Chamberlain area

W

Wild16

New member
Into my third day off hunting out here and only 1 rooster in the bag! Anyone having success? Been hitting public land, all spots have feathers in the parking area but I'm not seeing them! Any tips for a first timer?
 
Hunted private land in Iowa for 4 days with 4 of us and 4 dogs and we got up 5 birds 3 that were hens. It was in the mid 70's and the ones we got up came from very tall thick grass. The dogs were of little use as they could not move through it. A lot of corn was still in the field.
 
Do you have a dog, or hunting solo? Try to find small patches of cover, rather than trying to find birds in a sea of cover as they will just scurry around and give you the slip. Maybe start out by hunting ditch cover in the area, see the thread on "Ditch Hunting" Not too familiar with that area but a bit further West and South of the interstate it's usually good, around Presho area.

I have to stay West River, I think I have a warrant out between the Missouri and the Mississippi, they don't dig us Westerners out there
 
I have a dog and she is working well. First time out here, amazed at the public land size. Been trying the thick cover but no luck, hardly seeing any.
 
There is waterfowl production area south of there that is usually good. I suspect still a lot of standing crops making your search harder. Hit the little patches of ditch cover that others drive by.
 
Wild,

Sorry to hear your having a tough go of it. Good advice from Rancho above.
What your experiencing is more the "norm". Mid season public land has been pounded by now. The birds are educated and not sticking around on it. Later in December when the weather turns bad they will come back to the cat tails on public land.
Ive been hunting pheasants for 35 years and won't waste my time and $$$ on SD public land. If you can afford it, get on some good private ground. It will be the best hunting and it will be what you heard SD is supposed to be.

Bob
 
Why is it that everyone bashes public land in SD and says don't waste your time? If you have that kind of money to go and pay to hunt private you could just stay home and hunt a preserve....Far Cheaper! I have hunted SD public land for the last 22 years and have hunted opener all the way to mid December and have always found birds on public land. It's called hunting for a reason. Just keep at it and use the advise stated above. Also look for small pieces of ground that other large groups might over look thinking it is to small. I also love to hunt ditches and have found great success with them in the past. Find a nice looking ditch with cover and food next to it, and you should find birds especially the last 1-2 hours of the day! Good Luck and don't think there are no birds on public land, there are plenty!
 
Water dog,
Guys who travel 10+ hours to SD are not coming to wait around all day for the last hour to finally shoot their gun. There is a perception through advertisements and commercials that you pull up to a huge SD WIA and your dog goes on point within the first 300 yards from the truck. Just ain't true. Yes, guys can and do well on public but these are also guys that have been coming for years and know what public is good and what's a waste of time. What does four first timers do when the come out to SD from Missouri, Indiana or ILlinois? They struggle big time. I'm all for hunting hard. All I ask is the SD tourism needs to paint a more realistic picture. The one they paint where 2-3 roosters all flush together with all 4 hunters banging away can happen on private land but sure as hell rarely happens on over hunted public.
 
Hockeybob said:
Water dog,
Guys who travel 10+ hours to SD are not coming to wait around all day for the last hour to finally shoot their gun. There is a perception through advertisements and commercials that you pull up to a huge SD WIA and your dog goes on point within the first 300 yards from the truck. Just ain't true. Yes, guys can and do well on public but these are also guys that have been coming for years and know what public is good and what's a waste of time. What does four first timers do when the come out to SD from Missouri, Indiana or ILlinois? They struggle big time. I'm all for hunting hard. All I ask is the SD tourism needs to paint a more realistic picture. The one they paint where 2-3 roosters all flush together with all 4 hunters banging away can happen on private land but sure as hell rarely happens on over hunted public.
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I understand that guys that drive that far don't want to wait till the last 1-2 hours of the day to shoot their gun. It was a idea for him to try if he is still hunting at the end of the day. I wasn't telling him to sit all day and then just go out the last 1-2 hours of the day. I'm guessing you haven't hunted public ground lately? I was out opening week and hunted 4 out of our 5 days on public ground the other day was private. We did very well, even having multiple 3-5 bird flushes in multiple different public areas. It does happen so don't say it doesn't. I will agree that the SD tourism commercials don't do any favors, but it's not all that bad as you make it out to be. If your a new hunter to SD I would do some scouting in the morning before legal shooting time. Get up early and go look at some public spots, early in the morning listening and watching you can hear and see what that spot might have to offer. the majority of land in SD that is public is beat to hell by day 2 or 3 and the hunting becomes very difficult but to say don't waste your time and $$$ is just ignorant coming from someone that doesn't do it. Maybe you should throw him a bone and pay for him to hunt some private sense it seems you have so much disposable income, that way he can have the experience you have and won't have to worry about wasting his time.
 
Hey not sure if you are as dry down there as where we were when we hunted out there 3 weeks ago, but we had some pretty decent midday action when we walked the edge of cover next to a big body of water on a few WPAs. They need to drink, and if its hot it is cooler by that big pond.

Just a suggestion, and of course work quiet. Good luck.
 
I guess waterdog thinks hockeybob should buy hunts for those who can't afford them, or won't pay for them. Maybe he is Bernie Sanders in disguise?
 
ranchodeluxe said:
I guess waterdog thinks hockeybob should buy hunts for those who can't afford them, or won't pay for them. Maybe he is Bernie Sanders in disguise?
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Not at all, I just find it hilarious that someone that doesn't hunt public land and says it's a waste of time and money driving to hunt it is giving advice on public land in SD. I can afford to pay for hunts on private land but refuse to because it's a waste in my opinion. if you want to pay just go to a preserve at home and save yourself the long drive and some money. $100+ dollars a day per gun to shoot 3 birds? By my math that comes out to $33.33 a bird, not sure where you hunt but the going rate for a pheasant at the local game farm is around $20-22 so you could save money and time doing that. I prefer to hunt public because of the challenge and you get to see a lot of nice country instead of just walking strip after strip of corn and sorghum. Just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
 
waterdog09 said:
Not at all, I just find it hilarious that someone that doesn't hunt public land and says it's a waste of time and money driving to hunt it is giving advice on public land in SD. I can afford to pay for hunts on private land but refuse to because it's a waste in my opinion. if you want to pay just go to a preserve at home and save yourself the long drive and some money. $100+ dollars a day per gun to shoot 3 birds? By my math that comes out to $33.33 a bird, not sure where you hunt but the going rate for a pheasant at the local game farm is around $20-22 so you could save money and time doing that. I prefer to hunt public because of the challenge and you get to see a lot of nice country instead of just walking strip after strip of corn and sorghum. Just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
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Just more room for you and me, let him say it. I lived across the road from a game farm in WI, it was $3500/year per person. I barely graduated high school, so will let you do the math on that.

I suspect that if I went to Wyoming elk hunting there might be a steep learning curve and I might come home with my dick in my hand, but there's always something to learn. sounds like this guy is putting his time in and understands that no one owes him a limit. That's why I offered him some advice.
 
waterdog09 said:
Not at all, I just find it hilarious that someone that doesn't hunt public land and says it's a waste of time and money driving to hunt it is giving advice on public land in SD. I can afford to pay for hunts on private land but refuse to because it's a waste in my opinion. if you want to pay just go to a preserve at home and save yourself the long drive and some money. $100+ dollars a day per gun to shoot 3 birds? By my math that comes out to $33.33 a bird, not sure where you hunt but the going rate for a pheasant at the local game farm is around $20-22 so you could save money and time doing that. I prefer to hunt public because of the challenge and you get to see a lot of nice country instead of just walking strip after strip of corn and sorghum. Just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
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Please don't equate wild South Dakota birds with pen raised birds, they are not the same thing.
 
haymaker said:
Please don't equate wild South Dakota birds with pen raised birds, they are not the same thing.[/QUOte

I know they are not even close to the same thing, I was just using that as a example as to paying to hunt. didn't mean for it to sound like they are the same thing
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Nor is a game farm any kind of experience like the wide-open skies of South Dakota. Some folks come out here just for the elbow room.
 
There is nothing better than a South Dakota sunset with a limit of roosters on the tailgate and a cold one in your hand! Pure heaven!!
 
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