Ft Pierre Grasslands

E

epagneulbrit

Member
Has anyone been out on Ft Pierre hunting sharpies? I am heading out there tomorrow and was curious if anyone had any bird reports.
 
We hunted Thurs, Fri, and Sat. Saw plenty of birds, but they were getting up way out of range, we were able to get a couple of coveys to hold and ended up coming home with 2. We did come across one rattler on our final walk on Saturday. Leashed the dog and walked out, didn't want to deal with that on the last walk of the trip. I had heard from other hunters that they were seeing snakes as well.

Most of the grasslands is not good pheasant habitat, however were there was good pheasant cover, we saw plenty of pheasants.
 
Guys - I realize this is a tough question but do you have a rough guideline, for us not familiar with the grasslands, on when the chance of snake encounters drop? Is it purely temp driven or by the calendar? Appreciate any thoughts you can share on them.

Thanks
 
Purely temperature driven. At least 2 or 3 hard freezes is my rule of thumb. Snake boots and chaps, and vaccines for the dogs can temper the risk but honestly, that stuff is hot, uncomfortable, and I don't really like hunting until it's down around 40F. Prairie grouse opener is really just foreplay until we can start chasing roosters. I'm not going to lose a dog over it. Just my opinion.

I've hunted on the grasslands for the opener when I first moved here, but I won't do it again. When I was a non-resident I hunted the Sandhills in NE for the grouse opener. Found chickens and grouse, and not once in over 20 years have I ever seen a rattlesnake there.
 
I don't hunt on the Ft. Pierre Grasslands but I was out last Thursday on the Buffalo Gap Grasslands. Saw a few grouse, but unfortunately my dog got too close to a prairie dog town and was bitten by a rattler. Got him to the vet within 90 minutes and they gave him a vile of antivenom but he was still seriously sick for several days. He gets an annual snake shot which buys some time, but it's still a serious condition. I've hunted these grasslands for 30 years and occasionally see a snake and they usually rattle, but this one didn't. So be careful out there and stay clear of prairie dog towns; the snakes like to hang out there. Make sure your dog has the snake shot. I think that's what saved my dog and probably helped the recovery period as well. However, if your dog has the shot, he'll still need a vile of antivenom which runs between $500 and $700 plus the vet fees and medicine. I won't be hunting grouse until the weather gets colder. Can't afford another round of antivenom and antibiotics.
 
Hobie1026 said:
Purely temperature driven. At least 2 or 3 hard freezes is my rule of thumb. Snake boots and chaps, and vaccines for the dogs can temper the risk but honestly, that stuff is hot, uncomfortable, and I don't really like hunting until it's down around 40F. Prairie grouse opener is really just foreplay until we can start chasing roosters. I'm not going to lose a dog over it. Just my opinion.

I've hunted on the grasslands for the opener when I first moved here, but I won't do it again. When I was a non-resident I hunted the Sandhills in NE for the grouse opener. Found chickens and grouse, and not once in over 20 years have I ever seen a rattlesnake there.
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Thanks for the info. Do you see many prairie chickens on the grasslands? Thanks again.
 
Prairie dog towns are always bad this time of year as the snakes den in them over winter. Later in season if temps get around 70F or above stay out of dog towns. Few years ago we killed a rattler in December when temps got into 70's. They weren't real active but saw a few that day loafing close to dog holes.
 
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