Mid-December hunt, Late Season advice?

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ohioA5

New member
The last time I pheasant hunted in South Dakota was 19 years ago. I hunted in early November in Davison County with an outfitter in return for some work I had done for him. We hunted all on private land, and it was an absolute riot. One of my favorite hunts ever, easy limits, wild birds all over the place. I was young and newly married.

19 years later, I am trying to expose my 14 year old son to as many different types of hunting opportunities as I can. He's an experienced whitetail deer hunter, duck hunter, got his first antelope in WY last year and has a 4th season cow elk tag in Colorado in mid-November. I've had on my mind for several years to take him on a wild pheasant hunt in SD, and I think this year is the year, hopefully first of many to come.

I am planning this hunt to be all on public lands. I do absolutely understand that expectations on even good public should be tempered significantly compared to good private, as regards bird numbers. I have been studying over maps for a while, looking at aerial photos of the habitat on many different public parcels until my eyes started to go blurry. I haven't decided on a county yet, but in looking over the 2015 State Pheasant Harvest/Hunter Pressure map, I've picked out about half a dozen that I've been studying aerials of public ground on. I'm kind of leaning towards some of the higher pheasant density counties that are a little more rural and/or public parcels with no bigger towns nearby, to try and have a mix of decent bird numbers and maybe not so many hunters as closer to the bigger towns. I do not mind driving an hour from the hotel each morning to hunt. Maybe I'm over-analyzing this a bit, but I tend to be a research nut when it comes to these things. My time is precious and it's a long drive from eastern Ohio, so I want to have the best possible chance for success and shooting opportunities for my son (we are also possibly bringing an 18 year old friend of his).

I've got a few questions:

1) Because of work schedule considerations, the hunt will probably be sometime between Dec. 5-15, and it will be during the middle of the week. I understand at that time we could see "anything" in terms of weather, and we will come prepared for that. Is it reasonable to assume that a hunt during the week (not weekend), later in the season like that, we are likely to encounter less hunters on public ground than earlier in season or on the weekends? Perhaps significantly less?

2) From the reading I've done, it seems the birds are likely to be bunched up in bigger groups (assuming the crops are harvested by then) at that time and in heavier cover such as shelterbelts and cattails. Without oversimplifying it, is finding birds that time of year pretty much a mix of hunting a county with good bird numbers plus finding that heavy type of cover/habitat that pheasants like to be in at that time? In mid-December, how important is it that there be harvested crop fields nearby that heavy cover? Corn? Wheat? Both? Neither?

In looking at aerial photos of public parcels in some of the counties I'm checking out, I have definitely noted some parcels that clearly have shelterbelts, and while it's more difficult to see cattails on aerial photos, I'm assuming that most wetlands are likely to have cattails around them?

Sorry for the long post, just trying to get all my ducks in a row to hopefully have a successful hunt and a good time. Want to make the most efficient use of the time we will have.

We will not have a dog, by the way, it will just be us walking.
 
An answer to your first question is you should see significantly less hunters for two reasons. First you are going in the middle of the week. Secondly you will be going later in the season when a lot of fair weather hunters have hung up their gear already. I know this because for the last five years most of my hunting has been done during the middle of the week due to work obligations.

An answer to your second question would be I wouldn't put much faith in aerial photos of areas as they can get mowed down or grazed off in the summer time and you can pull up to a barren field. The exact opposite can happen as well. A lot of the aerial photos of the CREP land that the state instituted a few years back are still of when they were crop fields. A lot has changed in them from crops to shoulder tall grasses now. This along with the fields that border them change crops yearly. I would definitely stick to sloughs and shelter belts. Try and surround them as best you can. Being a deer hunter you should treat getting in and out of vehicles and talking just like you would if you were deer hunting. Be as quiet as possible, don't slam doors and try not to talk much and you should have a better chance to sneak up on them. Finding a food source close is also a major plus but not a must have.
 
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Great info., thank you. I don't like crowds. Especially crowds with guns. That's why when I go hunt public land somewhere - no matter what I'm hunting for - I try to hunt during the week.

Give me a little schooling on why it is not a must have to have a food source nearby? What are the pheasants eating on otherwise? Also, you can probably answer something about pheasant feeding and roosting behavior for me: do they prefer to walk to their food source, or do they not mind flying there? In mid-December, with cold and possibly snow and the birds bunched up more, how far will they go to find food during the day? And are they generally going to end the day in the same shelterbelt or heavy cattails as where they began the day, if they're not pressured?

Regarding shelterbelts, will they bunch up heavily in NON-cedar shelterbelts a lot during the Winter, or do they tend to gravitate more to the heavy cedar shelterbelts? In hunting a shelterbelt, do you recommend at least one person walk IN the shelterbelt (if possible), or can you get them to flush just walking tight to the edges sometimes?

When I hunted in Davison County 19 years ago, I think we hit about every kind of pheasant habitat type in the several days I was there. We hunted rolling fields of CRP, strips of corn left standing near CRP fields, CRP bordering heavy cedar shelterbelts, and several places with heavy cattails bordering a marsh. One marsh in particular with cattails surrounding it was amazing. I think probably 75 or more roosters flushed and flew out of the cattails surrounding that marsh (in a period of a minute or two) that was no more than an acre. It was a beautiful sight to behold!

BigRand said:
An answer to your first question is you should see significantly less hunters for two reasons. First you are going in the middle of the week. Secondly you will be going later in the season when a lot of fair weather hunters have hung up their gear already. I know this because for the last five years most of my hunting has been done during the middle of the week due to work obligations.

An answer to your second question would be I wouldn't put much faith in aerial photos of areas as they can get mowed down or grazed off in the summer time and you can pull up to a barren field. The exact opposite can happen as well. A lot of the aerial photos of the CREP land that the state instituted a few years back are still of when they were crop fields. A lot has changed in them from crops to shoulder tall grasses now. This along with the fields that border them change crops yearly. I would definitely stick to sloughs and shelter belts. Try and surround them as best you can. Being a deer hunter you should treat getting in and out of vehicles and talking just like you would if you were deer hunting. Be as quiet as possible, don't slam doors and try not to talk much and you should have a better chance to sneak up on them. Finding a food source close is also a major plus but not a must have.
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I'm not sure what they eat when there is no crop field bordering where I'm hunting but I know I've hunted some areas where every field around is barren pasture and there's birds there if there is cover. Maybe they venture further than I think to find food and then back to shelter. I've seen them hiding in some pretty thin fence lines. Possibly walking to their food source? I would say if they're not pressured they would generally go to the same shelter for the most part as I have witnessed birds leaving good heavy cover to feed during the morning before shooting time and found birds in the same cover the next day. As far as the cedar trees vs non-cedar trees I would say they use both. If the snow is over knee deep or higher I've found they like more cedar trees. Hard to get out sometimes and get a shot as they tend to flush out where nobody is standing or walking. If you have enough people I would send a person down the middle, but they will usually get up without one in most cases. Whoever walks inside most likely will not have much for shooting opportunities.
 
Relax

Just relax and have a good time. Your research will more then take care of u guys when u get in the hunting area. Over analizaling does not guarantee a perfect hunt. Enjoy the time and let son appreciate what ever experience hunt offers . There will be great hunts and not so great hunts. There are always a few memorable events that will be recalled over the years from every hunt. Take lots of pics....:thumbsup:
 
In winter useually birds are close to food thermal cover aka conifer trees pines cedars & cattails & what I call horse reeds/weeds or Cain grass but if u google this "fragmites" & some water or feed source like a cattle feed lot or by homes lol. In December most years feed & heavy cover by thermal cover is key... Cattails cattails cattails learn to love them plain crp grass not the ticket... They will run all over u...


Plan on hunting a bunch of spots quick hunts & drive to next spot that time of year birds will be bunched up & spooky 1 flush they all flush eexcept if u catch em just after a snow that cover there trails up... They will hold then... Plan on sandwiching birds flip coin looser or younge does the long wwalk around cover u think birds are in then u walk towards each other both or non of u can get shooting?

Try not to hunt stuff another guy just blew up... I will sometimes sit at a spot till shooting time then drive around & see wear or if other guys are hunting public & wear then Iform my plan for day... Simple stuff like drawing a line in dirt by a drive way & seeing if someone drove over it can work has for me...

Chat with locals if getting ur butt kicked some will take pitty on guys & say try here or ask him etc I don't play that way but have had guys all but offer me spots if I don't get on birds at bar & gas station hang outs...

Hunt what other guys won't or don't wanna be it thick or long walks or can't drive all the way to it or u don't think that type if public land has good cover cuz others sat it never good etc. Don't hunt close to hotel or towns if u can help it...

Trust the dog ... Have fun...

P.S. if u hunt wear bird #s highest there would of been most hunters there hunt areas with great winter cover & decint #s & u will be better off hundreds of birds flushing wild is cool to see but if no shooting all day it wears off fast hunt small good habitat & cover by corn & cattails u will see birds... Hunt em every other type day if u can help it. I'm with you plan for success or plan to fail late season plan & have a back up plan then another lol
 
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I think a harvested field still has plenty of food...I've seen more accessible grain in a harvested field than unharvested, but with a early harvest this year it's hard to say what will be left by mid Dec. If the weather is cold look for juniper tree shelter belts, if there is snow there should be plenty of fresh tracks. Good luck!
 
If you had a chance to invite somebody with a good dog that worked with hand singnals . A dog for those cattails sloughs would pay off I am sure .

Maybe you will have a fresh snow and be able to track the birds .

Enjoy and please post some pics of your hunt , best of luck !!
 
The colder and snowier the better. Find cattails and you will find the birds. If it is cold and snowy, walk slow and stop often. Even after a big bunch leaves there will be plenty of action with the stragglers. Too bad on the lack of a dog. Nothing better than a flusher busting tails in the snow.
 
Actually, if you knock on doors and ask, most farmers are more likely to let you hunt for free that late in the season. We hunt in late December on family land when we go to the in-laws for Christmas. It is a different kind of hunt, but finding likely locations is pretty easy and when you find birds, they tends to be in a bunch. One thing to know, winters have been warmer lately. So, keep that in mind when preparing.

Are you bringing a dog?
 
In the late season, would you focus more on properties that have shelterbelt cover or cattail cover...if they don't have both? Most of the aerials I've been checking out have water on them so I'm assuming they have some cattails, but a lot of them do not have any shelterbelts.
 
Either one is going to be hard with only a couple people and no dog. There really aren't a lot of shelterbelts on public so I wouldn't worry about those. Besides unless you have people on both ends and on the edges the birds just run and go out where you aren't.

Most GPA and WPA land that has water will have cattails. Dried up ponds are even better because you never know how well the water will be frozen in December. Last year it was warm in the first part of December but we had been cold so the birds were in the cattails. Once they go in to cattails they seem to keep using them no matter the weather. We waded in shin deep water to flush pointed birds last year.

Without a dog it gets tough. Take it slow and follow tracks if there is snow. Stop often and stay close to each other. When you shoot a bird don't try for a double, mark the spot and go right to it. Finding downed birds in cattails is not easy. I would really try to make friends with someone with a dog.

I'd also look at thick fence lines if there isn't much snow. Sometimes birds travel along these edges near crop fields. Along brushy creeks can be good also. These are sometimes easier birds to find without a dog.

Good luck.

Tim
 
We hunted with 3 guys and a dog last December. We approached it more like road hunting and drove in the car from likely location to likely location. We hit some trees and cattails, but also pushed some fence lines and a creek bottom. We had permission to hunt private, so that helped as we knew nobody else had been out there that day. The dog was pretty key to getting to birds. We approach it pretty casual, as it is just a 3-4 hour hunt during our Christmas visit. We didn't 'kill em' but we had a fair number to shoot at for 3 guys. I would guess if we were a decent shot, we could have had 4 birds realistically that day.
 
I'm more concerned about being able to find and access properties where birds are than I am about not having a dog. I've done a fair bit of blue quail hunting in Mexico over the years, with no dogs. They very much dislike flying, and they live in some of the most inhospitable type of habitat in North America. When you've chased blue quail for several hundred yards through thickets of 3 different kinds of cactus and half a dozen other types of small trees that ALL have thorns, just to try to get the quail to fly for a few seconds so you can have a "sporting" shot, and you've come back with a bird or two in hand, pheasant hunting without a dog doesn't seem quite as daunting.

Some of the hunting I did in SD almost 20 years ago was with a big group, but I also did some hunting with just 2 or 3 guys, and we had a yellow lab with us, but he was not pointing birds so much as just retrieving them when we shot them. It was definitely more difficult with just 2 or 3 guys because birds would frequently flush out of range, but we still managed to get good shooting opportunities. I'm confident we will find a way to get shooting opportunities as long as there are birds on the properties we're hunting.
 
ohioA5 said:
I'm more concerned about being able to find and access properties where birds are than I am about not having a dog. I've done a fair bit of blue quail hunting in Mexico over the years, with no dogs. They very much dislike flying, and they live in some of the most inhospitable type of habitat in North America. When you've chased blue quail for several hundred yards through thickets of 3 different kinds of cactus and half a dozen other types of small trees that ALL have thorns, just to try to get the quail to fly for a few seconds so you can have a "sporting" shot, and you've come back with a bird or two in hand, pheasant hunting without a dog doesn't seem quite as daunting.

Some of the hunting I did in SD almost 20 years ago was with a big group, but I also did some hunting with just 2 or 3 guys, and we had a yellow lab with us, but he was not pointing birds so much as just retrieving them when we shot them. It was definitely more difficult with just 2 or 3 guys because birds would frequently flush out of range, but we still managed to get good shooting opportunities. I'm confident as will find a way to get shooting opportunities as long as there are birds on the properties we're hunting.
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Great attitude to have u should do well...

Keep us guys with dogs posted how u do because its hard for us with dogs In December so I wish u the best of luck...
 
Be sure to keep an eye on the weather as there have been times by mid-December that your could not even access a field due to snow depth. I remember crawling on my belly over drifts in the ditches and fence lines just to get into a field. No sense driving 1,000+ miles and not being able to even get into the fields. You can't walk CRP when it has 2 feet of hard pack snow in it. You can't hunt cattails when they are completely drifted in with snow. I've seen many years here in SD when pheasant hunting is essentially over by the middle of December. On the other side, it can also be some of the best hunting.

But you also are going to find it tough hunting without a dog at that time of the year. Birds will burrow down under the snow and an army could walk by and they will not move. But with a dog you can have some great hunting on those birds. Maybe there are some guys on this site with dogs that will be able to spare a day or two to hunt with you. I'd volunteer, especially since you are bringing your son, but my dog is on IR for the entire season with a bulged disc in her back.
 
ohioA5 said:
I'm more concerned about being able to find and access properties where birds are than I am about not having a dog. I've done a fair bit of blue quail hunting in Mexico over the years, with no dogs. They very much dislike flying, and they live in some of the most inhospitable type of habitat in North America. When you've chased blue quail for several hundred yards through thickets of 3 different kinds of cactus and half a dozen other types of small trees that ALL have thorns, just to try to get the quail to fly for a few seconds so you can have a "sporting" shot, and you've come back with a bird or two in hand, pheasant hunting without a dog doesn't seem quite as daunting.

Some of the hunting I did in SD almost 20 years ago was with a big group, but I also did some hunting with just 2 or 3 guys, and we had a yellow lab with us, but he was not pointing birds so much as just retrieving them when we shot them. It was definitely more difficult with just 2 or 3 guys because birds would frequently flush out of range, but we still managed to get good shooting opportunities. I'm confident we will find a way to get shooting opportunities as long as there are birds on the properties we're hunting.
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OhioA5 - won't give you advice, just factual experience. I did a late season hunt after a buddy convinced us you could kill birds with NO DOG years ago...we did tons of research and 4 in shape early 30's aged guys hunted multiple days, all day, covering ridiculous miles on varying terrain in various cover around crops and saw birds in the distance but came back with 0. For what it's worth, we all now have dogs and will never hunt pheasant without one late, mid, or early season.
 
A pheasant hunt without a dog is like Liberace visiting the Playboy mansion, there just ain't much to get excited about. A decent dog will get you opportunities even in marginal cover. I would rather hunt poor cover with a good dog than hunt Winner without. If you make it out West let me know. I have both dogs and killer habitat, always glad to turn a kid on to proper pheasant hunting. ( I feel that teaching a kid to hunt without dogs is not teaching proper conservation), I seldom lose a bird, but have to put my dogs in the field all the time for people who have birds down but no dog to find them. In fact many is the time that I have had to count their birds against my limit as they take a cursory look, then go back to shooting (and losing) more birds.
 
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