Incredible trip.... and even got some work done..

[reddog]

Friday: Decided with the weather being what it was, and what is coming in this week it was prime time to take off. Loaded Breez, Sky, and a shotgun and headed west around 11am. Just me and the dogs! Arrived at a spot west of Mitchell about 2:16. Aired the dogs out, geared up, and put Breez on the ground. First bird contact came this far from the truck:

3 hens and two roosters jump up from a skittish point. I pop the trigger on the 686/20 on the first one and he goes down with a thud. Second bird get a pass.

Continue down the shallow creek bottom

another 50 yards or so and Breez locks up solid.. Another rooster falls to the top skeet tube and a load of 5s.

another 100 yards, and just like the last one, and I'm done.

I feel bad that I didnt get a chance to put Sky (Breezs son) on the ground.

Head to the cabin at Chamberlain scouting along the way just in time to witness an awesome sunset. Theyre all good when your in SD!

Cleaned my birds, and my partner had my boat out fishing with a friend of his. Not much luck fishing this day, so we opted for fresh pheasant for supper! Add in raw fried potatoes and cream style corn and a couple cosktails, and it just dont get much better than that.

Slept like a baby, often dreaming of staunch pointing dogs and the sounds of cackling roosters and frantic wing beats.

 

[reddog]

Woke up to an equally exquisite sunrise about 8 am.. Its going to be a good day!

Decided to do some work on the garage this morning. I wont bore you with the details, but I did not get hunting till about 1 . Headed back east.

Put Sky on the ground this trip. Hes had a nasty habit of not tellling which personality hes going to be. Dr.Jekyll or Mr Hyde.. RockStar, or Dickhead.

On this trip, he was a Rock Star performer! We easily put a limit in the vest with several more opportunities before I crated him up. Sky didnt really know what happened the day before when Breez got to go and he didnt, but now, Breez is PO'd because she knows exactly what just happened.

 

[reddog]

We (the dogs and I) headed back to Chamberlain. Fishing was better for the guys on this day, and supper consisted of fresh Walleye, and the same thing we have every night, raw fried potatoes, and cream style corn! I did a little more work on the new garage in preparation of the trusses coming in this week, and picked up all the tools..
.

Friday morning found me heading west river on a delivery... Fresh fish to a landowner.. After making the drop, I headed back to Chamberlain to clean up before I headed east to hunt and then home. Put Sky back on the ground, and he performed well for a young dog. I took a video of him pointing in a fenceline. He was positive there was something there. I swept the grass with my boot and he dove in under the grass to the point of only his backend could be seen. I figured he had it caught, so I started separating the grass. Not sure if a rooster would crawl down a hole to escape, but thats what Sky was telling me happened. He was head deep underground, when I cleared the grass from him, and then he started digging. I stuck my arm up to the elbow, but decided I didnt want to go any further.

Headed back home Sunday night. Never lost a bird, and never fired the bottom barrel.

I even stopped in and seen my granddaughter on the way home and got to play with her for a couple hours.

Life is good.

 

[Highvoltage]

Sweet trip!

 

[Kismet]

Great narrative, nice visit with you and the dogs, and for a bit there...I was with you--happy with the birds, but a little down that we were done so soon.

Thank you.

 

[Miforester]

Awesome report and pictures, sure can't beat fresh Phez and walleye. Might I ask if you were just hunting private or both private and pub?

 

[reddog]

Awesome report and pictures, sure can't beat fresh Phez and walleye. Might I ask if you were just hunting private or both private and pub?

I am blessed with limited access to some pretty awesome private ground. .

 

[Miforester]

That is cool!

 

[UGUIDE]

Awesome report Reddog!

 

[1pheas4]

Nice thread RD. Thank you.:thumbsup:

 

[reddog]

Forgot to add. For those that think a license is expensive, I spent half of a 5 day license at the car wash yesterday.... That gumbo is tough stuff!

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Flushedup]

I too, felt like I was with you as well. Are you taking still shots from a go-pro for your pictures or do you have some camera out in the field with you? The view from your deck (I think that's what it was) looks amazing and brought a smile to my face here in the middle of MN. Thank you for that post. :thumbsup:

 

[reddog]

I too, felt like I was with you as well. Are you taking still shots from a go-pro for your pictures or do you have some camera out in the field with you? The view from your deck (I think that's what it was) looks amazing and brought a smile to my face here in the middle of MN. Thank you for that post. :thumbsup:

I just use my Samsung phone in the field for the most part.
Im blessed to have been able to build my cabin,(which started out as a fishing camp, before I started hunting SD) in 2000. That view brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

Overlooking Chamberlain on the left and Oacoma on the right. looking southwest towards the Dude Ranch ramp.

 

[jackrabbit]

Reddog, I think I know exactly where your cabin is! Sounds like you are really living life to the fullest, congrats! As a mid 20 year old, I can only hope I will be able to live some type of retirement like you are way way way down the road.

 

[reddog]

Reddog, I think I know exactly where your cabin is! Sounds like you are really living life to the fullest, congrats! As a mid 20 year old, I can only hope I will be able to live some type of retirement like you are way way way down the road.

Jackrabbit. My parents left this world way too soon. 43 years ago to be exact. I was 15, second oldest of 6 kids. If that situation has done anything to my philosophy on life, it has given me cause to be thankful for every day I get on the green side of the grass. Contrary to popular belief, its not greener on the other side.

Keep your head down, make good decisions, and most of all trust your gut. It has never let me down. Every time Ive thought I couldnt afford something, 5 years down the road Im kicking myself for not moving forward. Im glad I did the cabin when I did. I wished I had bought more land in SD when it presented itself.

 

[kennedyrec]

Great post reddog, reading it was like being there. After our Thanksgiving hunting trip we drove from Wolsey to Rapid and took scenic route 50 down into Chamberlain and across the bridge. Must have been pretty close to your cabin. Those bluffs and views are something. Beautiful area.

 

[Poyntem]

Great post reddog, reading it was like being there. After our Thanksgiving hunting trip we drove from Wolsey to Rapid and took scenic route 50 down into Chamberlain and across the bridge. Must have been pretty close to your cabin. Those bluffs and views are something. Beautiful area.

I too agree with you, you are blessed. And I 2nd the post above. Reddog, you had me whistling for my hound and reaching for the shotgun. Only difference is I would of needed more shells than you .

We were close to your hide away back in early November. We made the trek across the state and stopped in Chamberlain for a bight to eat, before heading across the river. We were getting ready to go through the badlands after spending the first part of the week hunting in the southeastern part of the state when my bride said "maybe we should unload the beach house and look for some property in SD." It was a hard introduction to South Dakota public pheasant hunting that week, not bagging a bird the first day and only two between us the second, the third day, was our high with four between us. but we are now hooked.

 

[reddog]

Thanks guys. When I get retired and am out there more maybe I can host a few social hours a season.

Made the trek out last night to put the trusses, sheathing and steel on the garage. Got going this morning, only to find out the trusses were wrong pitch . Could've maybe made them work but all the roof steel would've needed to be recur, along with the gable end steel. Had a productive day anyway putting all the base metal on for the sidewalls so we won't have to dig thru the snow to do it. Got the doors hung and metal installed around the perimeter and hung 1 sheet of sidewall steel so I could permanently power the garage. Headed back home now. Had the dogs but nothing else. ;(

 

[reddog]

2 week update

Got headed out the day after Christmas. Much too cold to work, but the hopes of warming trend starting on Monday.

Seen this rooster in distress on the side of the road. Stopped to take a picture of him, and he just sat there, freezing. Drove off for alittle ways, then backed up to see if he was injured or something like that. he got up and ran to the fenceline. This was near a penned operation, so I dont think it was a wild bird, and probably not long for this world in that cold.

Too cold to work, so I went ice fishing..

Monday found a starting temp at 15 already. With a new set of trusses, we set forth to get the roof put on.. There will be no fishing on this day..

Tuesday at noon...