Miforester
Well-known member
My son and I just returned from a great trip in South Dakota. Our base of operations was Redfield and we hunted a 40 mile radius from 11/5 -11/9. Our dogs are my youngest year and a half Brittany and 2.5 yr lab. After a very successful Michigan woodcock season the dogs were ready for their next challenge. First day was our arrival and we only had about half the day to hunt but we were able to scratch out 2 birds from CREP land SE of Redfield, we should have bagged one other rooster. Day 2 we ventured west and hunted CREP, mixture of crp and cattails, we quickly bagged 3 roosters then moved to another CREP parcel and after a lot of walking we were able to get our limit. My Brit made her first retrieve on a rooster. Day 3 we went north and hunted a mix of CREP and road ditches and we're back in redfield to watch Clemson win, shooting and dogs were above par. Day 4 went north again hunting CREP and ditches and again our dogs gave us the opportunity to kill our limit and we did. Birds were sparse in fields finding most along crop edges, most birds found in or along cattails. Saw some very impressive bucks as we pushed the cattails. Our last day we went east and hunted cattails along a creek, we dumped a rooster in the middle of the creek and my Brit was first to the bird and made a nice water retrieve. Unfortunately our shooting was subpar, our dogs did their job but we couldn't connect.
Highlights, lab flushed a group of 3 roosters and we dropped them all and Brits point resulted in 2 roosters flushing and being harvested, in both cases it filled our limit. Brit pup retrieving 1st rooster and water retrieve, she also snatched a sparrow out of mid air on the first day as well.....
My last trip to SD was in 2012, hunted only private and saw big number of birds. This year hunted all public, CREP, and ditches. Bird numbers were adequate enough for us to have killed our limit every day and that is all I wanted. Birds were mostly in cattails or fringes of cattails also along crop/crp interface. Weather was really nice 50's and 60's our last couple of days.
Birds did sit for points as my Brit had 33 points and my lab had 20 flushes. In total we had 126 birds flushed within gun range but flushed ahead of dogs. We were able to harvest 21 roosters over the 5 days.
Most importantly making memories with my son who graduates high school this year. My dad and I made a similar trip to Iowa my senior year and continued for the next 15 years, I hope we will do the same.
A few photos:
[/[URL=http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Miforester1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151107_123238_zpsrw896mnb.jpg.html]
Highlights, lab flushed a group of 3 roosters and we dropped them all and Brits point resulted in 2 roosters flushing and being harvested, in both cases it filled our limit. Brit pup retrieving 1st rooster and water retrieve, she also snatched a sparrow out of mid air on the first day as well.....
My last trip to SD was in 2012, hunted only private and saw big number of birds. This year hunted all public, CREP, and ditches. Bird numbers were adequate enough for us to have killed our limit every day and that is all I wanted. Birds were mostly in cattails or fringes of cattails also along crop/crp interface. Weather was really nice 50's and 60's our last couple of days.
Birds did sit for points as my Brit had 33 points and my lab had 20 flushes. In total we had 126 birds flushed within gun range but flushed ahead of dogs. We were able to harvest 21 roosters over the 5 days.
Most importantly making memories with my son who graduates high school this year. My dad and I made a similar trip to Iowa my senior year and continued for the next 15 years, I hope we will do the same.
A few photos:
[/[URL=http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Miforester1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/20151107_123238_zpsrw896mnb.jpg.html]
Last edited:
