North Central South Dakota Report 11/20 - 11/24

[Limitless]

Made the trek over from Minnesota today. White out conditions in some areas made it take a little longer than it otherwise would have, but made pretty good time, considering. About 25 degrees and 25 mph wind, with a 9 degree wind chill for much of the drive. I chose some CREP land that would allow about 2 hours of hunting before sunset. It was 23 degrees and a 29 mph wind, for about a 5 degree wind chill by then. Gusts in the 30s. Some drifts on backroads. Several inches of snow on the hunt, in places.

We started walking the edge of some cattails as the wind poured out of them, into my face, as I looked out over the sea of waving stalks. A little over 100 yards from the vehicle, a young cackler flushed wild to my left, as Honey was checking out some reed grass ahead and to the right of me. I managed to down him, but felt he wasn't down for the count quite yet. Honey had heard him too, marked him well, and was shortly on the landing spot. She proceeded to sniff out the trail away from there and then took off bounding through the snow, coming to a stop 20 some yards away. I went up there and coaxed her to dive in, which she did. He put up a fight, but she finally dragged him out. One in the bag. A spring of the year bird, which I took as a good sign.

We found some hens finally at a little inlet in the cattails where power lines went through. Right before the next section road, she was on a very serious point. As I approached, the rooster got up to my right in the thick cattails and caught the wind that was paralleling the 'tails at this location. He made an arching path that my 3 shots couldn't quite get in front of. I may have also been under him.

We crossed the section road and found more hens in close proximity to each other in some little bushes. About an hour had elapsed, so we turned around to head back in the direction of the vehicle. Rather than follow the cattails, we worked the edge of a narrow stretch of crop land that didn't appear to be freshly harvested. However, the section road we were paralleling this whole time had cut corn on the other side. We found a couple more hens in the cover just off the barren field section.

I should mention that we did venture into the cattails a few times, but were met with water about 10 yards in, so decided to stick to the edges more.

After arriving back at the vehicle, we crossed that section road, and continued to work the edge of the same batch of cattails. We only had about 20 minutes of daylight left. The field on the other side of the parallel road held no food source that I could see, on this side of the section road. Before too long, as Honey was working the cattails, and just after I had made a mental note of some good snowed in cover between the slough and the parallel road, a bunch of birds got up from that cover and made their escape into the edges of the cattails a few hundred yards down. At least one was identified as a rooster. Too far for a shot.

Shortly after that, Honey got birdy and ended up on point, 25 yards into the cattails. I waded in, but it seemed like she had moved after I got in there, so I came back out. I could see she was coming out a few yards down from where I made my exit, but not in her normal bounding way. Out she swaggered with a live rooster in her mouth. No idea what transpired, and haven't cleaned him yet to be sure, but I believe he was a healthy, unshotified bird that didn't manage to evade Honey's mouth. Another spring of the year bird. Rooster 2 in the bag.

Honey found one more rooster on the edge of the cattails that I proceeded to miss another 3 times, as it weaved back and forth, into the wind, but somehow low enough to rocket away from me.

All told, I counted 22 hens and 5 roosters, including the 2 that will return to Minnesota with us.

Too cold to stop for photos of the birds, so you are stuck with road conditions and a pampered dog after a (short) job well done.

 

[Limitless]

Day 2...

Due to other obligations taking longer than expected, I didn't get to the first spot I had earmarked until about 10:45 AM. Worse than that, it was surrounded by grazing land in all directions. I drove through great areas with more picked corn fields than not, and then it all dried up a few miles before the chosen spot. I drove to a few other spots and similar situations.

I finally found a WPA that seemed reasonable, and started hunting at the crack of noon. We could only find hens -- 14 of them. Then, on the way back to the vehicle, a rooster cackled in some blonde, 2 foot grasses, so we took him up on the invitation. Honey found him in short order and I thought I clocked him a good one, but he recovered and flew over a darn big hill. We went over it to the slough on the other side, but never met up with him again. 2 hours spent at that place, and nothing to show for it.

We drove around looking for another spot, and finally headed back the direction we had come from, and stopped at a WPA I had marked in the morning. It had 2 sections of cut corn running along its southern edge. I was a little hesitant about it, because the corn field had a good sized slough smack dab in the middle of it. I wasn't sure how the WPA slough, further down, would compete with it, and it was going to take a half mile hike to even find out.

Within 20 yards of leaving the vehicle, on a diagonal path to the corn edge, some 300 yards to the south, Honey went on point. She tracked a rooster that flushed wild about 100 yards from the parking area. He was a runner and I couldn't quite keep up with her. I took a couple shots, but didn't connect. I was pretty darn encouraged, nonetheless, given how the first spot had gone.

Another hundred yards, another rooster, but I connected with it. Plenty of life left in him, but not enough jumping and running to evade Honey. Another hundred yards, and a similar situation. This one made it to the field edge and must have turned into a rocket. Luckily, Honey has some Usain Bolt in her and she was in pursuit. She turned back into the WPA grasses 50 yards down and caught up with him. Bird 2 in the bag.

I had one more miss (gun jammed after the 1st shot), and then we started getting into hens. 7 ladies later, Honey found another rooster down in the cattails fringing the big slough. I was just getting a bead on him, and he crossed in front of the sun. I managed to pick him up again on the other side and got a lucky shot in that ended him before he came back to earth.

The first rooster was a spring of the year bird, the second was a 2nd or 3rd year bird, and the 3rd was a white spurred bird that was probably a late hatch from last year.

The last 30 minutes of daylight was spent hiking back to the vehicle. The birds came pouring out of the corn ahead of us, into the WPA. There were at least 11 birds, and at least one was a rooster.

We weren't able to cross the slough, and not enough time to go around, but did hear some roosters taunting us on the other side.

Amazing how one good spot can turn a day around.

 

[Goosemaster]

I think I've lost 3 in the cattails in the last 3 days.Tall and thick.

 

[Limitless]

I think I've lost 3 in the cattails in the last 3 days.Tall and thick.

Those are just tough conditions. When the dogs can't move as fast as the birds through the cattails, pretty hard for them to get a winged bird. We've been fortunate not to lose any downed birds this trip yet (knock on wood). Our one cattail bird yesterday flew out of them and died in 2 foot cover, thankfully. These were cattails that were 20 to 30 yards in depth, fringing a low water level slough (so frozen mud on the other side of the cattails in most places, that we could access). I love those setups, because it reduces the ability for the birds to evade.

 

[Limitless]

Day 3...

SKUNKED!!!!!!!!!!!

First full day that I have been skunked this season.

First spot held some hens and one rooster that flushed wild. It was a doable shot, but I didn't do it (meaning I missed). I spent 2 hours on that spot. I then drove around for 3 hours looking for another place to hunt. Found one, finally, but it had a bow hunter on it. I ended up back at the same place I got birds yesterday, but on the other side. Found out they had mowed a lot of the cover over there, so wasted an hour. Ended up right back where I got the birds yesterday, for the last 1 3/4 hours of the day. Saw some wild multiple flushes at a distance. Only identified 2 roosters that were too far away to hit (but I did try). That was it.

The public land was too close to civilization and too much distance between them. We are heading another direction tomorrow, where the properties are closer to each other.

I did see maybe 10,000+ snow geese across from the first place I hunted and a smaller batch next to the final location (photo of the 2nd batch below).

 

[Labradinger]

Those are just tough conditions. When the dogs can't move as fast as the birds through the cattails, pretty hard for them to get a winged bird. We've been fortunate not to lose any downed birds this trip yet (knock on wood). Our one cattail bird yesterday flew out of them and died in 2 foot cover, thankfully. These were cattails that were 20 to 30 yards in depth, fringing a low water level slough (so frozen mud on the other side of the cattails in most places, that we could access). I love those setups, because it reduces the ability for the birds to evade.

I was on my hands and knees the other day. Insane stuff, never shouldve shot. I actually found my wad though, so I know i was in line.

 

[Weimdogman]

I have hunted a lot of cattail sloughs and thick crp weedy cover blanketed in sweet clover 5 foot high , but the growth this year is the thickest I have ever seen. I am waiting for a foot of snow to make things easier to navigate. At least I hope it works that way.

 

[Goosemaster]

Lost 5 in the cattails over a 4 day hunt on the Canadian. Just can't get in there,too thick.Those nice weather days were tough to get close,but good to get out.

 

[Glock]

Lost 5 in the cattails over a 4 day hunt on the Canadian. Just can't get in there,too thick.Those nice weather days were tough to get close,but good to get out.

Sounds like Mr Jones is doing a great job holding up his half of the responsibilities. Sounds like that 28 gauge isn’t getting it done.

 

[Goosemaster]

Sounds like Mr Jones is doing a great job holding up his half of the responsibilities. Sounds like that 28 gauge isn’t getting it done.

I was using a 12, but the cover was very thick.The shots were good, but the dogs could not get in there.Davy Jones I guess.

 

[Limitless]

Day 4...

Might have been the most frustrating day of pheasant hunting I can remember. Hunting some CREP, where an old section road borders private, and cattails on each side of the section road, in close. Most places, the cattails weren't too bad. Dog went on point, and at least 3 birds flushed. Might have been as many as 5. I will have to review the video recording. I shot twice at a rooster quartering away from me to my left, and downed him. I swung one quartering to my right, hit him, and he landed like an airplane, so not hit well. Honey was still on point. Another flush. This time at least 2 roosters and maybe more. I dumped one good straight out from where I was standing.

I marched in, and realized the cattails were horrendous at this particular location. It was only 20 yards out. I couldn't see the dog near me, due to thick cattails and snow suspended in them at belly to chest height. By her noises, I surmised she found him, and reached down and got the dead bird from her. A minor miracle.

We then went for the first bird I downed. Not only were the cattails impenetrable in places, we got into ice cold water that threatened to go over the top of my muck boots. It was a no win situation. Dog couldn't push through the stuff. We went back to the road, and I was very frustrated. I made one or two more attempts, but same issues.

Had to give up and move on. Only consolation is the 2nd bird I hit was probably fine. It is possible the first I hit was a runner too -- I didn't see how he came down when I swung on the 2nd bird.

About an hour later, at a different point on the section road, and cattails that weren't as bad, dog on point, going away low bird, downed him on my second shot. Dog went in solo and was on him 20 yards out or so. I could hear flapping and assumed nerves from a dying bird. Since I assumed he was dead, I wanted to push her into retrieving him through the thick stuff. She sometimes prefers me to come to her when tired. She was cold and wet, but I figured I could always walk out and get the bird. I knew where she was from the moving cattails, even though I couldn't see her.

After a bit of coaxing, she made her way diagonally quartering to my right. Then she stopped and I heard more flapping. I should have immediately gone to her, but my mind wasn't really thinking clearly. After more coaxing she moved faster on the same trajectory and came out to the road down a ways, with no bird! I went to where she had been when I heard the flapping, and no bird. She had been on a deer trail, hence why she went to the side instead of directly to me. When looking for the bird, a rooster got up ungracefully, but I didn't shoot. I refused to believe it was the same bird. After a ton of time going back to the trail and back to where they had been, I finally had to admit that it was probably the bird that flushed. She must have gotten frustrated with me not coming and set him down and he later ran and flushed. Only good thing is he could still fly. Extremely frustrating though.

At this spot, we ended up seeing some 18 hens/unknowns and 14 roosters. Some multiple flushes at distance included.

After nearly 7 miles for me and many more for her, we took a needed break to warm up. I looked at other spots and ended up at another location with about 2 hours left of shooting. It was a walk in area that was mostly picked corn, but had a winding creek in the middle of it with good cover and some cattails in a strip on one edge of the corn (corn up higher and slope down to cattails). Also had mowed grass on the other side of the cattails. Cattails were only 20 yards thick, and I commented to myself that at least no bird could be lost in those. They were passable from what I could see.

As we walked one edge of the cattails, on the grass side, a rooster cackled and got up, on the opposite side, and sailed back to that side to the start of the tails. We made our way around the end of the tails and then walked the other side down from the corn. We were getting close to where I had marked the rooster and Honey went on point. The rooster flushed, right to left along the cattails, I mounted the gun without getting the butt up all the way, and couldn't get on him in 3 shots. I was not happy.

As I stood there explaining things to the camera, she went on point again and dove in (meaning birds were moving). A rooster flushed right to left again, and I dumped him with one shot after a careful follow. I thought for sure he landed on the clean snow on the grass side of the cattails. A hen flushed after him.

We went through the tails and I lifted honey up on the stomach high drift on the other side, so she could get to the grass and get the bird, or track him if he was still alive. I made my way through and immediately saw there was no bird. He must have gone down in the last few feet of snow choked cattails!

I spent over half an hour watching the video of where he went down and going in and out of the tails, spreading them as I went, with dog next to me. Never found a single feather. Either he dropped through the suspended snow and was on the ground or he had life and got out of there.

So, although I did end up with one in the bag, it was a trying day.

No bird photos.

Here is one of a cow that one of my daughters has named Ruby.



Here is a view of where we parked at the first spot.

 

[akp]

We lost a few in the cattails today. Insane how thick they are. Nothing like last year. Head high in lots of places. Lots of birds though. It was difficult getting my dog to me. Don’t think he was being stubborn. Just had trouble finding me when I needed him to hunt dead. We would’ve lost them all in the cattails if not for the dogs.

 

[KCrowley]

No judgement, but when the cattails are that thick I don't hunt them anymore, even when that's where the birds are. Too many lost birds over the years for my taste. Again, you do you. I know guys (especially Chessie guys ) who live for impenetrable cattail hunts. It's just not for me.

 

[Limitless]

Day 5...

I hunted the same 2 spots as the previous day, but covered some different ground at each place. Part of this was because of higher bird numbers at the first place, but part of it was to cancel out the badness of the previous day.

Made a loop along a section road and then a triangle piece of cattails next to a bean field that a farmer gave me permission to hunt the previous day. He stopped by to chat the previous day and offered it to me without me asking. I did see birds, but didn't get any there.

Next, went down the continuation of the old, overgrown section road the other direction. This has cattails on each side, with varying degrees of badness. Honey went on point and multiple birds flushed multiple directions. I hit one on the left side, but it went down with wings and head up and belly down, so I assume I ruffled its feathers. I didn't shoot at the others, for fear of finding them without her being able to get on them and how the cattails looked on the other side of the road there. Honey marked it well and was to the spot quickly. She then trailed it parallel to the road for 30 yards or so. As she was getting closer to the road, I thought she may have given up on it. Just then it flushed in front of her and I connected, dropping it dead on the side of the road. Bird 1 in the bag.

We saw more birds, but I withheld shooting at some and missed others. We then hiked back and circled around to the outside of the east side cattails (this is CREP land), that border a cut corn field. I was pretty sure some of the flushed birds had made it to that edge. We had to walk a ways, but then started getting into them. On one multiple flush, I connected on my 3rd shot and marked the direction in line with a far distant bushy tree. I began hiking in a straight line to that landmark. After 10 yards, bad cattails, with the dog mostly behind me. I pushed on. I thought I had gone too far, but when I looked back, I was 30+ yards from the edge, so thought I would go a little further. I was about to take another step and there he was, directly in front of me, dead. Darn lucky to find him in that stuff. Let the dog get him and bagged bird number 2.

We did get into other birds, but I don't think I shot at any others due to conditions or distance. All told, we saw over 30 birds over the 3 hours and 6+ miles (for me).

We warmed up (the wind and wet snow was cold, for a 32 deg air temp) and moved on to the next spot, walk in area, 20 minutes to the east. It had an oxbow creek running through it, with cut corn surrounding the good cover on both sides. We had hunted the smaller side the day before and had missed one rooster and dumped another in snow choked cattails that either ran away or got under the snow and went undetected.

We had to hunt for a while before we got into any birds. Finally started finding hens in some cattails not too far from the corn edge. We didn't intend to go into a more open area, but in going around the outside of a non-energized electric fence, we ended up there. Mostly blonde wetland grass clumps here and there, buried in snow. Honey went on point. As I approached the bird must have started going and Honey launched. The bird erupted from the snow 10 yards up -- our first rooster sighting for the hike. He was definitely gettable, but his speed and low flight path evaded my shots. A bit frustrated at missing possibly the one shot at getting our limit, we pushed on.

I saw where he had sailed to, way up ahead, and intended to go up there. But when we got up further, I realized he was on a chunk of land that bordered the walk in land, so we couldn't pursue him. We found more hens in a small chunk of wimpy cattails, but what I was really looking for was another small lowland near the cut corn that I had seen on the aerial photos.

A while later, we located the small slough and headed toward it. Perfect type of slough, where you can walk between the clumps of cattails. Honey was up ahead, between the corn and the slough, and turned to the slough about 50 yards ahead of me. I made my way over the top of a barbed wire fence where I saw a bunch of pheasant tracks and was following those at an angle toward the slough. As I approached the edge, she was on point about 20+ yards to my left, ahead. I started working toward her when she launched (meaning birds were either running or starting to flush), and the thing erupted with birds -- 4-6 birds, I would guess. I picked out a rooster, he dropped a leg on my second shot, and if not for that, I wouldn't have attempted a 3rd shot, as he was getting out there 50 yards or more. I didn't expect to hit him and was just turning to try to get a look at the other birds, when I saw him tumble on the other side of the cattails. A puff of snow went up when he hit.

We made our way up there. Honey was still energized from all the activity and scent from the birds. I didn't know if he was at the edge of the cattails or further up, so let her work around the edge a bit. She then went over to another section of tails and I made my way up a little incline, toward some trees, trying to pick out what might be a downed bird vs the numerous cow patties that littered the snow and vegetation. As I scanned left to right, movement caught my eye, and I spotted him, sitting 5-10 yards in front of me. I called Honey over for the grab. Bird 3, in the bag, a nice ending to the 4+ day hunt. I think I had counted 26 hens/unknowns and 2 roosters on that hike.

Recap on numbers bagged for the trip:

Day 1, 2 hour hunt - 2 (2 more gettable opportunities)
Day 2, full day hunt - 3 (3 more gettable opportunities)
Day 3, full day hunt - 0 (only one gettable shot on a rooster that day)
Day 4, full day hunt - 1 (multiple opportunities, 2 birds downed and not found in the tails that were probably still running, and one bird that the dog let go in the cattails that probably flushed again...had gone an hour east from where we hunted Days 2 and 3, with snow there vs lack of snow further west)
Day 5, about 1 hour shy of a full day hunt - 3 (multiple opportunities, and about 60 birds seen, including hens and roosters)

With better shooting and finding, it would have been possible to end up with 14 birds. We ended up with 9 making the trip back with us to Minnesota.

From memory, I put on about 45-50 miles. Not close to the hundreds of miles Honey ran, but my body will appreciate 5 days off.

All in all, I was happy with the trip. We didn't get into the bird numbers some have reported and had to change where we were hunting. Also first time hunting that far west in the state. But we did find birds and made some new memories.

Last bird from the last day's hunt:

 

[steelhead]

Great report Matt...thanks for putting in the time to document the details for those of us following the story with jealousy. Sounds like you've got a great dog. I heard a quote once saying something like "One of the great joys in life is to have owned a good dog". Enjoy your times in the field together and take lots of photos. I'm 72 and make a couple pilgrimages to SD each year walking 5-8 miles/day and counting my good fortune to have the opportunity.

 

[Goosemaster]

No judgement, but when the cattails are that thick I don't hunt them anymore, even when that's where the birds are. Too many lost birds over the years for my taste. Again, you do you. I know guys (especially Chessie guys ) who live for impenetrable cattail hunts. It's just not for me.

Yeah I've lost lots of birds in 6 foot cattails.Lost 5 recently.My 11 year old can't get in there,and my 1 year old is still figuring hunting out.

 

[Goosemaster]

No judgement, but when the cattails are that thick I don't hunt them anymore, even when that's where the birds are. Too many lost birds over the years for my taste. Again, you do you. I know guys (especially Chessie guys ) who live for impenetrable cattail hunts. It's just not for me.

Sometimes I get so aggressive that I don't consider 8 foot tall cattails in water.You will rarely find a bird in that stuff.Ive lost lots,but that's where birds are.If the cattails are 3 ft.we usually find downed birds.It is unethical to shoot over that stuff.

 

[Limitless]

Great report Matt...thanks for putting in the time to document the details for those of us following the story with jealousy. Sounds like you've got a great dog. I heard a quote once saying something like "One of the great joys in life is to have owned a good dog". Enjoy your times in the field together and take lots of photos. I'm 72 and make a couple pilgrimages to SD each year walking 5-8 miles/day and counting my good fortune to have the opportunity.

Glad it provided some enjoyment! My name is David. I think Matt's name showed from a thumbs up he gave.

I feel extremely fortunate regarding Honey, for multiple reasons. I try to remind myself of that as often as I can. I hunt more now than I have in the past, partly because of her desire and drive. I also try to put myself in a present mindset and live the moment, when I think of it. I've owned dogs my whole life -- hunting and non-hunting, and had a close bond with almost all of them. She and I share a special connection. It will be a sad, sad time when she leaves this existence some day. Mother Nature has my ire for the short lifespan she has given man's best friend.

I normally take more photos, much to her consternation. It was wet and cold this trip, so I didn't take as many as I normally do. We are both on antibiotics too (Lyme disease for me, infected dew claw toe and broken upper canine tooth for her) so I was a bit more worn out than usual. I do video record my hunts, partly so I have these memories of our adventures together.

It sounds like you have put in some miles and memories amongst the roosters over the years. I have my fingers crossed I will still be hunting in my 70s. But with no guarantees, I am, as my dad used to say, "getting it while the getting is good."

I live about 3 hours from good pheasant numbers in Minnesota. A couple years ago, before a horrible winter, I could find them 1.5 hours away. But even with 6+ hours of driving out and back for each day of hunting, I consider myself lucky to be that close. I have been hunting most weekends in January in SD in recent years, after the Minnesota season is done. This is the first year of hunting November in SD, and I've made 2 trips. I probably won't be back again until January, and will hunt as much as the weather and my schedule allows for.

I hope your pilgrimages this season are memorable. Let us know how it goes!

David

 

[Goosemaster]

Glad it provided some enjoyment! My name is David. I think Matt's name showed from a thumbs up he gave.

I feel extremely fortunate regarding Honey, for multiple reasons. I try to remind myself of that as often as I can. I hunt more now than I have in the past, partly because of her desire and drive. I also try to put myself in a present mindset and live the moment, when I think of it. I've owned dogs my whole life -- hunting and non-hunting, and had a close bond with almost all of them. She and I share a special connection. I will be a sad, sad time when she leaves this existence some day. Mother Nature has my ire for the short lifespan she has given man's best friend.

I normally take more photos, much to her consternation. It was wet and cold this trip, so I didn't take as many as I normally do. I do video record my hunts, partly so I have these memories of our adventures together.

It sounds like you have put in some miles and memories amongst the roosters over the years. I have my fingers crossed I will still be hunting in my 70s, but with no guarantees, I am, as my dad used to say, "getting it while the getting is good."

I live about 3 hours from good pheasant numbers in Minnesota. A couple years ago, before a horrible winter, I could find them 1.5 hours away. But even with 6+ hours of driving out and back for each day of hunting, I consider myself lucky to be that close. I have been hunting most weekends in January in SD in recent years, after the Minnesota season is done. This is the first year of hunting November in SD, and I've made 2 trips. I probably won't be back again until January, and will hunt as much as the weather and my schedule allows for.

I hope your pilgrimages this season are memorable. Let us know how it goes!

David

I am thinking you live in Minneapolis.

 

[Limitless]

I am thinking you live in Minneapolis.

Outer NE suburbs of the Twin Cities. No comment on Minneapolis.