Late Season Advice

N

NWMNGSP

New member
Hey everyone, I am looking to see if anyone would be generous enough to share some insight on late season in South Dakota. I am new to upland hunting, this is only my second season, and I am also new to hunting SD as well. I just got back a few days ago from my first trip out there and hunted the north eastern part of the state with some decent success. I have another trip roughly planned in mid-December and I would like to explore more of the state and not go back to the same area I was at. I have not had any experience with late season and snow as my first season last year was cut short by a move for work and moving to a new state. I would be a solo hunter with a 2 year old GSP.

I also want to make it clear I'm not looking for exact locations or anyone's honey holes, but would appreciate some tips and pointers on areas, cover, habitat, etc. to look for and look at as I'm still learning the game! Thank you all for the help!
 
I would head to the public areas around Pierre. There is a lot of ground. Well managed ground with great winter cover.

As for snow if you aren't seeing tracks move on.
 
Last edited:
Our best spot last week didn't look good from the road. Glassed across the field and there was a dried up slough in the middle of it. Could just see tips of grass and cattails sticking above the rise. Made the hike across cut corn and it was worth the walk to get to the spot. CREP.

Also walked out a very narrow waterway in a bare harvested soybean field (maybe 5 yards wide). Didn't see any waste beans on the ground. Just mostly dirt. We had stopped to eat a sandwich and my brother said lets walk that out real quick while we are here. Was maybe a 15 minute walk. Flushed probably 8 to 10 birds out of it. 2 roosters and got one. Would have gotten the first but wasn't paying attention because I really didn't think there'd be anything in it.

Point is I guess maybe hit spots others would go past or overlook.
 
akp said:
Our best spot last week didn't look good from the road. Glassed across the field and there was a dried up slough in the middle of it. Could just see tips of grass and cattails sticking above the rise. Made the hike across cut corn and it was worth the walk to get to the spot. CREP.

Also walked out a very narrow waterway in a bare harvested soybean field (maybe 5 yards wide). Didn't see any waste beans on the ground. Just mostly dirt. We had stopped to eat a sandwich and my brother said lets walk that out real quick while we are here. Was maybe a 15 minute walk. Flushed probably 8 to 10 birds out of it. 2 roosters and got one. Would have gotten the first but wasn't paying attention because I really didn't think there'd be anything in it.

Point is I guess maybe hit spots others would go past or overlook.
Click to expand...
No waste beans because they have been eaten, good sign actually. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: akp
Yea I was focusing on corn but we found birds on a couple of bean fields. Probably more around corn but definitely birds around the bean fields too.
 
NWMNGSP said:
Hey everyone, I am looking to see if anyone would be generous enough to share some insight on late season in South Dakota. I am new to upland hunting, this is only my second season, and I am also new to hunting SD as well. I just got back a few days ago from my first trip out there and hunted the north eastern part of the state with some decent success. I have another trip roughly planned in mid-December and I would like to explore more of the state and not go back to the same area I was at. I have not had any experience with late season and snow as my first season last year was cut short by a move for work and moving to a new state. I would be a solo hunter with a 2 year old GSP.

I also want to make it clear I'm not looking for exact locations or anyone's honey holes, but would appreciate some tips and pointers on areas, cover, habitat, etc. to look for and look at as I'm still learning the game! Thank you all for the help!
Click to expand...
Deeper snow is not a given mid Dec, but if so….

Bring snow shoes, smallest that are effective for the weight they need to suspend. You’ll be pulling them up out of heavy vegetation all day. If snow is deep enough to cover by knocking down crp/grass, look for deep cover holes (cattails/“cane”) close to food. Tracks are your ticket, however they often fly from food to cover and don’t always run across roads so ya gotta get out and walk around a bit, not just stick your head out the window 😉. Early morning scouting.
Trim the hair between your dogs toes if needed prior (ice boogers hurt between pads).
One person and no blocker, shelter belts are pretty much out unless low enough to see over. Don’t see many of those though but some are out there. Go get ‘em’

Currently sitting here waiting for 10am. Hunting was a bit easier 2 days ago with the 2” of snow from Sunday night. Yesterday hit 50’s, fresh mud helped with tracks though.
 
Isn't there a giant refuge that opens when deer season ends? I forgot the name of it. Its massive and its endless cattails. But since its public and no one can pheasant hunt it until later in the season, the birds would not be nearly as pressured. There was a thread about this a couple years ago and multiple individuals posted that they got lost in the sea of cattails lol
 
gimruis said:
Isn't there a giant refuge that opens when deer season ends? I forgot the name of it. Its massive and its endless cattails. But since its public and no one can pheasant hunt it until later in the season, the birds would not be nearly as pressured. There was a thread about this a couple years ago and multiple individuals posted that they got lost in the sea of cattails lol
Click to expand...
Sand Lake by Aberdeen, haven't been there myself but sounds like it could be a great time.. If you want to strap on the snowshoes and burn some calories!
 
tomt said:
Deeper snow is not a given mid Dec, but if so….

Bring snow shoes, smallest that are effective for the weight they need to suspend. You’ll be pulling them up out of heavy vegetation all day. If snow is deep enough to cover by knocking down crp/grass, look for deep cover holes (cattails/“cane”) close to food. Tracks are your ticket, however they often fly from food to cover and don’t always run across roads so ya gotta get out and walk around a bit, not just stick your head out the window 😉. Early morning scouting.
Trim the hair between your dogs toes if needed prior (ice boogers hurt between pads).
One person and no blocker, shelter belts are pretty much out unless low enough to see over. Don’t see many of those though but some are out there. Go get ‘em’

Currently sitting here waiting for 10am. Hunting was a bit easier 2 days ago with the 2” of snow from Sunday night. Yesterday hit 50’s, fresh mud helped with tracks though.
Click to expand...
Why no tall shelterbelts?
 
Goosemaster said:
I don't have the dog power! Plus I don't think I'm up to pounding cattails all day.
Click to expand...
I am in the same boat, dog is 11.5 so there's no freaking way I can pull that off.

I've got a few years of youthfullness on you though, I think I could pound that stuff at least for a couple hours. Not all day. You'd have to be an olympian to walk that kind of habitat for 6 or 7 hours.

I was only trying to point out that its completely untouched for roosters until "later in the season." Uneducated birds are dumber.
 
gimruis said:
I am in the same boat, dog is 11.5 so there's no freaking way I can pull that off.

I've got a few years of youthfullness on you though, I think I could pound that stuff at least for a couple hours. Not all day. You'd have to be an olympian to walk that kind of habitat for 6 or 7 hours.

I was only trying to point out that its completely untouched for roosters until "later in the season." Uneducated birds are dumber.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah that could be good.Get a cold north wind,with blowing snow, 3 birds no problem...theoretically. I used to pound the heavy brush up north.These days I will dable in it, but I worry about my dog.I don't want her to get injured. The puppy doesn't really hunt yet,but he has been in thick cover a few times.
 
Forget snowshoes in cattails. The beeper collars can be a godsend in those big sloughs. I don't run them but a buddy does and I am happy with the results. I believe heavy cover allows them to work as the birds tend to sit better then in say crp grass.
 
Gim, come on, you are not spending 6-7 hours hunting pheasants...I think the limit is only 3!

For those shelter belts bring 3...one guy trys to sneak around to the end of it and gets most of the shooting.
 
Depending on how the weather plays out, my favorite place to hunt is inside the cattails, walking on the edge of the ice, letting Sage scent where the pheasants land and go in or where they sun themselves. Again, depending on weather, if there is a lot of snow, pheasants tend to stick closer to an easily accessible food source, in my experience. Don't overlook weedy patches that appear thin as they are a valuable food source for the birds. Once the temps dip, caloric intake becomes essential. Good luck!
 
remy3424 said:
Gim, come on, you are not spending 6-7 hours hunting pheasants...I think the limit is only 3
Click to expand...
Easy now. I hunt public land and have been known to miss once in a while. Sometimes I hunt all day!

Gim, he's got a milk run all lined up on private. He doesn't like to walk real far 😆
 
Golden Hour said:
Depending on how the weather plays out, my favorite place to hunt is inside the cattails, walking on the edge of the ice, letting Sage scent where the pheasants land and go in or where they sun themselves.
Click to expand...
I like this too. But sometimes it seems the birds don't like to be in cattails on the ice as much as cattails with earth under them. Almost like it's a little warmer. I hope to do more of this type hunting this year. When everyone says late season is really good, sometimes I struggle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top