Looking for expert opinions

C

Chris S

New member
OK, I’ve been hunting pheasant only the last 14 years unfortunately I only am able to get out about one weekend a year so I don’t claim to be no expert. I have a large group of friends that we are going to South Dakota for the first time this year . I’m just looking for a friendly discussion here as from your experience at what times of day should you be looking where? . For instance, at 10 AM, what type of cover should you be Hunting and where are the birds headed at that time of day? Just looking for a friendly discussion on a subject we all are here because we enjoy. Not here asking for anybody’s hunting spots.
 
That's a question that has 1000 answers and none of them are wrong. All depends on, hunting pressure, crop harvest, weather, late or early season. Best thing do is start driving around at first light and locate birds in area that you can hunt and hunt the areas that look they would hold a bird. It might ditch along the field, patch of cattails or 1/2 acre weed patch, that hunters don't want to waste their time on.
 
Redmoose said:
That's a question that has 1000 answers and none of them are wrong. All depends on, hunting pressure, crop harvest, weather, late or early season. Best thing do is start driving around at first light and locate birds in area that you can hunt and hunt the areas that look they would hold a bird. It might ditch along the field, patch of cattails or 1/2 acre weed patch, that hunters don't want to waste their time on.
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Suggest you read Pheasants of the Mind by Datus C .Proper It will get you into the way pheasants act. The book should be readily available Amazon or Ebay
 
The correct answer is 'it depends'... I think you could do pretty well with a few key things:

1. Get the book Modern Pheasant Hunting and read it. It's not that long and only $5 (used) on Amazon. Will answer all the questions above and many you do not know to ask yet.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811732274/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. Use the paper or online hunting atlas or (better) get OnX. Cross off all school ground (trust lands) - 95% of those are not where you want to be.
3. Hunt the parts of the state where pheasant are more abundant. Here is a loose depiction that will get you in the right direction.
https://aberdeeninsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-29-at-1.36.09-PM.jpg
4. Hunt with decent dog(s)
 
Redmoose said:
That's a question that has 1000 answers and none of them are wrong. All depends on, hunting pressure, crop harvest, weather, late or early season. Best thing do is start driving around at first light and locate birds in area that you can hunt and hunt the areas that look they would hold a bird. It might ditch along the field, patch of cattails or 1/2 acre weed patch, that hunters don't want to waste their time on.
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Lot of "it depends', as Moose said, to even try to answer your question.
  • Time of year - opening weekend or January.
  • Weather - snow or 90 degrees, wind, wet or dry
  • How big is the group
  • Crops in or out
  • Like Moose, I like grown up ditches with not much cover nearby. Like in a picked corn field or cut hay field.
From a time-of-day standpoint, sometimes at the end of the day, birds leave corn fields and head for a place to spend the night. So next a cut or standing corn late in the day or really that's true anytime.
Mid-day, I like smaller areas where you can push to pinch point in the cover.
Cattails always a good place.
Tree strips, especially if weather is bad/snow.
 
As stated above, lots of if ands and buts. Rule of thumb early morning and the golden hour, heavier cover for roosting, I've seen roosters fly in way after shooting hours! Then most but not all will move to feed. They like to walk but will fly there. Feed can mean middle of a corn field to cover bordering grain to (during snow) picking corn from cow poo! Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
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