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Crestwoodbuck
New member
We are currently out here in SD. In our group there are 8 guys with 8 dogs and we have taken 12-15 & 8 birds in 3 days so far. We have hunted private and public ( no birds). As some of the other have said when you drive around you just do not see birds out on the roadsides, ditches, or out in the fields like years past. The local farmers we talk to say in June / July they saw a lot of birds them after that saw very few.
There is absolutely no doubt that Fish and Game inflated the numbers to get the hunters excited and bring big $$$$$ into the state economy. These little communities that many of us stay in for a few days/ week rely on the out of state dollars to survive that the pheasant hunters bring into a small economy. Hopefully more folks will return some of the crop land to grass and CRP to provide much needed nesting habitat.
There is absolutely no doubt that Fish and Game inflated the numbers to get the hunters excited and bring big $$$$$ into the state economy. These little communities that many of us stay in for a few days/ week rely on the out of state dollars to survive that the pheasant hunters bring into a small economy. Hopefully more folks will return some of the crop land to grass and CRP to provide much needed nesting habitat.
3car
Active member
You need to educate yourself on how the surveys are done. If you understood that and the long term trends you would realize why the bird numbers still are not that great. Better than last year but no were near how it was 7 or 8 years ago. The statewide average, 41% (which varies a ton) is compared to last years numbers. 2013 & 2014 numbers were terrible. So if the guys count one bird on the transect and the next year they count 2, that's a 100% increase for that transect. Not sure which year it was but the state advertised that the bird numbers were down in 2013 or 2014.
Check out the link and find which area you were hunting. Maybe that will she a little light on the matter for ya.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/docs/PBR2015.pdf
What part of the State are you hunting? As posted here Central and North seem to be pretty weak on the numbers.
3Car hit the nail on the head in regards to the survey... This issue has been discussed previously on this board. People see up 42% and they think the whole state is up that much. Obviously there are certain events that can affect certain areas (hail, strong rains- drowning out nests, etc.,) and yes, habitat does change...
One other comment, most of the reports I am seeing with no birds appear to be in the North central/North east. Also,the comments about pressure with out of state hunters on state land... if the same area gets hunted 3-4x per week I am betting the birds that are there will move off that land and to other ground.
Land does change and the birds (that are around) will adapt accordingly
One other comment, most of the reports I am seeing with no birds appear to be in the North central/North east. Also,the comments about pressure with out of state hunters on state land... if the same area gets hunted 3-4x per week I am betting the birds that are there will move off that land and to other ground.
Land does change and the birds (that are around) will adapt accordingly
jackrabbit
Active member
I've got a friend just west of the river that has a 50 acre piece of land, mix of trees, brush, and grass about a 1/2 mile off the road in the middle of cropland. In previous years we hunt this piece and see the "South Dakota flushes" of thousands of birds at a time. This year he said that he has zero birds using this piece of property.
Not those areas I can tell you that. If you look at the bird count numbers it says the largest concentrations of birds are along the Missouri river drainage corridor, not the James River drainage corridor. Go where the birds are. One thing I learned a long time ago. One perk of hunting public is I'm not locked in to one area.
On another note. How come all I saw this summer and early fall in posts were people stating that they had personally come here and saw lots of birds or they talked to their farmer buddy or landowner who's land they hunt and all said there were a lot of birds. Now all I hear is there are no birds? Very contradicting. To those that think the state inflates their counts I put this to you? Why would they come out and say that numbers were down 62% two years ago? So they can drive you and your money away?
Hey BR
Good comments, especially the one about public spots & bird densities
I believe the SDFG reports the bird survey count consistently, without any intent of deception. Weather and other factors certainly play a role when these counts are taken, so i really don't get hung up on these reports, year to year.
I'm more interested in how harsh the winter was, and how much spring rain might impact the nesting, etc.
The "down" year reports did not influence our decision on making our SD trip, we made the trips and had very good results.
Regarding these posts, it is our own experiences that make this site great. When the bird numbers were way up, we actually set up on a number of occasions and pass shot roosters coming out of the fields in the evening. The number of birds then was incredible. We also used to see large flocks of birds in the fields during early morning scouting. Did not see that this year, relative to past years. Our experience this year is that the numbers are down, in the areas we hunted, compared to the past two.
Still had a great trip, and will make another come late December. Can't wait!
Good comments, especially the one about public spots & bird densities
I believe the SDFG reports the bird survey count consistently, without any intent of deception. Weather and other factors certainly play a role when these counts are taken, so i really don't get hung up on these reports, year to year.
I'm more interested in how harsh the winter was, and how much spring rain might impact the nesting, etc.
The "down" year reports did not influence our decision on making our SD trip, we made the trips and had very good results.
Regarding these posts, it is our own experiences that make this site great. When the bird numbers were way up, we actually set up on a number of occasions and pass shot roosters coming out of the fields in the evening. The number of birds then was incredible. We also used to see large flocks of birds in the fields during early morning scouting. Did not see that this year, relative to past years. Our experience this year is that the numbers are down, in the areas we hunted, compared to the past two.
Still had a great trip, and will make another come late December. Can't wait!
it's a big wish, but there is no money in CRP for the farmer, they are driven by price and production, i am not complaining, just stating a fact, SD is in a significant decline from being the pheasant mecca it used to be...it will likely only get worse, just see nothing in place or coming up to change this.
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no, you are flat wrong......last year was good, we either got limits or near limits everyday, there was even more standing corn and we saw several hundred birds every day......the nesting cover is now gone, the numbers are wayyyyyy down, it has changed just that fast......been coming out here for past 8 years, i know what i see and that is very damn little in the way of birds.
BeirlSetters
Member
BR,
I was one of them guys who commented how the numbers looked to be really good in SD based on what was seen especially over Labor Day. I have been coming and going to SD for over 20+ years. I have owned a house now for 6 years and I am always out over the 4th & Labor Day. This past Labor Day I seen more birds than I have ever seen in SD over the Labor Day weekend. They were running all over the place. There were three different hatches from what I seen of the broods.
SD isn't always going to be a shoot out. I was there in the years you walked all day to shoot one bird and had very few points. A bad year for me in SD is still better than any grouse season in northern WI.
Our first trip was late Oct. The days we hunted alone(family) we shot our three limits without any problems hunting public. The days we spent with friends we killed birds but it wasn't about shooting limits them days. During that time 60% of the corn was still standing.
We leave for our second trip a week of this Friday. Even with all the negative reports this week I still not discouraged about the hunting. Take it for what it is beacause it will still be better than any place else in the country. At least I will be able to watch my dogs work, that's what's most important to me if we kill a few birds great. Least I am not locked down in the office at work for that week.
:10sign:
BR,
I plead guilty as well... I was out in SD 3 times over the summer (the last time out being labor day weekend) and the hatch was real good in my area (South-Central/Missouri river corridor). My friend farms close to 3,000 acres and when he says the bird numbers are up considerably vs. the last 3 years I tend to believe him. He is a cattle/crop farmer and is outside 365 days of the year.
Best of luck!
I plead guilty as well... I was out in SD 3 times over the summer (the last time out being labor day weekend) and the hatch was real good in my area (South-Central/Missouri river corridor). My friend farms close to 3,000 acres and when he says the bird numbers are up considerably vs. the last 3 years I tend to believe him. He is a cattle/crop farmer and is outside 365 days of the year.
Best of luck!
Just returned from hunting 2 days in SD on public land. Got there last Friday and it was nice (49 for the high) and overcast and we (4 of us) got into birds on every piece of ground we stopped at. We had 10 birds by 2 pm and ended up driving around scouting and didn't shoot another bird the rest of day 1.
Day 2 was 60 degrees and sunny and the first 3 places we walked we seen maybe 10 birds total. These places had everything you looked for as well, we was shocked to see so few birds. While driving we seen a couple birds fly into some cattails and decided to give it a try even though he was VERY tough walking. We ended up seeing 50-75 birds in the next 20 minutes as a result of walking the most nasty stuff one could imagine. Ended up walking more cattails and got into even more birds, but the tough walking and not being able to use the dogs we decided it wasn't for us and went back to hunting CRP grass. Didn't see many birds the rest of the day and think we ended day 2 with 5 birds.
It was two totally opposite days for us as far as bird contacts. But, that's why they call it hunting. Even though day 2 was a struggle, I still can't think of anything else I'd rather have been doing.
Day 2 was 60 degrees and sunny and the first 3 places we walked we seen maybe 10 birds total. These places had everything you looked for as well, we was shocked to see so few birds. While driving we seen a couple birds fly into some cattails and decided to give it a try even though he was VERY tough walking. We ended up seeing 50-75 birds in the next 20 minutes as a result of walking the most nasty stuff one could imagine. Ended up walking more cattails and got into even more birds, but the tough walking and not being able to use the dogs we decided it wasn't for us and went back to hunting CRP grass. Didn't see many birds the rest of the day and think we ended day 2 with 5 birds.
It was two totally opposite days for us as far as bird contacts. But, that's why they call it hunting. Even though day 2 was a struggle, I still can't think of anything else I'd rather have been doing.
3car
Active member
Last year may have been great for you in your spot that you hunt. My point to my post was is that people don't really understand how the state comes up with the "state wide average". I have no idea were you were hunting but we had some substantial hail storms in our part of SD. Not one but maybe a half a dozen with golf ball size hail. Our late may and early June was nothing but cold weather and rain. Your part of the county may have had a transect that was down 75% but the remaining transects within the county were up 75% and that county would have averaged out as a gain.
Pheasant populations are very volatile given our extreme weather in the plains. It seams this year especially our bird numbers are spotty at best in the North Central part. I have driven all over McPherson County this spring, summer and fall and I would go to one area that covers maybe 4 square miles that has really good numbers.
One thing I cant stand is the assumption that people don't know how to read the States SIMPLE REPORTS!
We can read it the same as you! BOOTS on the ground and hunting with good dogs tells the real story!
I'm glad some folks are getting into birds, my report was what I found based on the last 3 years of hunting the same areas. Areas that the State had claimed were better than the last 2 years. I can only report on what I experienced with dogs and boots on the ground.
I'm sorry if you find flaw in my report, next time I will keep it to myself.:thumbsup:
We can read it the same as you! BOOTS on the ground and hunting with good dogs tells the real story!
I'm glad some folks are getting into birds, my report was what I found based on the last 3 years of hunting the same areas. Areas that the State had claimed were better than the last 2 years. I can only report on what I experienced with dogs and boots on the ground.
I'm sorry if you find flaw in my report, next time I will keep it to myself.:thumbsup:
if you are not seeing birds on the roads you are driving on the wrong roads. you need to find AREAS that birds will actually be. just because there is a nice low spot of so great looking grass does not mean there is everything in that AREA that the birds need to call it home.
Also I found this year if you put in the work and keep moving you will get birds and just FYI you don't shoot many birds just driving around feeling sorry for your self you need to go hunt!
Also I found this year if you put in the work and keep moving you will get birds and just FYI you don't shoot many birds just driving around feeling sorry for your self you need to go hunt!
3car
Active member
My posts were not really pointed at you. hunter94 was saying the state was lying about the numbers they reported. I was hoping to shed a little light on why he was maybe disappointed is all. Glad your sharing your experiences with every one!
lying, exaggeration, many guys we talked to agreed,........or something very unusual happened.......we drove 50-90 miles everyday, in all directions for 9 days......we found small pockets of birds, but there were way more areas where birds were extremely scarce. last season we saw, on average, over 80-100 birds each day.....we never approached those numbers on any one day and we hunted hard, public and ditches....not seeing decent numbers before 1000 am and after 400 pm is the kicker....limits were easy last season, same areas, same dogs....i am sure the guys paying to hunt got their birds, those places have habitat, grass.
Well I guess I will throw in my two cents worth. I do pheasant hunting as a business, all wild birds. I have 150 acres of CRP type cover plus about 800 acres of native grass. The native grass is not as good as CRP but I do see hens in it during nesting season. Nesting cover should not be an issue here. We have birds, some of the groups are rebooking for next year. Having said that, bird numbers are down from last year. In the last half of May we had a lot of rain and cold windy weather, it concerned me at the time. Later in the season I was getting hens off of the nest with 8 eggs in them instead of 12 or more, so I think the weather played a part in this part of the state. There may be more to this than that. We did not raise many local ducks either. I do think that when the weather gets colder the birds will group up and the hunting will get better. I always like early December and I think it might be the best hunting of the year, depending on the weather.
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Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the report - I can attest to the improved hunting after Dec. 1 - the birds were certainly there last year!
We moved Anne's Mom to Minneapolis, so sadly our trips to Mobridge will end. I will miss our visits to your farm and wanted to hunt with you this December, even for part of a day.
Glad you are having a successful season and wish you the best.
Jon
Thanks for the report - I can attest to the improved hunting after Dec. 1 - the birds were certainly there last year!
We moved Anne's Mom to Minneapolis, so sadly our trips to Mobridge will end. I will miss our visits to your farm and wanted to hunt with you this December, even for part of a day.
Glad you are having a successful season and wish you the best.
Jon