Newbie in SD this week

[MrRedNWhite]

Title says it all, newbie in SD this week with my dog chasing pheasant. Staying around Redfield area in a motel, but willing to drive. Have a setter, so mostly looking for CREP lands. Any suggestions welcome, particularly with this weather - if we can even get 2 days of decent hunting and some bird work I would call that a success

 

[benelli-banger]

Title says it all, newbie in SD this week with my dog chasing pheasant. Staying around Redfield area in a motel, but willing to drive. Have a setter, so mostly looking for CREP lands. Any suggestions welcome, particularly with this weather - if we can even get 2 days of decent hunting and some bird work I would call that a success

Good luck, you’re on the right track! Don’t know that area well, but there’s birds around Athol, that I know…don’t know how much public land there is in that direction…

 

[benelli-banger]

3 pieces of CREP north of athol…check ‘em out…

 

[benelli-banger]

Some school trust lands near there, a bit south…may be worth driving by at least…

 

[Goosemaster]

Redfield used to have a good restaurant.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

You've probably seen it, but if not, get the South Dakota Public Hunting Atlas. Online version is fine. I prefer the paper kind. You're not just looking for "good looking cover". You're looking for a spot that offers the type of habitat pheasants use during that particular hour of the day under those particular conditions. It's quite dependent on the adjacent ground. Crops, trees, grass, slough, pasture?

 

[Matt D]

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Goosemaster]

South Dakota is really cool, the people are really cool, but it isn't as easy as people make it look on these hunting shows.

 

[Bob Peters]

Keep a pair of binoculars handy. Sometimes a field they use heavy, you'll spy one flying about, or pecking in the field near grass cover. Not always, but often, when you see one or two, they've got lots of buddies around.

 

[MrRedNWhite]

South Dakota is really cool, the people are really cool, but it isn't as easy as people make it look on these hunting shows.

Yeah. I'm aware on all accounts. I came up in early October for grouse and chickens on Ft Pierre Grasslands. Met some incredibly nice folks and absolutely got my ass handed to me birdwise. I do it for the dog.

 

[Goosemaster]

Yeah. I'm aware on all accounts. I came up in early October for grouse and chickens on Ft Pierre Grasslands. Met some incredibly nice folks and absolutely got my ass handed to me birdwise. I do it for the dog.

The first time I hunted South Dakota on my own, I got my ass handed to me.

 

[Bob Peters]

The first time I hunted South Dakota on my own, I got my ass handed to me.

Next time try around Gregory, lots of birds there.

 

[Goosemaster]

Next time try around Gregory, lots of birds there.

Yeah bring your wallet.

 

[Glock]

You've probably seen it, but if not, get the South Dakota Public Hunting Atlas. Online version is fine. I prefer the paper kind. You're not just looking for "good looking cover". You're looking for a spot that offers the type of habitat pheasants use during that particular hour of the day under those particular conditions. It's quite dependent on the adjacent ground. Crops, trees, grass, slough, pasture?

A5 I’ve always hoped you would start up a different thread on this topic. You do a great job explaining why and when on your videos.

 

[benelli-banger]

Food + adjacent cover is always a good starting point…picked corn next to grass, cattails, etc…

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

A5 I’ve always hoped you would start up a different thread on this topic. You do a great job explaining why and when on your videos.

Ooo. A thread like that would be fun & long. Maybe one situation per post?
The more people who can come to SD (or wherever) & have success somewhere besides a preserve, the better.

 

[wildcat]

check out even marginal private land next to public
land owner's often say yes because they are not getting asked alot
public birds will often flee the heavy pressured public ground to the close private ground even with less cover
you may also get access other ground they have that you don't see

 

[MrRedNWhite]

You've probably seen it, but if not, get the South Dakota Public Hunting Atlas. Online version is fine. I prefer the paper kind. You're not just looking for "good looking cover". You're looking for a spot that offers the type of habitat pheasants use during that particular hour of the day under those particular conditions. It's quite dependent on the adjacent ground. Crops, trees, grass, slough, pasture?

Yes, I ordered one of these early this fall. This is a great public resource that the State of South Dakota puts out..as an out of stater from somewhere with pathetically public lands, I really appreciate what South Dakota does for its resident and visiting outdoors people.

 

[benelli-banger]

Got an email from SD GFP in the past day…they’re facilitating the ability for us hunters to thank landowners for putting land in programs that allow us to hunt…may be an email thank you…I think that’s great…I’ve thought about sending thank you notes…I’ve thanked them in person when I serendipitously bump into them near the land I’m hunting…

 

[carptom1]

check out even marginal private land next to public
land owner's often say yes because they are not getting asked alot
public birds will often flee the heavy pressured public ground to the close private ground even with less cover
you may also get access other ground they have that you don't see

This is so true. Years ago I got permission to hunt a spot bordering on public land for two sides. Didn’t look like much from the road but there was a woolly ditch in the middle of the pasture that was full of birds. Two months in the season and the farmer said nobody had asked.