Hunting pressure during Thanksgiving week?

Kre

Active member
My hunting plans are getting screwed up and I'm considering coming out the week of Thanksgiving.

What can I expect for pressure?

I'm assuming the out of state hunters will be pretty minimal. But, I'd think there'd be a lot of "family" home to hunt too.

I'm strictly a public land and ditch hunter. I don't have any private land and I don't pay to shoot birds.

It likely won't matter, either way. If this is the only time works, I might have to do it regardless.
 
We hunted around Miller 20 years ago, around Thanksgiving. We didn't see many hunters.It was a bunch of shooting.
 
Good time to come. You'll have a few people taking advantage of what may be a 4 day weekend for them. But you'll have even more people that aren't able to come because of family obligations. A lot of the traditional family hunts that may take place during thanksgiving are on their own land. I would not worry about the pressure during that time frame.
 
East River deer season still going on. You said public only so deer will have long since been vanquished from any public. You should be safe.
 
East River deer season still going on. You said public only so deer will have long since been vanquished from any public. You should be safe.
Those were my thoughts as well. If you plan to be east river, there will be more chasing deer than pheasants during that week. They stir things up, but not too bad. My personal opinion is a pheasant hunter should always wear some orange, but particularly during east river deer.
 
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I've hunted out there during the deer season. That doesn't concern me.

I guess it doesn't really matter. I'm already planning a trip for December 4th. Sounds like I might go out over Thanksgiving, come home for a few days and head back out with my brother.
 
It's a ghost town Thanksgiving week - great time to hunt. Never ran into anyone sitting on a field. Hardly see any orange vests/hats even out on the road.
 
It is a great hunting holiday for me, get 4 days, usually hunt 3 of the mornings. Thursday is a short hunt for sure. I would guess it would be a great time to travel & hunt SD. Better for single fellas though, if you can't bring the clan.
 
I work in education and we get the week off. It’s the only time I can make it to South Dakota and my dad and I have been going Thanksgiving week for the past 10 years. Like everybody said it’s pretty quiet but watch out for deer hunters.
 
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