How's the snow cover N/C SD now..?

B

BrittmanII

New member
Hi, guys!

I'm ready to head over to SD soon and was just wondering about the snow depth by now? I know it's a huge area, but just wondering how deep it is in areas/

Thanks and best of luck w/ your season!

BrittmanII
 
All this is for where I am. Might be different in different place.

I am looking at it right now on the yard of the house I am renting. Less than an inch. There was a dusting last night and one a few nights before. The snow from earlier in the season that didn't completely melt (in cattails, etc) turned to either rock hard stuff or stuff you can break through, but not good for birds to burrow into.

The dustings recently have resulted in soft drifting on the downwind sides of fields and sloughs, where the birds can make burrows on the downwind side of those drifts. But it is very recent that those drifts have formed, so the birds don't seem to have done much of that from what I have seen.

As for walking, I've gone up to my knees in those soft drifts. As long as you aren't trying to cross a 30-50 yard stretch of the stuff, it isn't too tiring. I've limited myself to 10 yard stretches for that reason.

Non-drifted areas do have a bit of those dustings providing a little layer on top of blow downs, allowing for a little insulation from the elements, and the birds are using that a bit.

I hope we get an inch tonight.
 
Thanks for your detailed report Limitless, on your findings, so far..! Much appreciated for taking the time to write it up..!

I'm heading out to the n/c area of SD soon. Here in IL it's about 10" on the ground right now and hard to get through in some places for an older veteran..but, I keep going nonetheless. (I take more breaks now, ha, ha..!)

Once out there, I intend to stay out after those old, wise, roosters, until the end of January. {My dogs love 'em more than I do, I think?}

All the best to you guys the remainder of the season for our GREAT game bird..!! Stay well AND safe.

Thanks once again.
 
BrittmanII said:
Thanks for your detailed report Limitless, on your findings, so far..! Much appreciated for taking the time to write it up..!

I'm heading out to the n/c area of SD soon. Here in IL it's about 10" on the ground right now and hard to get through in some places for an older veteran..but, I keep going nonetheless. (I take more breaks now, ha, ha..!)

Once out there, I intend to stay out after those old, wise, roosters, until the end of January. {My dogs love 'em more than I do, I think?}

All the best to you guys the remainder of the season for our GREAT game bird..!! Stay well AND safe.

Thanks once again.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a wonderful way to spend the 2nd half of January!

Except for drifting, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you stay on the downwind side of cattails, you shouldn't have any drifting. Let the dogs go in the cattails, and you should be fine. That is, until there is more snow, of course. Week after this one might add a bit.
 
I TRY to go around the drifts, although at times it's hard to! I imagine more snow and cold will concentrate the birds IN the cattails then..?

Good points, Limitless, thanks! (y)
 
BrittmanII said:
I TRY to go around the drifts, although at times it's hard to! I imagine more snow and cold will concentrate the birds IN the cattails then..?

Good points, Limitless, thanks! (y)
Click to expand...
There are some good bunches now, in areas with many birds. Good and bad. One flushes, they all flush. Best is to be ready for the stragglers and try to quickly get up to within shooting distance of the ones that flushed, in case more get up.

Right now, they are able to run deeper into the cattails or even hang out there without being pursued. If we can get some snow, it will hopefully make them settle in on the edges more during the day, and also reduce their ability to evade a bit. I am speaking about soft snow. They do very well evading on hard snow, unfortunately (for us).
 
Thank you, gentlemen! I had not heard of the "Forest Service Snow Depth Map" or 'Weather Street', either - thank you! I will check them both out now.

I was told about SD511 and have been checking their cameras in the state. (I had NO idea so many cameras were watching the roads..?)

You guys and this site are a wealth of information for others and I thank you for sharing.
 
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