad u all still hunt, have a great time!
 
Welcome to the site. From what the reports are saying, you should have no problems in SD finding birds. Land to hunt without steel shot on the other hand may be a little tougher. And even without using an older gun, steel prices on 6 shot on down have actually gone up more than inflation. My dad owns a hardware store and I stopped last night to pick up some 3" for ducks this weekend in Iowa and a box from 1 month ago was priced at $12.49 and from this month $13.99. Same box at a walmart is only .50 cheaper. Luckily he allows me to work for him during nonhunting weekends so they are a tad cheaper for me. :D Anyways, enough with that rant, have a great trip!!!
 
VZWman said:
Welcome to the site. From what the reports are saying, you should have no problems in SD finding birds. Land to hunt without steel shot on the other hand may be a little tougher. And even without using an older gun, steel prices on 6 shot on down have actually gone up more than inflation. My dad owns a hardware store and I stopped last night to pick up some 3" for ducks this weekend in Iowa and a box from 1 month ago was priced at $12.49 and from this month $13.99. Same box at a walmart is only .50 cheaper.
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I think we can handle the cost of steel; what I hate to think of is other alternatives, like tungsten--that really makes you think before you shoot! I've got an 870 that's steel ready, and a 1980's 1100 that probably is; then there's a Belgian A5, but it's got a Polychoke, and I hear that, if set open reduces the risk of damage to the gun. I'm reloading only lead, to take with us; steel I think we might buy out there--I assume it's for sale all over the place.

I'm wondering what we might find in the Walk In Access program, in the Avon/Wagner area? That way we don't need steel. Anybody have any intelligence to impart, now that the season is open? Thanks for any help, as always!
Beach004
 
I'm not knocking anyone for reloading and saving a couple of bucks. In fact I have a very good friend from Wisconsin that shoot reloads when he comes out here to hunt twice a year. But really, how many shells does he shoot in a season. My guess is maybe a couple of boxes. So if he saves $5 per box that is $10. When you add up all the other costs: license, gas, lodging, food, dogs, etc. that $10 is rather minor. And I don't think a hunt goes by that he doesn't have a mis-fire. You can buy some awfully good shells for $10-$13 a box. To me, the savings in reloading is difficult to justify. And I know that when I was doing a lot of reloading I found it difficult to develop a reload that would pattern and perform as well as factory loads. Just some food for thought. I know some guys really enjoy reloading and more power to them. Go for it!
 
Dakotazeb said:
When you add up all the other costs: license, gas, lodging, food, dogs, etc. that $10 is rather minor. And I don't think a hunt goes by that he doesn't have a mis-fire. You can buy some awfully good shells for $10-$13 a box. ...I know some guys really enjoy reloading and more power to them. Go for it!
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I take your point. I got into reloading for doves, in the late 60's, when you could save significant bucks doing so; Dad and I loaded every kind of hull--whatever we picked up, paper or plastic; and we had some misfires! But lately, there's no money to be saved on dove shells, so I do it for the pleasure alone; I only load one load, Gun Club hulls, Red Dot powder; the only misfires I get are if I leave a feather in the hull! As for the pheasant loads, you're right, the savings don't amount to much, even for 4 of us. But I have the equipment sitting there already; I'm using a published load that seems to perform well--and it gives the sons-in-law a chance to blame "those @#$@%ing reloads!" when they miss! :)
 
beach004 said:
Hello, pheasant hunters! I'm an aging white male, been hunting since I was five, in the Southeastern states, doves, quail (gone with the wind, alas) grouse and turkeys; about six years ago, I was blessed to find a friend in NE who took me pheasant hunting, in the snow, in the cold, in the wind, in a dearth of birds--I was hooked! Been back every year since, brought two sons-in-law, last year my daughter, all have loved it, and the people we met in the Wayne area.
But the hunting was so sparse last year, and the warnings of more of the same so dire for this year, that the four of us are gambling on SD this year; going up Nov. 16, hunting in the Wagner area; have one contact there I met on the internet, no idea where we'll hunt--public land if necessary (steel shot will be a problem; all our guns are old and short chambered); WIA, CREP, and hopefully some friendly farmers will take pity on us--no dogs, just walk and look. Having ruptured a disk two years ago, I am thankful, totally, just to be able to walk and watch.
Just joined so I can hear what others are doing, and try to learn--if old dogs can.
Beach004
Click to expand...

Try hunting road ditches. not road hunting, but road ditches. Walk toward each other and the birds will be trapped and you will have close flushes. Don't really need dogs for this type of hunting. You can shoot birds if they flush between fences and are flying on private property or if they flush on the other side of the fence they must be between the fences when you fire. Whatever you do make unarmed retrieves on to private property. Hunt the ditches next to harvested corn or beans. You can also use lead shot. This type of hunting is very effective until snow comes.
 
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