Huntable Areas?!?!?

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.....😉
You had me there until you said your envoy can outdo the subi!!Now I'm questioning your entire existence! :LOL:
 
Sioux Falls is not necessarily the pheasant hot bed some may believe it to be.
Never said it was. You're the one who indicated that my post was irrelevant even though Sioux Falls is in fact in South Dakota. Like I'm supposed to only post for the "prime" upland hunting areas. At the time of my post, it was in fact an accurately quoted weather forecast for the state of South Dakota. Next time you worry about your own posts.
 
Of course they're getting 18" of snow where I was planning on hunting, the weather for the weekend looks good but man that's tough. May just head west and drive around until I find some spots that are attainable and figure it out from there.
 
Of course they're getting 18" of snow where I was planning on hunting, the weather for the weekend looks good but man that's tough. May just head west and drive around until I find some spots that are attainable and figure it out from there.
I’m in the same boat…was hoping to get out around Mitchell in 1.5 weeks as they didn’t have nearly the snow they got up north in December…now I fear most of the state will be pretty much un huntable
 
I’m in the same boat…was hoping to get out around Mitchell in 1.5 weeks as they didn’t have nearly the snow they got up north in December…now I fear most of the state will be pretty much un huntable
And now I’ve got COVID so I can’t even give you a report. Hopefully next weekend I can get out somewhere.
 
Never said it was. You're the one who indicated that my post was irrelevant even though Sioux Falls is in fact in South Dakota. Like I'm supposed to only post for the "prime" upland hunting areas. At the time of my post, it was in fact an accurately quoted weather forecast for the state of South Dakota. Next time you worry about your own posts.

Nope ... I suggest you maybe stop quoting weather reports so far out ...
 
Nope ... I suggest you maybe stop quoting weather reports so far out ...
So now I can't post a weather report more than a few days in advance. First I can only post something that's relevant to your criteria, then I can only post something a few days out. Makes perfect sense.

Just for the record here. You indicated that I posted the weather report for east-central MN when in fact I posted it for South Dakota...in the South Dakota forum.

Unless you're a moderator that has completely lost your mind, I suggest you take your daily mental health medication, Nancy.
 
Of course they're getting 18" of snow where I was planning on hunting, the weather for the weekend looks good but man that's tough. May just head west and drive around until I find some spots that are attainable and figure it out from there.
Look at the snow map for SD, I think taking a trip there now is a really bad idea. It'd be different if you lived out there, but most spots will be unhuntable. You're better off looking at eastern Nebraska or Kansas if you want to go for a pheasant this season.
 
Yes, Bob. That is what I have been "advising" or suggesting to anyone willing to "listen"

... when I lived in ND and was younger :). We would go on an occasional day trip as long as the season was open. Sometimes we got birds, sometimes we wished we had our ice fishing gear, and sometimes we got stuck:cautious:. When hunting in SW ND ... winter seemed to be the time we would get scoria-induced flat tires. 😡

... one time we found a two-month-old black lab puppy in the middle of nowhere and brought him to a nearby farm.

When you hunt within an hour or so of home it is a day trip.

I cannot imagine freelance hunting in the Dakotas right now unless you know people where you are hunting. Especially SD where the amount of minimum maintenance roads seems pretty high.

If you go, have all the goods needed for a night in a truck. Keep the gas tank full. Be ready to walk a half mile or more just to access where you want to start hunting.
 
Here in Watertown, we are (optimistically) dodging a sizeable bullet. Early forecasts of 12" have been knocked down to 3-5". All good news for the pheasants. My 12 year old daughter has fallen in love with running the snowblower. Now if I can get her as excited about a shovel, I'll be all set!
 
SD 511.com allows you to look at real time pics from a few hundred cameras around the state…helpful to know what things look like…most states have the same tool. I use this all the time…
That app is extremely helpful. A pic is worth a 1000 words!
 
I carry a shovel or two, some grit, and a tow strap. If someone comes by and can possibly help ... it is nice to have a tow strap available.

Now that I have aged, I most always ... say nope. Not going down that road today.
I also carry candles for heat, place candle in coffee can with sand so if candle tips nothing catches fire.
 
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