January Report

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IdahoCountryBoy

Active member
I have been following all of the comments on the other threads. Just wondering what the pheasant reports have been a week or so after all the snow South Dakota received?
 
WE lost some birds after the rain then blizzard a month ago. However we still have good bird numbers, But they are fighting to find food with the ice covering the ground before the snow came. Some hunting clubs are putting out deer feeders on timers with corn to help the birds. CRP is completely filled with snow so is of very little use to protect the birds. Double or triple row evergreens seem to be the best. Something to consider for those thinking of planting tree belts.
 
friend of a friend went out last week, the same days we were gonna go but cancelled due to the recent blizzard

We asked, you're really gonna go? He said yup, private land and the farmer took an excavator and made paths next to corn food plots! Wow, I was jealous! We texted him Sunday and asked how the trip went. His response, one word, "Slow."
 
Weimdogman said:
At our pf meeting tonight it was brought up that 1 farmer , 1 of our supporters , is plowing in fields to open up ground for wildlife. We discussed a decent $ donation for his efforts. Someone said what if 10 farmers do this? We all agreed it would be a good thing!
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This has proven very helpful, obviously. In the last couple weeks I've seen several instances of pheasants feeding right in with cows where a picked corn/bean field has had paths cleared in it. Actually, I suppose they were all corn fields. Cows don't benefit from picked bean fields, do they? Pheasants sure would. They find the easiest food. They like silage, where it's been spread for livestock. We've also seen where they scratch the crap out of muskrat huts & at the base of a stand/clump of cattails. Our guess is they're after the roots & possibly grit for their gizzards. They seem to be NOT eating the grassy/mossy stuff they scratch out in order to expose the roots.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
This has proven very helpful, obviously. In the last couple weeks I've seen several instances of pheasants feeding right in with cows where a picked corn/bean field has had paths cleared in it. Actually, I suppose they were all corn fields. Cows don't benefit from picked bean fields, do they? Pheasants sure would. They find the easiest food. They like silage, where it's been spread for livestock. We've also seen where they scratch the crap out of muskrat huts & at the base of a stand/clump of cattails. Our guess is they're after the roots & possibly grit for their gizzards. They seem to be NOT eating the grassy/mossy stuff they scratch out in order to expose the roots.
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wouldn't be surprised in these types of conditions if the pheasants weren't picking corn out of the cow patty's.....times are tough I'm not judging.....lol
 
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Hunted tonight it was exhausting. We had a little drizzle yesterday and a half inch snow overnight. Everything was crusty tough walking for man and beast. Birds could run on top. 3 guys 5 dogs 4 roosters in 2 hours.
Hunted tree belts , cattails , and a food plot.
Nice sunset I thought.20230117_170215.jpg
 
Weimdogman said:
Hunted tonight it was exhausting. We had a little drizzle yesterday and a half inch snow overnight. Everything was crusty tough walking for man and beast. Birds could run on top. 3 guys 5 dogs 4 roosters in 2 hours.
Hunted tree belts , cattails , and a food plot.
Nice sunset I thought.View attachment 5130
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What part of SD? Broadly speaking….thx…thinking of heading out there Friday…Howard/Huron areas…
 
The trip from Wisconsin was a rough one, but well worth it.. I’d say we put up over 100 birds on a WPA. Closed my action nice and light to not spook any birds, and that led me to pulling the trigger on two different roosters and the gun not going off… either way we ended up with a limit. Not easy (waist high drifts) but worth it. I’ll throw a video up later of the madness. **somewhere between Aberdeen and Mitchell since I know someone will ask** and really, we might as well team up and shoot all the roosters we can before it’s over. 42E215A9-F9DD-4B37-BBF4-94E46006AE35.jpeg
 
MB1724 said:
The trip from Wisconsin was a rough one, but well worth it.. I’d say we put up over 100 birds on a WPA. Closed my action nice and light to not spook any birds, and that led me to pulling the trigger on two different roosters and the gun not going off… either way we ended up with a limit. Not easy (waist high drifts) but worth it. I’ll throw a video up later of the madness. **somewhere between Aberdeen and Mitchell since I know someone will ask** and really, we might as well team up and shoot all the roosters we can before it’s over. View attachment 5132
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Love the dog's look!! Nice work.
 
Just arrived, lots of birds out feeding…snow about what it was 3 weeks ago, much more around Madison and Howard and Mitchell and Alexandria and Parkston…snow not terribly crunchy either.. we’ll see tomorrow! 🍺👍
 
benelli-banger said:
Just arrived, lots of birds out feeding…snow about what it was 3 weeks ago, much more around Madison and Howard and Mitchell and Alexandria and Parkston…snow not terribly crunchy either.. we’ll see tomorrow! 🍺👍
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Can’t wait to hear about the hunt. I had one of those conversations with my wife…

Honey can I drive to South Dakota for last week of season hunt?
Blank stare.
I know it’s a lot to leave you home alone with kids
Blank stare.
I’d really appreciate it if I could take some time off and go. It’s what gets me through the year.
Blank stare.

I’m sure 95% of you have had this conversation but we’ll see if I can get away.
 
benelli-banger said:
Your wife likes you! She wants you there! 🥰
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When I start this conversation my wife interrupts and says "when you leaving?".......I'm not sure if she just doesnt want me around or i'm lucky, maybe a little of both, oh yeah she usually gives me her Xmas bonus for my trips too!
 
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