Mid Season Pheasant Update and 2013 Outlook

Bingo! Non residents left with a bad taste in their mouth. Again, SD is an awesome state! However, the NR hunter will have to decide if the cost and time involved is worth it.
This year was a tough year for our group and I would say we are 50/50 at best to return in 2013. The roadside counts, but more importantly, SD residents first hand observations on bird numbers will be our final decision.
Not enough cover or birds this year.

Bob
 
birds

This was my 1st ever year hunting SD pheasants. I just got back into bird hunting last year, with a new dog and son that showed interest. I have been over 3 times now this year, twice on public lands and once through a u-guide place. I have found the hunting to be hunting! It isnt walk in and kill, kill, kill, it's tough going. Busting 10-50 hens to every Rooster is hunting. Not killing a limit is hunting. Birds flushing out of range or running miles, is hunting.
Still, the numbers are down they all say, yet I have not seen this many birds any where else in my life! I can't wait to go again, no mater how many I harvest. It isnt the killing that keeps me wanting more, if that were the case I would hunt the game farm everyday! I had days this year where I saw 200-500 birds in a day, other days I had trouble seeing 5 birds. Thats hunting and the reason I cant wait to get into the next field and discover what it has in story for me!

:thumbsup:
 
hunter94 said:
i think at this point, for whatever reason, the GFP fall roadside survey was not indicative of the true bird population...that coupled with little public hunting cover left a lot of NR's with a bad taste in their mouths...until next season.
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94, I would say that folks that hunted public ground would agree with you and those that hunted private would probably say the numbers were OK. For example gpowers hunted a camp this year that was down 50% or better over last year. And last year that camps was not down at all when the rest of the state was off 46%. The GFP counts gave no indication of this either way because they are so vague and area non-specific.

All in all though I think the department of tourism will have their hands full trying to maintain business to the state from hunters.

I think the public really got ripped off this year.
 
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