Conditions

[labrador]

Word on the street is SDGFP is hiring Saddam's old spokesman "Baghdad Bob" to give updates on the state of the pheasant numbers.

First report: "all is well, no reason for concern whatsoever".

 

[benelli-banger]

We’ve got “Nummy Noem”...everything looks great! All the time! Come to SD! We’ve got the right spokesperson...a lot cuter than Baghdad Bob!

 

[UplandHntr]

Looks like most areas should get at least some rain this morning..hope it helps somewhat

 

[benelli-banger]

Hope it helps the farmers/ranchers...they’re in a tough spot. Talked to 2 of them yesterday, this rain will help a lot. With a decent rain and an end to 100 degree temps, my sources tell me they may get 100 bushel corn...not great, but at $6+ it works...last year was 150-175 bushel corn, but selling it as it was being harvested meant $3 per bushel, give or take. Tough business.

 

[mutthunt]

Hope it helps the farmers/ranchers...they’re in a tough spot. Talked to 2 of them yesterday, this rain will help a lot. With a decent rain and an end to 100 degree temps, my sources tell me they may get 100 bushel corn...not great, but at $6+ it works...last year was 150-175 bushel corn, but selling it as it was being harvested meant $3 per bushel, give or take. Tough business.

If corn stays $6+ and the sloughs don't fill up, we should get ready for a good deal of habitat loss. I remember the last time corn hit $7, every low spot got turned over and planted...and flooded out the following years.

Let's just hope they reinvest their earnings in new tractors and outbuildings and not miles of tile.

 

[benelli-banger]

Sloughs and low ground have been turned over already, at least where I hunt...bummer outcome when dry...

 

[benelli-banger]

Buying B/B+ ground for 4-6k/acre, or paying $200-300/acre to rent it, causes that habitat loss regardless of crop prices...

 

[Golden Hour]

We're finally getting the kind of rain we've needed. A big, slow moving swath.

Interestingly, I heard the other day that Codington County (Watertown) has three distinct levels of drought (D1, D2 and D3 is what the radio said, but I'm thinking it should have been 0,1 and 2), a testament to how truly spotty the rain has been this spring/summer.

On the upside, I spent yesterday morning driving around and saw some distinct broods. Interestingly, some were about 2/3 grown and one chick I saw couldn't have been more than 2 weeks old, so there has been some re-nesting.

 

[hunter94]

Sloughs and low ground have been turned over already, at least where I hunt...bummer outcome when dry...

we knew this was inevitable. waste of time and diesel if normal precipt returns, happens with every dry year.

 

[benelli-banger]

Got an 1” +
yesterday at my place...about 3.5-3.75” past 3 weeks...heard my corn food plot is head high...

 

[Golden Hour]

Another update - we had anywhere from 1.5" to 7" over this past weekend in my corner of NESD. I had 3.1" and 3" respectively in the rain gauge at home. I'm optimistic it will help get the crops to properly mature here in the last few weeks of the growing season.

 

[Rooster Rodeo]

Hi All,

I’ve been a silent observer of this site for the past few years and I’ve finally decided to jump in. With the drought, I’ve been frequently looking at the precip maps and it appears that central SD heading southeast down to the Iowa border has done at least a little better in the past few weeks. Anybody on the ground in that general area seeing at least a little bit more moisture? Fingers crossed for some much needed rain for the rest of the year!