First Trip to paradise!!!

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dodgeboy75

New member
It's been a long road of planning my first trip to South Dakota. I've managed to get most of it done by online searches, lurking on great forums like this one and watching youtube videos. The only concerns I have require local knowledge from members on this site.

Here in Ohio we have Quail, woodcock, grouse and DNR released phesants. 90 percent of my upland hunting has been in wooded/ brushy areas and rarely required a shot of more than 30 yards. The knowledge I'm lookinig for is where to start with chokes in my over/under? I'm going ahead and buying steel loads cause I don't want to bring extra ammo for which areas i am going to hunt.


Also need dog info.....I have a flusher and can run a beeper and cow bell on his collar and not have to worry about flushing birds way out in front. Can i get away with this setup on wild birds or are they going to flush hundred yards out.

Any info is greatly appreciated!!!!
 
Dodge , Ive never hunted SD but regularly hunt North Dakota and Kansas. I like mod / mod or mod / full in pheasant country. I like improved / mod where there is a likelihood that i will encounter smaller game(quail , hungarian partridge). As far as the dog goes , I run a beeper collar but for location only. I keep it on silent mode where it only beeps when I tell it too by remote. Those birds will be cautious on public land but killable. I like #5 lead shot and #3 or 4 in steel.
 
You have to remember that steel patterns tighter than lead. If it were me, I would start with Skeet and Light Mod chokes, and have an I.C. and Mod as back ups if needed.
 
I will agree with you 870. I usually shoot heavy shot or something softer than steel but non tox. I do shoot ic with steel. some of the magnum duck stuff shoots too fast in my opinion.Sucks in wind too , therefore i like the heavy shot.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm going in with the midset that it will be windy. Some of the duck loads i've looked at are 1500-1700 fps. I've bought prairie storm, kent and federal just to get me started.
 
The most significant adjustment I have made from quail and woodcock hunting to pheasant hunting is silence. Don't slam doors when exiting a vehicle, no verbal commands for the dogs, no talking, no bells, no beepers and no whistles. As to chokes, I shoot skeet and modified in my side by side.
 
Can't stress enough. SILENCE. We walked up to a spot after parking a ways away and when we pinched the barbwire to get off the road it sqeaked and the pheasants piled out of there like their butts were on fire!
 
david0311

dodgeboy75 said:
It's been a long road of planning my first trip to South Dakota. I've managed to get most of it done by online searches, lurking on great forums like this one and watching youtube videos. The only concerns I have require local knowledge from members on this site.

Here in Ohio we have Quail, woodcock, grouse and DNR released phesants. 90 percent of my upland hunting has been in wooded/ brushy areas and rarely required a shot of more than 30 yards. The knowledge I'm lookinig for is where to start with chokes in my over/under? I'm going ahead and buying steel loads cause I don't want to bring extra ammo for which areas i am going to hunt.


Also need dog info.....I have a flusher and can run a beeper and cow bell on his collar and not have to worry about flushing birds way out in front. Can i get away with this setup on wild birds or are they going to flush hundred yards out.

Any info is greatly appreciated!!!!
Click to expand...

With steel #3or#4s would go with IC and LT Mod until conditions told me different---in fact thats what I go with using lead as well most of season--and I have flushers--would skip bell and use beeper only to locate--dc
 
david0311 said:
With steel #3or#4s would go with IC and LT Mod until conditions told me different---in fact thats what I go with using lead as well most of season--and I have flushers--would skip bell and use beeper only to locate--dc
Click to expand...

I agree..........
 
I shoot I/c modified. I rarely shoot at birds that are over 35 yards anyway. Leave the cowbell in the truck. I run beeper mode and only use the whistle while directing on a retrieve, and very rarely. Those cocks figure out whistle+ car door+ gun action + loud talking+ yelling at dog = hot ass real quick:D

Ps: talked to a farmer in Jones county today and he has 8 ft corn.
 
SD

Couldn't agree more. I'm pretty inexperienced, but my goal out there is to hunt in silence with my dog. I use the beeper when my dog ranges, but that's about it. Otherwise, the quieter the better. Like deer hunting here in WI.
 
Thasnk for all the advice, these tips are invaluable to a first timer and hopefully make my trip fruitful. Just can't wait to get there.
 
dodgeboy75 said:
It's been a long road of planning my first trip to South Dakota. I've managed to get most of it done by online searches, lurking on great forums like this one and watching youtube videos. The only concerns I have require local knowledge from members on this site.

Here in Ohio we have Quail, woodcock, grouse and DNR released phesants. 90 percent of my upland hunting has been in wooded/ brushy areas and rarely required a shot of more than 30 yards. The knowledge I'm lookinig for is where to start with chokes in my over/under? I'm going ahead and buying steel loads cause I don't want to bring extra ammo for which areas i am going to hunt.


Also need dog info.....I have a flusher and can run a beeper and cow bell on his collar and not have to worry about flushing birds way out in front. Can i get away with this setup on wild birds or are they going to flush hundred yards out.

Any info is greatly appreciated!!!!
Click to expand...

Dodgeboy75--I have found that IC followed by Modified works well with my over/under. If it's later in the season or if birds are consistently getting up wild I keep the choke tubes in the truck and can change to a tighter pattern if needed. You will not need to worry about a bell or beeper to locate your dog in SD, cover is shorter than what you will find in OH. Just watch the dog at all times. I too am from Ohio and have traveled to SD or ND almost every season (since 1987) to chase roosters. You will have fun/it's a great experience.
 
How can I not trust a guy with the username TRUTH!!! Thanks for the advice. My dog is the only reason this trip will be worth it. I'm sure I can go out there by myself and have no problem finding a group of hunters to tag along with, but i'm sure most of you are like me and take no pleasure in taking the easy road. I didn't get my dog with the intentions to hunt preserves, he deserves to run free on his own ability. If I was to miss every shot over his points or he didn't retreive downed birds, it would still be worth the trip.
 
david0311

dodgeboy75 said:
How can I not trust a guy with the username TRUTH!!! Thanks for the advice. My dog is the only reason this trip will be worth it. I'm sure I can go out there by myself and have no problem finding a group of hunters to tag along with, but i'm sure most of you are like me and take no pleasure in taking the easy road. I didn't get my dog with the intentions to hunt preserves, he deserves to run free on his own ability. If I was to miss every shot over his points or he didn't retreive downed birds, it would still be worth the trip.
Click to expand...

Have you said where you plan to hunt--or did I miss it--you may get a little more help if you do--:cheers:
 
david0311 said:
Have you said where you plan to hunt--or did I miss it--you may get a little more help if you do--:cheers:
Click to expand...

I'm staying in Chamberlain and plan on hunting the public ground along the river corridor.


Thanks to the WONDERFUL people at the Chamberlain Chamber of Commerce for sending me some brouchers and a 2013 Hunting Atlas. It's info like this and good advice from locals that bring people from all over to your state!!!!
 
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