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Spanielguy

Spanielguy

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Hi guys (and gals). I’m down here in South Carolina and I am wanting to plan a pheasant hunt for this fall (or next) and I am a complete pheasant novice. I would be a single hunter and probably would want to just hunt a couple of days. My wife will be with me but not a hunter. We would like to do some real estate scouting for possible retirement relocation. A South Dakota pheasant hunt has been on my bucket list for a long time and I’m not getting any younger. Any advice on guides, all inclusive hunts vs not, area, accommodations, WHAT NOT DO TO DO, what to bring, etc would be greatly appreciated. Or point me in a direction to get more info. Like I said complete novice. Thanks in advance.
 
Also?
Do it yourself?
Any hunting companions?
Lodge and guided?
Willing to pay access?
How badly do you need to fill limit daily?
Dog power? How many dogs at your disposal?
Want sharptails? Huns? Prairie chickens?
How long do you want to be in the Dakotas?
You’ll get some good advice here ! Good luck
 
Hello, if I’d was a new to pheasant hunter and wanted a chance at birds my first trip, I would start looking for guide that would take me and my dogs out on his ground. I would not do a hunt at a lodge and get stuck in a group. Huron and Aberdeen would be places to start. Look on line for listings. You can also look at the smaller towns around there. Call the local motels and ask them for suggestions, some of them will have guides that have clients stay in there facilities. Yes you can kill birds hunting solo on public ground, but you will have a better chance and won’t have to fight crowds by using a guide. After you get bit by the pheasant bug, you can figure out how to do it on your own. Good luck!!
 
dustin mudd said:
Also?
Do it yourself?
Any hunting companions?
Lodge and guided?
Willing to pay access?
How badly do you need to fill limit daily?
Dog power? How many dogs at your disposal?
Want sharptails? Huns? Prairie chickens?
How long do you want to be in the Dakotas?
You’ll get some good advice here ! Good luck
Click to expand...
Prob not
No
Possible Guided yes
Yes
Number of birds taken not important just opportunity. My upland shooting leaves a lot to be desired.
I would need a dog. Neither of my pups would be ready by this year
Just pheasants
Prob no more than couple of weeks
Hope this helps
 
would your wife be your driver? she can drop you off and you can walk good ditches....catch up to her a mile ahead, etc...that would be how I would do it...hunt adjacent to corn/picked corn in a ditch that has some grass cover...hunt ditches that are near WPA's, GMA's, etc...good roosting cover, which they leave early in the day and head to the corn to eat and hang out...this isn't that hard, doing it on your own can be the most fun!!! bring your dogs with...it's how they learn...they'll be fine...I hunt mine at 4 months...just make sure you acclimate them to gunshot...another topic, you probably know how to do that...if you have dogs now, they'll be at least 10 months old by opener....probably closer to a year??? take them...
 
Do 5 days guided and see how you feel. You might be ready to tackle public land alone by then. Get in some scouting and house looking. Take your birdiest pup along unless that is counterproductive to the level of training you have in mind.

I went to South Dakota for the first time last year with a somewhat green 2 year old. You’ll get some help and some really good advice on here. I just picked up a Boykin pup and plan to take her to SD and hunt her in the fall at 10 months.
 
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You have some terrific advice here/
Take your dogs that is how the Learn. But if they screw up! Don’t lose your temper. First year is all fun. Paying access for a few days is money well spent. Lots of contact is how they learn, and you too. Additionally a day with a guide early in the trip can really help your learning curve.
most of us I would guess love the challenge figuring this out for ourselves. That said wen you first t get there a guide can really help you understand how to do it on your own later in your trip.
Early season can be hot in pm, if so hunt the cooler morning hours and call it a day. Go scout for towns you may like to see.
 
Check out Browns Hunting Lodge near Gettysburg, SD. I know the owner and some of the land he guides on, and can attest to an amazing population of wild birds.

Regardless of where you choose to hunt, ask the wild bird question. Some places have great numbers of wild pheasants and habitat to support them, but supplement with pen raised pheasants to meet the letter of the law. Other places have poor habitat and poor bird numbers, but supplement with lots of pen raised pheasants. Personally, I feel it would be a waste of time and treasure to come all the way to SD to hunt pen raised birds that lack the evasive and survival instincts of a rooster hatched on the prairie.

I've only read about it, but Uguide sounds like a really good option for those wanting to experience a true South Dakota pheasant hunt.
 
Golden Hour said:
Regardless of where you choose to hunt, ask the wild bird question. Some places have great numbers of wild pheasants and habitat to support them, but supplement with pen raised pheasants to meet the letter of the law. Other places have poor habitat and poor bird numbers, but supplement with lots of pen raised pheasants. Personally, I feel it would be a waste of time and treasure to come all the way to SD to hunt pen raised birds that lack the evasive and survival instincts of a rooster hatched on the prairie.
Click to expand...
The experts tell me the pen-reared type turn 100% wild as soon as they're released. Are you saying you disagree?? :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Weather can be highly unpredictable, this year the Monday before I went out it was -6 in the morning and the following Monday was hitting 70's, so pick a window and hope for the best, becomes a weather watching situation. I'm sure you know that SD license if limited to 2 five day hunting periods that can run consecutively or be split up. There are great online resources for you to do your hunt on your own if you so desire. As your post indicates you are only looking for a couple of days so you might want to look for a guide or hunting outfit. Haymaker on this site runs an operation west of Aberdeen that i would recommend. Unless you simply cant control your dogs in the fields I would take them, a couple days of hunting will do wonders for them, best training/learning is bird contacts and you will get that in SD regardless of DIY or hunting operation. Bring good boots, pack according to predicted weather as well as extreme weather, plenty of shells - depending on where you hunt might need non-toxic, first aid kit for 2 and 4 legged companions, cooler, skunk remedy just in case, and most importantly a mindset of just have fun.
 
Miforester gave the best piece of advice - a mindset of just have fun. Whether it's your first time in the field or the thousandth, going in with an attitude of gratitude and a simple expectation of engaging nature will guarantee success. Whenever anyone asks me for advice, I always tell them to just hunt. The intricacies of the land and the behavior of pheasants can only be learned through experience and you'll never know it all, but it is the most worthwhile journey a man or woman can endeavor. In my humble opinion, of course. ;)
 
My wife Laura and I have enjoyed hunting SD for 20 plus years now. We go out for breakfast and dinner, and pack lunch for a nice mid day break.
We always go in early November; this past fall was abnormally hot - 80 degrees - snow on the ground last fall; we follow the weather right up to departure and pack accordingly; this year in tee shirts;
Pack a couple tow straps and a chunk of plywood for your jack - if you have a flat - we had two flats in one day this year🤣🤣so be prepared! I pack a rolling jack and 18” x 6”x6” wood as well, in case of soft ground.
Pack extra boots & socks in your vehicle in case your feet get wet; pack a spare gun and bring it with you every day (don’t leave at hotel as you may be a ways away) I have 3 gallons of water for our labs - and give them moist and meaty for mid day energy. Buy dog vests that protect from barb wire cuts. Lots of barb wire and much of it not easily seen. Hunt your pups. They will chase the birds they flush....& they will learn not to. Be patient as Dustin says, we have done so with all our pups....can’t beat the experience they gain, at the expense of flushes out of range......so what. It’s great to watch them learn
Lightweight guns are great; we use 20 ga LW Wingmasters, and some LW semi autos
Hunt till dusk, then feed your dogs, clean your birds, and enjoy the great sunsets. If you use dog crates, pack extra cushions so your dogs stay dry. If your dogs get wet, so do their cushions. Dogs will keep pushing hard, so pay close attention so they don’t overheat. There’s some large public parcels, so I’ll stop the dogs for however long it takes for them to cool down. We probably only hunted our dogs 20-25% on our fall trip - too hot & too dangerous in that heat. So our flushes and opportunities were reduced - but came home with two healthy labs, and a few less birds..
Order a public access map and identify some public to pursue. As long as there’s crops adjacent, you will find birds. Make the best of what Mother Nature throws your way, and enjoy every minute
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
What's your age & agility/endurance level? Scale of 1-10.
Breed of pups & age right now?
Click to expand...
I’ll be 65 in a few more days. I’m like to think I’m in pretty good shape for 65. I’d say prob a 6 or 7. I have a Boykin an a fb Springer. They are 2 and 22 months.
 
Thanks all for all the advice! I’m just going to sit down and figure out exactly what I want to do and how to get it all in. I’ll keep checking back. Thanks again!
 
Happy b’day SG, I’ll be 65 later this year, and a number of the guys that post are +65
I’ve seen guys post the miles walked per day, and 5-11 miles seems to be the number. I agree and no doubt some days are easier than others. There are stretches where you don’t push up birds - don’t get discouraged- just keep pushing - and you’ll be rewarded. Your youngest pup will be at the perfect age to take out there- good luck!
 
Spanielguy, your dogs want to hunt with you, whether they know it or not. Unless you have aspirations of training them "by the book" to some really high level, take them with you. I'm on my 3rd FBESS. Each one has started hunting at 5 or 6 months. Granted, I'm in a position to hunt regularly & put them on birds once the season starts, but even at a very young age, they start to understand what they're doing after only 2-3 hunts. I estimate I see 7 times more pheasants with a dog than I ever did without. And it's 10x more fun.

A guide to show you the ropes & teach you a few things early on could be extremely helpful.
If you're interested in going it alone, see the Public Hunting Atlas. https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=946eccdaadf84df6aa2bcf08e9fb1aaf
Here are last year's rules/regs. https://www.flipsnack.com/SDGamefishparks/2020-south-dakota-hunting-handbook.html
And try to time your hunt right at the end of the corn harvest. Word of mouth is going to give you the best info for a certain area, but this is a tool too. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistic...lications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.php

20 gauge, minimum. #5 or 4 lead. If you hunt public land & have to shoot non-tox....#5 or 4 bismuth, or #3 or 2 steel.

Carry plenty of water. Or hunt near water so the dogs can cool off regularly if needed.

Now check your "conversations" inbox.
 
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