Hi of 56 Degrees Dec 12 - Don't forget your tshirts and sunscreen

UGUIDE

UGUIDE

Active member
Our group is hunting at Pheasant Camp Lodge next week. Will be 14 of us including 2 guides. Supposed to be 56 for a high on Friday. I was told last year by one of my customers who hunted in the bitter cold of Dec. They said "Never Again". I say never say never:)

Still got some great hunts left in the season and prices may never be this low again.
 
Mixed feelings!

I'm not sure how to feel about the forecast for "our" week in SD. On one hand, I picked the week I picked b/c I thought it was as close as guaranteed as weather can be...I mean, how often ya'll get sunburns in SD in Dec? I suspect that most 2nd weeks of Dec are brutally cold, with relatively tight-sitting birds.

The absence of crust-covered snow is a BLESSING. I'd much rather have a 56 degree day than crunchy, ice-topped snow-pack, which makes it increasingly difficult to get within shooting distance of the birds.

I assume the birds will spend much of the day in the feed. Good thing we ended up getting a few extra in our group. We'll need to effectively block fields on this trip.

Good luck out there!
 
Snow, cold and unpleasant weather usually equals birds that are bunched. That can mean a flock shoot and we're finished by noon.

On the other hand, if the birds are in singles et al, we need to hunt them down. In my opinion, hunting singles, watching the dogs work and point is far more sporting and fun than the flock shoot.

With the crops in, the cover is more limited and the birds are more exposed in cultivated fields. Wonder how long they'll stay in the open...

See you next week! Packing the sun screen.
 
i will take scattered birds any day...bunched birds are wild and wary birds, they are hard to approach...love pointed , single flushes and the calm that follows with a single retrieve to hand....:thumbsup:

makes for great camera work too.
 
I have hunted both early and very late in SD for many years. While I will agree that those large flocks can be a challenge, there is still something magical about a huge flush of birds that makes me stand there in total amazement. Three years ago I saw the largest single flush I have ever seen or probably ever will. In fact it happened in two different places up there that year which was pretty cool. I find the hunting more challenging when it is cold. You are fighting the elements, and trying to outsmart birds that have been shot at for a couple months.
 
It was amazing, Tom. Two different sites - 50-100 birds in each flush. Glad I was there...last year it was over so quickly. Recall you and I guided the rest of the day! George made a great photo of Max and I which I am grateful.
 
We leave Tuesday to hunt through the end of the week. Our guys were having same conversation as to the large flock flushes or spending more time hunting birds spread out. I am good either way as long as I am hunting birds!!:)
 
Just walked in the door

Just returned from S.D run. Took 14 yrs. old son along for first time, father/son thing. Wow what a difference several days can make. Friday we hunted a honey hole that is always full of birds. 1/4 section of food plots and CRP, tree line mix. Only saw seven birds in the whole place. Yesterday, hunted less than 1/4 mile away on same farm, saw maybe 1000 birds.(spooky, but still fun to see). No difference in cover or food sources. Interesting how one area will hold birds and another will not currently have anything. Did get our birds, with the boys doing a lot of shooting!!! Weather was great, wind shear sweater and strap vest, perfect combination. Good luck to all going out this week. I'll be going out next week again for a three/four day run. will report back after that trip.:):)
 
Hunted with my week 8 guys last night a little. This one piece is right next to a national wildlife refuge. FYI, it cannot be entered legally by man of dog with out a federal game warden and they probably would not give permission to retrieve a pheasant. Maybe a deer.

So anyway we are hunting this field next to refuge and the hunting is slow. The whole time I am hearing roosters cackle and trade back and forth down in the refuge. My buddy has a tower deer stand he hunted in a couple weeks ago and commented on the numbers of birds he saw coming out of the refuge and going to picked corn.

I guesstimate there to be about 1000 roosters in that refuge. And with no cold weather to force them to feed that is where they will stay untouched.

Same holds true around the state.

My guys left this morning and said they are coming back next year as they still did harvest more birds in the warmer weather this year than last years sub zero temps.

They saw more bunched up last year but got more points and close flushes this year.
 
Rooster Shooter said:
Just returned from S.D run. Took 14 yrs. old son along for first time, father/son thing. Wow what a difference several days can make. Friday we hunted a honey hole that is always full of birds. 1/4 section of food plots and CRP, tree line mix. Only saw seven birds in the whole place. Yesterday, hunted less than 1/4 mile away on same farm, saw maybe 1000 birds.(spooky, but still fun to see). No difference in cover or food sources. Interesting how one area will hold birds and another will not currently have anything. Did get our birds, with the boys doing a lot of shooting!!! Weather was great, wind shear sweater and strap vest, perfect combination. Good luck to all going out this week. I'll be going out next week again for a three/four day run. will report back after that trip.:):)
Click to expand...
Almost the same scenario we encountered in Spink County.
 
UGUIDE said:
Hunted with my week 8 guys last night a little. This one piece is right next to a national wildlife refuge. FYI, it cannot be entered legally by man of dog with out a federal game warden and they probably would not give permission to retrieve a pheasant. Maybe a deer.

So anyway we are hunting this field next to refuge and the hunting is slow. The whole time I am hearing roosters cackle and trade back and forth down in the refuge. My buddy has a tower deer stand he hunted in a couple weeks ago and commented on the numbers of birds he saw coming out of the refuge and going to picked corn.

I guesstimate there to be about 1000 roosters in that refuge. And with no cold weather to force them to feed that is where they will stay untouched.

Same holds true around the state.




My guys left this morning and said they are coming back next year as they still did harvest more birds in the warmer weather this year than last years sub zero temps.

They saw more bunched up last year but got more points and close flushes this year.
Click to expand...


Chris- if it's the same place I am thinking, we witnessed a few hundred flying from the cut corn into the refuge the last evening we hunted. At first, the number of birds had me thinking they were ducks landing in a wet hole, but it didn't take long to realize they were all pheasants. They happened to be flying into the cattails. Glad I had a witness as it would had been hard for someone to have believed the numbers of birds.... truly a site to see.
 
SX3 said:
Chris- if it's the same place I am thinking, we witnessed a few hundred flying from the cut corn into the refuge the last evening we hunted. At first, the number of birds had me thinking they were ducks landing in a wet hole, but it didn't take long to realize they were all pheasants. They happened to be flying into the cattails. Glad I had a witness as it would had been hard for someone to have believed the numbers of birds.... truly a site to see.
Click to expand...

The only time I have seen that many in there is after Christmas when everything else is snowed in. I have see 500-700 before. It's harboring too many fugitives.:)
 
No kidding on the fugitives.


With the refuge near, your food plots, crp and management its the perfect recipe for big bird numbers.
 
Large Flushes

Chris know exactly where you were when this happened, we were there the 4th week, and LARGE flushes 50 to 100 birds at a time were very numerous on that part of the property......Haven't see flushes like that since we use to hunt Iowa before it passed on......Totally enjoyed the time spent this year at PC and I know at least 9 of our group are going back next year.....hoping good things work out with my legs and I can make it with them, you did great this year with the food plots and cover, would encourage anyone looking to get with you and set up a week at PC---except the 4th week........Great job man......I encourage anyone trying to set their land up for pheasant to get with Chris and see how he manages his farm to keep and produce Wild Native birds. Take care and Thanks for a great experience. Paul:10sign:
 
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