The rain we are getting now is helping with drought conditions. The thing it is not helping with is the chicks that have already perished a month ago due to the widespread drought that hit North and South Dakota. I'm sure that on properties such as yours you will continue to see birds. I have my doubts on a lot of the public land that there will be any increase in birds over last year. I'm sure your hunters will find birds. But you fail to see that most of the state is not managed the way your properties are and will likely see a decrease in overall cover and birds. Will I sell my dog and gear? Not a chance. Am I a bit disheartened by the reports I've heard from friends all across the state. Dang right. I guess my view is probably a bit different from most since I do live here and have the opportunity to go multiple times per week, every week. If I were someone who doesn't live here and makes a trip once or twice a year I would be thinking twice about my plans about where and when to go.
Hot and Dry Weather
- Thread starter Dakotazeb
- Start date
benelli-banger
Well-known member
A well-stated, well-reasoned response. Sure, there will be birds, but if you are a public lands hunter in an area that has had lots of grazing and haying of CRP and walk-in land, then you will be competing for fewer huntable acres. For Mn guys that usually go West to SD, this may be a good year to explore Mn...didn't get impacted by the drought, and lots of public land in W and SW MN. And come December, the limit goes to 3 per day with 9 in possession. UGUIDE's hunters will do just fine, I am sure, as good cover helps obfuscate the impact of weather extremes, like drought. That we are still engaged in a debate as to whether or not this will impact bird#'s, I am a bit incredulous. As Spock once said to Captain Kirk..."Captain, we can't defy the laws of physics! I've got to have morning dew and insects for the chicks to survive!"
benelli-banger
Well-known member
UGUIDE, did you take your own advice (from your most recent hunting forecast) and read the PF summer forecast? These "objective" (your term, I believe) biologists from E MT & ND make statements that are diametrically opposed to your viewpoint re: drought, and the impact on the birds. I quoted the ND biologist in the forum entitled "pheasant hunting" at the top of the page on this board. The MT biologist said basically the same thing. Are we really debating this? still? If I didn't have 3 kids in college I would love to make a bet with you about the brood count survey coming out in a few weeks, particularly re: average brood size and # of broods in those areas of SD that were the most drought impacted during June and the first half of July. And by the way, I would HOPE to lose the bet!!!!
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
Chris, you don't have to be a smart a$$. Maybe your camp will be fine, but for many non-residents and residents like myself that are pretty much limited to hunting public land it's likely to be a very tough year. Sure we have gotten rain but it came after most of the damage was done. All I'm saying is that with bird numbers likely to be down and CRP and some GPA's all hayed off it doesn't bode well for a good hunting season for public land hunting. You certainly can't deny that fact.
Agree with Big Rand. I drive 24 hours from Florida every year but I own a home in SD and stay 2-3 months. Guys driving far away hunting public may want to think about it this year. Some of my neighbors are telling their hunters they want to skip this year. My neighbors include 2 rural carriers, a trapper, Wheat Growers rep, Wilber-Ellis rep, farm insurance rep, and bunch of farmers. None are seeing many birds and few broods. CRP emergency hay was allowed to be sold this year further encouraging the mow down. That said, we're still gonna kill some birds. Probably watch a little more football and drink more beer, not all bad!��
I am going to cut my CRP but they will only let me cut half of it. That may be different for different practices but that is all I can cut. So there may be some cover left.
UGUIDE
Active member
What Dennis is saying is that if the USDA let landowners cut all their CRP they would most likely do that leaving nothing for cover for in the fall or over winter. Thank God for the 50% cutting cap. So maybe hunters should push back or taxpayers should push back as well. Farmers might push back and say this is the comp for low CRP rental rates?
UGUIDE
Active member
No drought in Charles Mix County. Arrived to MUD. dumped 3" out of one rain gauge and 1.9 and 1.6 inch out of another.
I mowed off a deer plot to over seed it but could not because it was too wet.
Saw some birds on the road and a few broods. Way too much cover to tell what is out there.
Everything is lush and green from what I see.
I mowed off a deer plot to over seed it but could not because it was too wet.
Saw some birds on the road and a few broods. Way too much cover to tell what is out there.
Everything is lush and green from what I see.
benelli-banger
Well-known member
Your location that you reference has not been impacted by the drought, you were getting decent precip in Charles Mix county all along, correct? That is the location where you took the picture that shows up on your 2017 summer hunting forecast, correct?
I can tell you the cover from Pierre east-west-north is terrible. Everything that could me mowed and bailed has been. Much of the wheat crop was a total loss from lack of moisture. Had some good rains the last 2 weeks but the damage has been done. I combined a lot of wheat west of Pierre this year and I would say their was less broods than last wheat harvest. We did have a really bad Dec. and Jan. last winter with snow and freezing rain which I know we lost some birds in. Was crazy dry and HOT here about July 1 thru July 30th. Some wheat fields I was in had a god amount of small grasshoppers and some were void. No expert but guessing those little grasshoppers are a valuable food for small chicks
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SDJIM
New member
It is about 17 miles from my place to Chris an yet rain here was very varied. Readings from my rain gage May 3.04, Jun .31, Jul .49 and the first 15 days of Aug 2.05
That's not a very good set up for chick survival, June and July had lots of very hot (upper 90 to low 100 degree days with lots of wind), no over night humidity recovery and little morning dew---but that was here and areas not very far away had TOTALY different conditions .
Ask me in Dec how good the pheasant hunting is this year and I might have a idea
benelli-banger
Well-known member
It is about 17 miles from my place to Chris an yet rain here was very varied. Readings from my rain gage May 3.04, Jun .31, Jul .49 and the first 15 days of Aug 2.05
That's not a very good set up for chick survival, June and July had lots of very hot (upper 90 to low 100 degree days with lots of wind), no over night humidity recovery and little morning dew---but that was here and areas not very far away had TOTALY different conditions .
Ask me in Dec how good the pheasant hunting is this year and I might have a idea
I was out to my place on 7/14...very dry, but not drought conditions. Since then we have gotten about 9" of rain...some areas only 15 miles away got only 1/2 that, and some areas 10 miles away got closer to a foot of rain. But yes, June wasn't a good month for chicks to hatch and survive, in my opinion. But I have talked to 2-3 farmers in my area who seem to think that the season will be about like last year, which was just fine as far as I am concerned....keep the fingers crossed.
UGUIDE
Active member
I dug a waterhole in the middle of a 10 acre wetland in May. 15' down......bone dry......
benelli-banger
Well-known member
i believe that. looking at the drought map that the USDA puts out, your area was not in "drought " in May or June...currently you are considered "moderate drought", I believe.
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UGUIDE
Active member
Drought monitor is like GFP Pheasant Forecast. It don't really tell the story. For instance in 2012. I was dried blood red on the drought monitor and some camps up north were not. I had bugs and they did not.
Our crops and pastures were suffering this spring when we were not showing up on drought monitor.
Just like the forecast the monitor is regional and not local. Pheasants are local.
benelli-banger
Well-known member
Chris--I understand that...obviously four colors aren't going to give precise indications of the conditions over an 80,000 square mile area...kind of a 30,000 foot view. But generally speaking E and SE SD came through the early part of the summer in much better shape than areas to the W and NW...exceptions galore. In my area, I have close contact with about 15 farmers...they are friends, or friends of friends...we text when there is rain, and certain areas have been missed by much of the precip that our general area has gotten in the past month or 5 weeks...but those areas that have gotten less rain are still in MUCH better shape than the areas out W or NW...I look at SD 511 and look at the pics on the roadsides that are real time, and that tells a good bit of the story...
UGUIDE
Active member
Finally, the tides are turning. Mud returns to the prairie....but in August? The crickets are cricketing again.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...areas-of-south-dakota-get-rain-cooler-weather
One field will have 75 bushel corn but a cross the fences north of 200 bushel corn....how can that be??
Ah, the news will not shed any light. Double Drat!
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...areas-of-south-dakota-get-rain-cooler-weather
One field will have 75 bushel corn but a cross the fences north of 200 bushel corn....how can that be??
Ah, the news will not shed any light. Double Drat!
UGUIDE
Active member
Did anyone see any mention of the amount of rainfall the state had from mid July on to when the survey ended in August? It is a huge weather anomaly. Why was it not referenced? You would think any good biologist would reference this data?