Bird numbers down, but had best year yet!

S

southernroots

New member
I know some guys are struggling this year, but if you put in the work and willing to walk its pretty easy to get your limit. My group killed 140 roosters in 8 days!!!
 
140 in 8 day's??

Hi George,

Wonder where this guy was? Private/Game Lodge with pen birds?

Jon
 
November 7-11 hunting success

Despite the lower bird numbers our group had success this year as well.
We shot all wild SD roosters. NW of Mitchell we were able to limit with rather large groups. We were hunting private ground

But the big surprise was in the SE area of the state where the birds numbers are low we had very good luck. Two important factors for this year:
1. All the crops were harvest. No big unpicked cornfields for the roosters to hang out!
2. Lots of good cover where sloughs had dried up. Last year we weren't able to hunt these areas because they were all full of water!
We didn't limit the last two days of our hunt....but found enough birds to keep things interesting! :) Mostly private ground ...but did manage to bag two roosters on some public walk-in land!
 
Gotta tell ya guys, have seen 300 birds dead on the ground this year. 180 was large group on private land 3days and 63 7guys, 3 days last weekend.
For a bad year, I am having a ball.
 
All the birds we killed came from public ground, with the exception of a days limit on a friends land. We were in the Aberdeen/Webster area
 
Had Great Success

First time to SD last month. With bird numbers down, still better than anything seen anywhere else...ever! Hunted private and public,got out quicker on public. We were in the central region and seen groups of over 200 a number of times. Looking foerward to next year!
 
I agree, it's been an outstanding year! I've had some part in putting over 300 birds on ice this year. All private, wild birds over 4 different counties all in the center part of the State. I say this every year, but if next year is half as good as this year was, it'll still be outstanding!



Steve
 
You guys that are finding birds in SD this year should feel very fortunate. There are areas that the birds are just plain gone. Probably the worst pheasant hunting I've had in SD in over 30 years.
 
Numbers...

That, in a way is sad to hear. Seems like the central part of the state is where the birds are, declined numbers as it may be. In perspective , it was better than anything I have ever experienced. To put the skeptics at bay, two of us hunted public and private, no flared nostrils, all wild birds, harvested our limit each of five days...shorthairs4ever as my witness. There were full days of hoofing it, half days and a one hour day. As stated in previous post, seen groups of over 200 a number of times. Most people know this sport isn't for those not willing to invest some boot leather. That's what the hunt clubs are for...or just stay home.
The second factor in this equation is your dog's ability to find birds. I came across two guys working the same 160 acre field, I had 2 in posession and they never saw a bird. I'm not saying my dogs are the greatest cause I've shared fields with other guys and their dogs, and they out-performed. My dogs are 7 years old, raised them from birth, and put in countless hours of traveling/training with NAVHDA while they were young.
I consider myself a serious hunter, willing to do what it takes to put my dogs in birds, I owe them that. We had a great time in South Dakota this year. I hope the bird numbers rebound all across the plains states so that we all have great harvests next season where ever we go...we will be back.





m
 
Dakotazeb said:
You guys that are finding birds in SD this year should feel very fortunate. There are areas that the birds are just plain gone. Probably the worst pheasant hunting I've had in SD in over 30 years.
Click to expand...

Hunted some country in your former haunts recently Zeb and have to agree. Even the refuge opener produced flushes you could count on one hand where last year in the same location --and for every year prior going back a long time--flushes less than 50 were a poor day.
 
tmrichardson said:
Hunted some country in your former haunts recently Zeb and have to agree. Even the refuge opener produced flushes you could count on one hand where last year in the same location --and for every year prior going back a long time--flushes less than 50 were a poor day.
Click to expand...

I agree about the refuge. I have hunted the opener there for years. Last year 4 of us shot a limit there in about 6 hrs. Cattails were full of birds. This year we probably saw less than 50 an harvested 6 with 7 guys. Water was too high. Phucked up walking in cattails this year there.
 
Dakotazeb said:
You guys that are finding birds in SD this year should feel very fortunate. There are areas that the birds are just plain gone. Probably the worst pheasant hunting I've had in SD in over 30 years.
Click to expand...

I am in the same boat as you. If it were not feeling bad for the dogs I probably whould be done hunting for the year.
 
Dakotazeb said:
You guys that are finding birds in SD this year should feel very fortunate. There are areas that the birds are just plain gone. Probably the worst pheasant hunting I've had in SD in over 30 years.
Click to expand...

Ditto. There are pockets where it is good but I did not shoot 1 pheasant on my farm this year. I hunted for 2 days and after what I saw I took the year off and shut things down a little early to give the birds a break. there's a few around and the winter has been dry and mild so far which is ideal for the birds.
 
Planting birds

OK here is a loaded question.

Some areas in and around Platte had a terrible nesting season and birds are scarce, would planting some hens just before nesting season do any good for increasing the birds numbers next year of would it be a waste of money?:D;)
 
And how many guys were in this group?! What did y'all do just march every field with your army to where the birds have no escape? Tower shoots buddy, look em up and enjoy them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top