Huntable Areas?!?!?

[grossklw]

I chatted with a couple of CO's this morning, I think I have a plan of what we're going to at least try. In talking with some CO's it is tough, but doable in certain parts in the SE corner. All my buddies bailed on me so it's looking like it's just me and the dog which is ok with me. Hopefully with some of these warmer temps it will help thaw out a bit in the next few days.

 

[BRITTMAN]

Enabling the G&F the power to close a season early is probably not what those in charge want either. It would be a political nightmare ... regionally dependent ... etc...

When this was all started, did the SD G&F provide any biological opinion on extending the season through the end of January ?

 

[BRITTMAN]

If you go ... plenty of threads on this site ... be prepared ... have the ability to spend the night (sleeping bags, food, water), keep the gas tank full (remember that your exhaust system needs to be free or you risk CO poisoning) ...

 

[Weimdogman]

I believe Nebraska's season has went till the end of January for years. The biologists said the projected amount of pressure should not hurt the birds survival rates. I believe they figured a direct relationship between pressure and weather- good weather and the birds can handle the pressure-bad weather and less pressure. There is probably a hiccup in the biologist thinking in that they probably assumed "with good habitat".

 

[grossklw]

If you go ... plenty of threads on this site ... be prepared ... have the ability to spend the night (sleeping bags, food, water), keep the gas tank full (remember that your exhaust system needs to be free or you risk CO poisoning) ...

Yup I'm pretty well prepared. I spend 2 weeks in the backcountry every fall chasing elk and keep a survival kit in the pickup just in case with some of the same items.

 

[gimruis]

When this was all started, did the SD G&F provide any biological opinion on extending the season through the end of January ?

Until about 15-20 years ago, Minnesota's pheasant season ended in mid-December. It was basically two whole months long. I remember it because when I was on winter break in school, the season was already always closed. At some point, they extended it until around January 1. When they did that, they also raised the daily bag limit starting Dec 1 to three instead of two. I want to say that change occurred sometimes between 2000-2005. I'm grateful that they did this because I now do most of my pheasant hunting in late November and December.

When asked why they extended the season and upped the bag limit, the response then was "harvesting more roosters through December has measurable impact on the population, and most hunters have stopped hunting them."

I'm guessing the response would be similar from SD biologists. Although they've completely stopped doing a roadside count too...

 

[tntdeacon]

I chatted with a couple of CO's this morning, I think I have a plan of what we're going to at least try. In talking with some CO's it is tough, but doable in certain parts in the SE corner. All my buddies bailed on me so it's looking like it's just me and the dog which is ok with me. Hopefully with some of these warmer temps it will help thaw out a bit in the next few days.

Good Luck! Looking at the snow map, looks like only 2-4 inches in the SE part of the state so far. Report back how it goes, if the weather is decent the weekend of the 14th I plan to run out and give it a try

 

[Bob Peters]

Now look at the weather, the part of the state your thinking of could get a lot of snow on mon/tue. Ooofff!

 

[benelli-banger]

I just arrived, some stuff I drove through was iced and nasty looking! Changed dramatically around brookings…I went south from there, then west. Lots of snow! Got here in the dark…

 

[Weimdogman]

I was out this afternoon near Brookings. 26° with a 15/20 mph south wind. Snow is about a foot deep and most has a crust. Drifts are way deeper.
Roads were good but hit some hard finger drifts on gravel roads. These roads had previous travel on them and were mostly clear. Drove my Envoy and it is a good thing as My Subaru would have gotten stuck.

Saw many birds in a big piece of public ground that receives quite a bit of pressure. Someone had been there earlier but may have been muzzle loader deer hunting or coyote calling as they didn't go where I did. I know this ground well and always find birds. I bagged 1, hit 1 that didn't come down and missed 2. Lot of excitement for the 3 dogs who are tired now from busting snow filled cattails and grass.

Missed a bird that my Delio pointed in the brush at the edge of the frozen slough. I waved him down there and he was working the cover nicely and wham solid on point. I was 50 yards away and 15 or so feet above him. As I worked down to him and was trying to give myself the best chance I could see he was able to see the bird and it was moving. He stayed steady other then the slightest head movement. Bird came out staying low to the cover before flaring up and away over the bank. I thought it was a hen and as I realized it wasn't I knocked some branches down as my shot was behind it. If it hadn't flared.....

 

[BRITTMAN]

Big difference ending a season around Jan 1 and Jan 31.

 

[benelli-banger]

Put on about 6.5 miles today; not that bad overall…mostly cattails on a WPA..had to access it via private land. Put up hundreds of birds, mostly hens, a plus. Killed 2, missed another. Drove around after, too stiff to hunt! Saw lots of birds out scratching around. Not too bad here, may have battled through 80 yards of drifts total, 4” of snow in most areas. Buddy coming to join me in the am.

 

[kuk kuk]

I am out here hunting now. Hunted by Redfield. Basically, unhuntable. Only thing you can hunt is shelterbelts. Sloughs are waist to chest high. We drove around today until we saw birds in the shelterbelts and then pounded on doors. Lots of no’s but enough yes’s to get birds. I usually come twice in January since they extended season. Not this year

 

[benelli-banger]

Saw 2 coveys of prairie grouse today, hunted this area for 30 years…very rare. Did the weather push them east??

 

[Miforester]

Saw 2 coveys of prairie grouse today, hunted this area for 30 years…very rare. Did the weather push them east??

They might of flushed during the storm and just rode the winds to better ground.....lol. i hunt north of you and usually see a handful of grouse each trip. But that might be more within their range.

Did you see many or any dead birds in the field while you were out?

 

[benelli-banger]

They might of flushed during the storm and just rode the winds to better ground.....lol. i hunt north of you and usually see a handful of grouse each trip. But that might be more within their range.

Did you see many or any dead birds in the field while you were out?

No dead birds seen…

 

[Miforester]

No dead birds seen…

That is good to hear. Hope you continue to have a good hunt and have a safe and happy new year.

 

[benelli-banger]

That is good to hear. Hope you continue to have a good hunt and have a safe and happy new year.

You too!!

 

[grossklw]

Put on about 6.5 miles today; not that bad overall…mostly cattails on a WPA..had to access it via private land. Put up hundreds of birds, mostly hens, a plus. Killed 2, missed another. Drove around after, too stiff to hunt! Saw lots of birds out scratching around. Not too bad here, may have battled through 80 yards of drifts total, 4” of snow in most areas. Buddy coming to join me in the am.

That’s really good to hear. Right now I’m likely looking at west and south of Mitchell and will drive where needed from there. I’ll report back with conditions after I get back. Still an outside chance I head to Aberdeen but I’ll wait for a final report from my uncle before I commit.

 

[chase0109]

I don’t post much, but figured I’d give an update in this thread. I’m hunting Aberdeen area, South Dakota right now. Hunted yesterday and today. Lots of snow up here. Pretty much all the cover is under snow pack and the cattails are heavily snowed in! Unless a bunch of melting happens, plan to be pushing through waist to chest high cattails in deep snow to find your birds. Extremely physical work, so be prepared to suffer lol!

Seeing lots of pheasants, so it looks like they made it through the storm OK. But I would suggest not even going out to hunt until 1 PM each day. By the time legal shooting opens, the birds are all out in the open fields feeding. Personally, I’m letting them fill their crops before pursuing them early afternoon. I’m even seeing some pheasants out feeding in open fields until after legal shooting before flying back to shelter. Shot my limit yesterday and today. Every bird had a full crop of corn. But it’s a lot of work! Running 2 GWP’s’s in the cattails.

Most minimal maintenance roads are going to be too drifted to drive down. Most of the main gravel roads are plowed well enough to get around. I’ve had to park and walk half a mile down the road to get to spots I want to start hunting both yesterday and today.

So far we’ve only found one frozen pheasant in the cattails which one of my dogs retrieved. Both days I’ve been limited out by 4 PM giving the birds time to come back and roost. I figure every rooster I take home is less competition for the hens when things get worse this winter.
Chase