Search results

They were already at an estimated 1 million birds by 1924 so they had a widespread, reproducing population. They had a peak at 12 million in 1935/36 and then down to 3 million in 37 so there must have been one large winterkill in that record cold. The numbers reached their peak of 16 million in...

3 pairs released in 1908 and 48 pairs in 1911 (shipped in from Grant's Pass, OR farm) near Redfield around 44.92375607583157, -98.49543882390094 as near as it has been described to me. I stay in Ashton about 5 miles north of there and old timers said they were absolutes about predator control...

Here's how I see they break down: Dude Ranches- Deluxe packages for mostly easterners that might include a stop at the Aberdeen western wear store when they get off the plane. Wife heads to the winery tour while the hunter joins 20 other guests for the hunt. These are done on isolated food...

I think 100mi avg/per day is accurate but this is road hunting where we are driving about 5-10 miles to one of these areas. Then we go slow around the best spots in the area until we see a bird or a good ditch to try under the conditions. I would say that happens 15-20 times a day so about every...

Big increase in bird numbers everywhere we went from Sat-Wed for the NR opener. Limits every day for 14 hunters in 5 vehicles, 3 groups without dogs. We got our limits by driving 25mph from spot to spot that had weedy ditches in front of standing corn and/or grass sloughs. Stopped when we saw...

Not crazy, completely respectable. Two trucks with a posse in the bed of each one, drop ball hitches and a 100ft of barbed wire between them roaring across a 10 acre dry slough- that's crazy.

You asked and it's what comes to my mind when someone says "scouting" so here goes this year's edition of road hunting basics- If you catch them out in the open on the road up ahead, stop far away and let them get into the ditch. Mark where they duck into the weeds and drive up as close to...

Any dew in the morning will give them enough water for the day just by taking it off the grass. So you can have dry soil conditions but if the weather is humid enough, they will be in their normal locations. If there has been extended drought, then they may have migrated over the summer to water...

Back pain seems to last forever with no hope in sight but keep working on it and it will get better. It's such a depressing condition when you are in the middle of it with no hope in sight. It's messes with you more than any of the other ailments and I've seen it over and over. Mental stress is...

Customer combiner we hunt with had been done for beans in Aberdeen to Redfield area as of Oct 1 and was on corn. There's no significant rain in the forecast but even if it did, it would dry fast enough to get back in the fields right away. I would guess most will see 50% corn gone for...

My dad and grandpa were scouting and saw a lot of birds lifting up out of a deep waterway draw beside the road near a farmers house. They had to beg for permission to hunt from the farmer as he usually didn't give access but he agreed this time. They walked back to the draw and started slowly...

Items for the hunt that are always forgotten and nice to have spares- game shears, choke wrenches (engraving option), bore cleaning snake, solar charged battery bank for phone.

"Wild strain" genetics is an invention of breeders, game farms and government agencies. Wild captured birds that are bred don't produce chicks that survive in the wild after being pen raised any better than generations of farmed birds. Chicks learn survival skills from the hen. If you release a...

Local report on Sunday said the James River just went back into it's banks last week after flooding out since May due to ND snows and rain last spring. Lots of local heavy rains and flooding a couple times early in the summer so sites nearby the river are likely going to be soft or hard to get...

Opener week for me since I hunt slow and stupid and that's how I like my birds. But that honestly lasts until about Sunday afternoon until they all get shot at one time then are permanently edumacted to stay off the roads. After that I am counting on large numbers of birds to stumble into for...

I was the early 90s, poor ground and part of bankruptcy sale. We treated the locals as best we could when we came out. Brought smoked salmon, took their kids out hunting, took them out hunting when they didn't have gas money, etc. so we may have been getting an insider deal. Didn't matter as we...

My family was offered a quarter section in the early 90s for $15k ($30k in 2022 dollars). It was marginal for corn at the price/bushel common then, we would have to pay taxes and weed maintenance plus any hunting improvements. We could have rented it out to hunters but we weren't local so that...

The "few" landowners don't want to keep it all to themselves, you pay them with CREP dollars to keep it private in their hands and charge hunting access fees to everyone through your tax payments. You paid them $6M last year in this program. You pay them substantially more to put it in CRP and...

I really meant to post this in the Emergency Haying topic so apologies to the OP, Mr. G. Hour. But I still think it is apt for changing the way we manage hunting land and attract the new hunters to the sport. I do heartily encourage them to come out and hunt SD. There are birds all over with...

I also hunt all public ground so I agree it's a good time and well worth the trip. However it does not compare to even a minimally managed private ground so that's part of where I would disagree. Basic upgrades like a shelter belt or a strip of milo or an undrained slough- those would be heaven...