Late November or December hunt ...

if you hunt late season the main variable is the weather, there is a good Post last year (or 2 years ago) on what you need to bring for late season hunting.

One thing I always bring is a grain shovel.

hope this helps.

Jim
 
if you hunt late season the main variable is the weather, there is a good Post last year (or 2 years ago) on what you need to bring for late season hunting.

One thing I always bring is a grain shovel.

hope this helps.

Jim

It helps a lot, and I really appreciate everyone's response and help. I will search and try to find the post. For over a decade, I hunted elk in walk in wilderness areas throughout the west so I am use to checking once, twice, three times to make sure I am prepared. I want to be prepared for myself and the dogs, but my biggest concern is not finding birds. Admittadely, that comes from my elk hunting days. Bowhunting elk is not that difficult if you are in shape and you are "in" the elk. But, that animal can be darn hard to find at times if you are not a local. I went to one of my honey holes in Idaho one year. It had produced elk for us 6 years in a row. I went NINE days without seeing an elk, hearing an elk, or having any other connection to elk. Worse case was I took a friend who had not been before and he went because he knew the area had produced 10 bulls in five years for us.
 
One thing I always bring is a grain shovel. Jim

lol....yep. We've had some bad situations in the late season:eek:. The shovel. When stuck in the middle of nowhere it's worth it's wait in gold (so to say of course).

Nick
 
lol....yep. We've had some bad situations in the late season:eek:. The shovel. When stuck in the middle of nowhere it's worth it's wait in gold (so to say of course).

Nick


Are you getting stuck with a 2 or 4wd vehicle? Last year was my first trip to South Dakota and there wasn't much snow (middle of December). I will remember a scoop shovel this year.
 
snow drifts can be bad im guessing 1pheas4 had a run in with a drift?

shovel a flat board incase grounds not hard for a jack to work etc a extra battery or jumper kit never hurts in deep snow or cold late season hunts .. i got around fine in a van on my last 2 years on my SD Dec hunts i addmit i avoided some roads...

north western kansas mud has been much harder to navigate for everybody at the hotels ive been at during april turkey seasons im more worried about my dec kansas hunt then my late season SD hunt planned...
 
Last edited:
Are you getting stuck with a 2 or 4wd vehicle? Last year was my first trip to South Dakota and there wasn't much snow (middle of December). I will remember a scoop shovel this year.

I only take 4 wheel drive vehicles in winter, and I have got them stuck many times. Where 10-15 minutes of shoveling and your out.


Sometimes it's hard to see drifts or tell exactly how deep they are, especially when u are the first vehicle to go over the drift.
 
Are you getting stuck with a 2 or 4wd vehicle? Last year was my first trip to South Dakota and there wasn't much snow (middle of December). I will remember a scoop shovel this year.

We've managed to get both 2 and 4wd's stuck. Though the 2wd truck was the worst one. We were about ready to leave it behind because it was getting dark and frigidly cold. We planned on coming back the next day but finally got it free.

After that fun, we always bring 4x4's (only) for late season hunting.

Nick
 
For the most part I drive a Subaru with snow tires for bird hunting. It gets around pretty well, gets great gas mileage, and since the majority of the miles are highway miles on winter roads is a lot safer than most anything else on the road.

However, if I know I will be venturing out into the wilderness a little farther I step up to the 94 Land Cruiser with lockers, off road tires, tire chains, winch, lift, rock sliders, and a full set of recovery gear (including a steel grain shovel). It also has a set of dry clothes, winter gear, and a survival kit to include a stove, food, water purification, bivvy bags, and lots of other stuff.

The subaru has a lesser set of gear but does have the basics to include a light snatch strap (to get yanked out of something, if the rig breaks down it has to be flatbedded), the survival bag and winter clothes from the land cruiser, and other stuff.

I avoid taking land cruiser hunting unless I think it will be needed, the gas mileage is REALLY bad and I'd much rather put the highway miles on the vehicle I can replace. I can easily replace a 2013 outback, they aren't making solid axle land cruisers anymore (at least for the US market).

My eye opener was several years ago out deer hunting with a buddy in winter. We took his truck and couldn't make the hill to get out of the valley we were in on a seldom used forest service road. Went to chain up and his chains didn't fit his tires. All we had for survival was the basic set in my hunting pack and it was getting dark. That was going to be a cold night!

Luckily somebody came along with chains and he intentionally spun out up the hill to get a dirt track we were able to use to get out.
 
Last edited:
My eye opener was several years ago out deer hunting with a buddy in winter. We took his truck and couldn't make the hill to get out of the valley we were in on a seldom used forest service road. Went to chain up and his chains didn't fit his tires. All we had for survival was the basic set in my hunting pack and it was getting dark. That was going to be a cold night!.

My dad did that with his 2wd Dodge Dakota. I think it was in 2001 (SD) when they had all that snow early on, then it formed a thick crust on top.

He decided it was a good idea to take on a snow covered hill "road". I couldn't believe my eyes when I watched him work his way up that thing. My uncle was with him. He tends to be one of those "way can make it" types. Anyway, it didn't end well--they got stuck.

LOl... sorry. Memory dumb here; After getting stuck there were hundreds of pheasants hanging around a shelter belt. All he could talk about was the pheasants. It was as if he didn't just get his truck stuck. He just got out of his stuck truck and watched the pheasants. lol Good times.:)

Nick
 
I have done a lot of checking and leaning strong toward SD.

I have hunted in KS, CO, NE and SD. If I were making a far trip and the costs I would hands down go to SD without hesitation. My .02.
 
Back
Top