First time Pheasant Trip SD
- Thread starter Hiltonkv
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BritChaser
Well-known member
Think there are quite a few WPAs (waterfowl production areas) up there which are good pheasant hunting places with cattails, grass, and nearby crop stalks and stubble. The WPAs are well-marked with signage and are on the SD hunting atlas. Weird thing about SD is that the first week of the season is for residents only. Hunting hours start at 10 a.m. after that. When you get your license you'll have to pick two five-day periods to hunt. Make your second period as late in the season as possible. You can always change it to an earlier date, but if the date you pick comes and goes, that's it; you're done.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Thanks for advice!
BritChaser
Well-known member
see mine again for editing i did after your post above
Is first week after resident a good time to go?
BritChaser
Well-known member
depends on the weather and of course there will be more non-resident hunters than at any other time
A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
Any week is a good week. My favorite weeks are regular opener week, the week toward the very tail end of the corn harvest, the week after the 1st significant snow 4"+, & the last week of the season. In the southeastern/east-central part of the state, WPAs are the best. GPAs, WIAs, CREP & ditches are a toss up. They vary more than WPAs. You won't have CREP around Eureka. Ignore all other types of public land. Just curious. Why Eureka?
gimruis
Well-known member
I would personally avoid that time period just for those specific reasons. October is hot, there's still a lot of crops, and the hunting pressure is sky high. Wait a week or two and there will be a lot less hunters.
Unless of course you want to deal with fighting other hunters for spots but that's not my cup of tea.
UplandHntr
Well-known member
as mentioned there isnt a bad time to go. You will never hit it perfect. You might hit a particular spot under perfect conditions but rarely an entire trip.
You will be amazed at the amount of hunters you will see at diners etc in the morning and how few you actually see in the fields. There seem to disappear. Maybe 90 % of them are at private preserves etc and not public land like I hunt exclusively.
First trip - be prepared to be humbled...
You will be amazed at the amount of hunters you will see at diners etc in the morning and how few you actually see in the fields. There seem to disappear. Maybe 90 % of them are at private preserves etc and not public land like I hunt exclusively.
First trip - be prepared to be humbled...
BritChaser
Well-known member
standing corn is a big negative for pheasant hunting, vacuums up the birds.
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gimruis
Well-known member
If the field is small and managable, then its a magnet later in the season. I'm used to smaller parcels here in Central MN than the ones that are out west and seemingly go on forever. The "sea of corn" is a major hindrance the first half of the season until most of it gets harvested. As A5 stated, right when most of it seems to get harvested is quite often when the best hunting of the season occurs. If there is a fresh snow that coincides with it, even better. Obviously its very difficult to time that especially if you have to plan this in advance.
This would apply across all of the normal pheasant range in the Midwest too, not just in SD.
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Goosemaster
Well-known member
My advise is,try to get on private land, and leave them a 6 pack of Hamms.These people are not picky. Public land birds are very smart! That's my opinion.
FlushingSetters1724
Active member
That first week can be awesome.. as others have mentioned it can be hot, but I'd argue the hunting pressure isn't much worse than other times of the year. I primarily hunt around one of the "hotspots" in the state and the last few years I didn't see that many people opening week. I also get out early and drive around for a few hours and then sit in the lot of where I plan to hunt for about 45 minutes or so before it opens. I can't stress enough how important scouting is. Drink your coffee in the truck and put some miles on.. Sometimes it seems like birds are extinct in one area, and 10 minutes down the road they're all over like roaches.
Good luck and report back!
Good luck and report back!
roadscholar
Active member
Excellent advice. With the 10am start, I almost always use the hours between 8:00 and 9:30 to drive around checking out public spots.
dakotasj
Well-known member
Every pheasant hunter should go to the NR SD opener at least once in their life.
It is an experience similar to a Super Bowl or Daytona 500. I think I made the opener my first 3 trips.
It can also be dangerous for hunters and especially dogs if the temperatures are in the 90s.
My advice would be to go and experience the opener, then schedule a return trip in December or January. Crops are in, motels half full, cool to cold temps, not much competition, maybe some snow.
carptom1
Well-known member
I remember being at Dakota Mart in Pierre the Friday evening before the Non Resident opener back before you could get your license online. Downstairs at the sporting goods counter people were three deep all around the counter buying licenses, ammo and even guns. It was nuts but a good experience for my young sons. The restaurants and motels were packed. I was grateful to have some private access as the public spots were crowded. Not my cup of tea anymore but I am grateful for the experience.