“Weather” or not?

T

tomt

Active member
So I have a quick window to get away and hunt SD. Looking at the forecast, it looks like wind between 20 and 40mph on a few of those days. I can either leave tomorrow and hunt Tuesday through Saturday and get back home for moms 85th birthday on Monday ( this was my original plan), or wait until after the 17th and take my chances with weather etc then. I love hunting after snow, but the wind is giving me second thoughts.
I’m coming up mid January to pick up a pup from a breeder around Conde and will use my 2nd 5 days then.
Those of you locals, whatcha think? I plan on hunting alone, but if someone is around that wants to meet I’d be happy to figure that out. No definite plans on specific area so I can be flexible ..
 
I'm going to say go ahead and go. Then do exactly opposite as I say (or not) because I normally get weather screwed either way :) . I've already had it happen this year. Always take an extended forecast with a grain of salt because I've been screwed by those many times also. So, I'm going to say without a doubt that I'm not the guy to answer that!!:)🍻
 
Rereading my earlier post, I realize that I’m rushing things and rolling the dice when I don’t need to. I retired early in life for a reason, to roll with it. Depending on forecasts, I’ll head up sometime after Nov 17th, hunt my 5 days and then maybe swing back home via eastern Montana or Central Kansas if my dog is up for it. Sorry about cluttering up the forum with the earlier post, I’d delete it if I knew how.
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, I’ll be out there hunting somewhere (have ONX, will travel 😉).
 
The wind machine is in full force, I arrived last night and it started howling early morning, steady 25-35 with gust near or exceeding 50. Fortunately, my five days do not start until monday, they are still calling for winds in the 10-20's and tuesday is higher, but have to roll with the hand your dealt. Did run the dogs today to burn off the 16 hour drive and night in house. Did have a nice rooster pointed by my oldest britt, and several other flushed wild, only ran them for about an 90 minutes. Tooling around scouting saw a group of 4 roosters cross in front of me, so I stopped and let my 7 month pup out just to see what she might do, we got about 20 yards from them when they flushed. Good news she acknowledged where they entered the ditch and track right to the spot the last rooster flushed from, so see know their scent. She has had a decent fall in the grouse woods pointing grouse and woodcock, but tomorrow will be a whole new game for her. Going to be a fun week.
 
Our group will be heading out tuesday morning and looking at the forecast they are basically calling for a blizzard starting wednesday night all the way till friday morning, 25-35mph winds and 8-10 inches of snow. should keep tent camping interesting for us, gotta love hunting after the first snow!
 
waterdog09 said:
Our group will be heading out tuesday morning and looking at the forecast they are basically calling for a blizzard starting wednesday night all the way till friday morning, 25-35mph winds and 8-10 inches of snow. should keep tent camping interesting for us, gotta love hunting after the first snow!
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Yeah will be an interesting end to the week, could be epic or horrific.....lo's this week will make the flooded cattails all that more accessible for the birds and precarious for the dogs depending on ice thickness, after wednesday lo's hovering near zero. Don't mind hunting in snow but don't like hunting in snow that is falling horizontally.....lol. Yeah Thursday calling for 3-5 and over night 5-8, hoping this is a time the weatherman is wrong.....lol
 
Miforester said:
Yeah will be an interesting end to the week, could be epic or horrific.....lo's this week will make the flooded cattails all that more accessible for the birds and precarious for the dogs depending on ice thickness, after wednesday lo's hovering near zero. Don't mind hunting in snow but don't like hunting in snow that is falling horizontally.....lol. Yeah Thursday calling for 3-5 and over night 5-8, hoping this is a time the weatherman is wrong.....lol
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I don't mind hunting after snow or even in a snow storm, but 10-14 inches and 30+ mph winds is a bit much. If this trip hadn't been in the works for months and time taken off of work and a guy driving up from florida we would probably move it a week. But it's not anything we haven't hunted in before. Should make it a bit easier to find the birds as they will move to winter cover and abandon the grass areas unless it's really thick.
 
waterdog09 said:
I don't mind hunting after snow or even in a snow storm, but 10-14 inches and 30+ mph winds is a bit much. If this trip hadn't been in the works for months and time taken off of work and a guy driving up from florida we would probably move it a week. But it's not anything we haven't hunted in before. Should make it a bit easier to find the birds as they will move to winter cover and abandon the grass areas unless it's really thick.
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A couple years back in October, I was pulling into a public hunting area in Montana at night in a full out bizzard thinking what the heck was I doing. Roads were dangerous, visibility was almost as close to nothing as you can get. Luckily I was sleeping in the back shell of my truck, but my buddy had to set up a tent in that mess. Next morning, The wind has died down, snow turned to flurries, then the following day to sunshine, but the key was no wind. The two guys already there when we pulled in bugged out and we had the place to ourselves for the next 2 days, before we moved onto a new area. 10 inches of Fresh snow was the best!!! Amazingly beautiful, birds didn’t run and were bunched up in the thickets. I enjoyed limits each day, my friend can’t shoot, but had his opportunities and got 3. One of the most sketchy experiences turned into one of my best, so I hope y’all have the same luck. If the upcoming storm that is expected was followed by low wind days, I’d of not missed it this week. However, I understand about carving out a time to go and having to stick with it through thick and thin, especially if you have other people along that have families/ jobs/ responsibilities. That was me up until recently, family is self sufficient and I finally learned to say no to added responsibility. 😉
Be safe!
 
tomt said:
So I have a quick window to get away and hunt SD. Looking at the forecast, it looks like wind between 20 and 40mph on a few of those days. I can either leave tomorrow and hunt Tuesday through Saturday and get back home for moms 85th birthday on Monday ( this was my original plan), or wait until after the 17th and take my chances with weather etc then. I love hunting after snow, but the wind is giving me second thoughts.
I’m coming up mid January to pick up a pup from a breeder around Conde and will use my 2nd 5 days then.
Those of you locals, whatcha think? I plan on hunting alone, but if someone is around that wants to meet I’d be happy to figure that out. No definite plans on specific area so I can be flexible ..
Click to expand...
going to be hunting solo with one dog, east of Mobridge, 18th thru 21st, picking up a new pup late on the 21st.
817 229 9114.
 
waterdog09 said:
I don't mind hunting after snow or even in a snow storm, but 10-14 inches and 30+ mph winds is a bit much. If this trip hadn't been in the works for months and time taken off of work and a guy driving up from florida we would probably move it a week. But it's not anything we haven't hunted in before. Should make it a bit easier to find the birds as they will move to winter cover and abandon the grass areas unless it's really thick.
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Know what you mean by timing, that was my situation. Like anything adapt and try to over come. I may boogie out Friday if the roads aren't too bad, if they are may try and venture out and hit pocket covers, winds of 25 with low temps won't be the most pleasant, not to mention the snow! Oh and I didn't pack my hunting coat......i'm to trusting of the weatherman, what a dump arse I am!
 
waterdog09 said:
Our group will be heading out tuesday morning and looking at the forecast they are basically calling for a blizzard starting wednesday night all the way till friday morning, 25-35mph winds and 8-10 inches of snow. should keep tent camping interesting for us, gotta love hunting after the first snow!
Click to expand...
Hey Waterdog, We’ll, how did it go with the storm, both hunting and camping? I have to admit, I stayed home and skied instead.😉

I also almost always camp when hunting solo, Where have you found is the best place to tent camp with your group? Pay Campgrounds or public lands? Do you set up and stay in one spot for awhile or move around?
 
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tomt said:
Hey Waterdog, We’ll, how did it go with the storm, both hunting and camping? I have to admit, I stayed home and skied instead.😉

I also almost always camp when hunting solo, Where have you found is the best place to tent camp with your group? Pay Campgrounds or public lands? Do you set up and stay in one spot for awhile or move around?
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We ended up not camping and staying in a different part of the state more south in a house that we have access to. Our group did ok, 4 guys 4 labs, 1 of the guys came up from florida after moving last year so he & his dog haven't hunted in 2 years and it showed. It was extremely dry so the dogs took a beating from the cover, all of their pads were raw by the end of the 4th day so we called it a trip. In all we shot around 40 birds for the 4 days of hunting and that was with some really poor shooting from 2 guys and also battling the 30-40+ winds 2 of the 4 days. All on public ground no private. I would call it a good trip, not a great trip and nowhere close to our best trips out in that area. It was very upsetting to see all the crep land and walk in land hayed. And not just part or half of it but almost full sections hayed. We will be going back out after xmas for our second trip and will hopefully have some snow to work with.
 
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