Headed that way

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Pheasantphan

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This will be our tenth or twelfth to chase birds up that way and are looking forward to the hunt. Looks like numbers are down but we plan to hunt hard on public and see what happens. We are basing in Platte till it looks like we need to make a move. Couple questions - would anyone want to point to an area we might run into some Huns? That is a dream bird of mine and we have lucked on to a couple in the past but would like to find more. It would seem north and west of Platte would be better but if anyone would share insight you can it through message or I can send my phone number. Also, if any of y’all are out that way maybe we could meet up and put faces with names if you like. Last year we chose to gut our birds, but leave them intact otherwise. Less mess and less meat contact with dirt, etc and they fared well till we got home. Anyone else do that? Thanks, Chuck
 
Dakotazeb said:
Very few Huns in South Dakota anymore. Used to bump into a covey once in a while when pheasant hunting but haven't seen a covey n years.
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Right, I can't remember the last covey I saw. When I was a kid, it seemed like we'd see a covey every time we went out after pheasants. Jackrabbits too. Now, for different reasons, there are practically none left of either, at least in eastern SD. 12-15 years ago a covey of maybe 10 flew across the road in front of me. It was right after a nice, fluffy snow of a few inches. They lit in a plowed field about 40 yards out. As I drove by slowly, watching, each of them flipped their wings a couple times & absolutely disappeared beneath the snow. Just like they'd never existed. Pretty neat little birds. My guess would be that the further south you are, the more likely you might be to run into a few. But that's only a guess & based somewhat on the fact that you're more likely (although still unlikely) to also see bobwhites the further south you get (and kind of east).
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
My guess would be that the further south you are, the more likely you might be to run into a few. But that's only a guess & based somewhat on the fact that you're more likely (although still unlikely) to also see bobwhites the further south you get (and kind of east).
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Looks like I was probably wrong. The GF&P estimates anywhere from about 5,000 to 11,000 Huns per year shot in SD over the last 10 years. Pretty abysmal. But far and away the most birds were shot in Meade, Dewey & Perkins counties last year. Here's a link for info.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/harvest/reports/Partridge.pdf
 
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I try to hang my birds with the guts out for a couple of days, but this late in the year it gets tougher to do. Good luck out near platte!
 
Thanks guys. I often leave mallards for a day or two or so without cleaning them, but we don't get weather in Arkansas conducive to that very often anymore. The gamebird aging/hanging idea is intriguing to me but a little scary here in our climate.
Thanks for the info on the Huns, what I expected to hear, we have seen a couple coveys but not many, I just think they are a very neat bird.
Looking forward to getting up there about Sunday and it looks like we are bringing AR weather with us, wish it was going to be a little colder. Thanks!!!!!
 
Hunted two days so far, killed a few both days. We are seeing some birds but the numbers are down and are very scattered. We think it is hard to tell exact numbers with this warmer weather as we have not found the concentrations we have in past years. Still a great time though!!
 
Pheasantphan said:
Hunted two days so far, killed a few both days. We are seeing some birds but the numbers are down and are very scattered. We think it is hard to tell exact numbers with this warmer weather as we have not found the concentrations we have in past years. Still a great time though!!
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Well, you brought that AR weather with you, so you've got nobody to blame but yourselves. I jest. Nice weather this late in the season w/ very little snow on the ground makes it very tough. They've got no real reason to bunch up & too many options for finding cover. Enjoy the rest of your hunt & do a snow dance!
 
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