Number of South Dakota Birds

K

kevinj

New member
I see the survey is out. Looks like numbers are down...but probably still pretty good. We are heading to the Watertown/Dolan area the first week of November. Can anyone tell me what you are seeing for birds, beans/corn in the field etc?

Here in central Wiscosnin we got our first frost last week and now that I have a deer in the freezer, my mind is turning to our annual SD trip.
 
We just got our first frost here so they will be taking crops out in a couple weeks. I think you'll get a better count after all the crops are out and people have been hunting for a couple weeks.
 
if the road side counts are accurate, not good!! but august was a good nesting month, not much rain at all, so those young birds wouldnt' have been in the count. most hens lost thier first 2 attempts and since august was so dry all we can do is cross the fingers and pray that the 3rd time was a charm. thats all we can do, after the frost and the dry weather since july, crops will be out by nov. 1. soybean harvest started last week in some areas and it will be in full swing for most by the 25th. this year the fields are dry so the harvest will move along a lot faster than last year. last fall it rained every other day, this fall it hasn't hardly rained at all.
 
southdakotawannabe said:
if the road side counts are accurate, not good!! but august was a good nesting month, not much rain at all, so those young birds wouldnt' have been in the count. most hens lost thier first 2 attempts and since august was so dry all we can do is cross the fingers and pray that the 3rd time was a charm. thats all we can do, after the frost and the dry weather since july, crops will be out by nov. 1. soybean harvest started last week in some areas and it will be in full swing for most by the 25th. this year the fields are dry so the harvest will move along a lot faster than last year. last fall it rained every other day, this fall it hasn't hardly rained at all.
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A bit of moisture would prolong the harvest, but without moisture, scenting conditions will be poor. I'm afraid the scenting conditions in much of KS will be terrible.
 
kansasbrittany said:
A bit of moisture would prolong the harvest, but without moisture, scenting conditions will be poor. I'm afraid the scenting conditions in much of KS will be terrible.
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worse than that, it will probably still be in the 70's-80's for the Kansas opener, i will be in ND that weekend, hopefully much cooler and better scenting conditions up there. :thumbsup:
 
badgers21 said:
Any specific updates on how things are looking for the Clark area?
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Just talked to a guy I know from Clark yesterday. He does a lot of pheasant hunting and he was pretty down on the prospects for the Clark area this fall. He's an insurance agent so he gets around the area a lot. These back-to-back-to-back severe winters have taken a toll.

Good thing is that with the frost we've had along with the warm dry weather it should dry the crops down faster leading to an early harvest.
 
I took my dog for a walk yesterday just before sunset. Walked about 2 blocks got 7 points and kicked up about 20 birds. I probably just happened to be in the right place at the right time, but it made me feel better about the upcoming season.
 
I was out by a food plot tonight and saw the most birds I have seen in weeks. A lot of roosters with very little color. There is going to be some small birds shoot this year.
 
Wirehairs said:
I was out by a food plot tonight and saw the most birds I have seen in weeks. A lot of roosters with very little color. There is going to be some small birds shoot this year.
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You are right about the young birds. I think this is the most late birds I have ever seen. I took my dog a different direction tonight and saw eight in a quarter mile. I think we are going to be OK.
 
Alot of reports on the ground about the late hatch. That is great news. Also, I can't believe the good luck we are catching with the crops compared to where we started.
 
I'm going to have to 2nd the small bird report. Here in MN we got the same wet weather this spring that SD did. When out last week and kicked up some of the smallest birds iv seen this late in the year. They were not much bigger that quail.
 
duck hunted this last weekend in far western mn. we never saw 1 pheasant all weekend. we only heard a couple. farmers taking out soybeans fast and furious and the ones we know and talked to said harvest is right on schedule with last year. difference being that this year its dry. these guys don't have to wait every other day because we just had another inch of rain. farmers are also talking about the young birds they are seeing on the roads, not much bigger than a partridge. Thats a late hatch. numbers are down, obvioulsy, but who really cares? i stilll have some birds in my freezer from last year. its about being out there with friends, drinking cheap beer and losing $ to your friends. i know its bad, but the late hatch might not make it as bad as 1st reported. instead of it being down 50% - 60% it might only be down 30 - 40%. i can live with that. we need more cover and would it really hurt to leave a strip of corn or soybeans here and there for some food this winter. i'm just sayen!!
 
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