Opener Etiquette

D

dekuiper

Member
My first year as a SD resident! While I've been hunting there as a non-resident for the last 15 years I am curious about etiquette for the resident opener goes as far as public ground. I'm thinking I'll be hunting public ground around Plankinton and "in the area" with my GSP and Brittany.

Is it best to arrive early to the area I wish to hunt and sit there until the appropriate time? What time is generally early enough?
If someone is already there, is it OK to join?
Similarly, should I expect others to join in the field at the same time as me?

Thanks for your advice!
 
Can't speak for SD specifically as I've never hunted their opener. But I'll assume it's the same as any other pheasant opener. Id arrive to my spot early to sit and wait. I usually try and get to a spot 2 hours before legal shooting. I get there an hour early when it isn't opener just so I can listen for cackles and watch any birds that may fly in.

As far as joining someone, definitely communicate. Myself, I prefer not to have someone come into my spot and want to hunt with me. I can't hunt the same with someone I've never met compared to myself or my usual group. I feel uneasy because idk what kind of sportsman they are in terms of safety. But that's my preference.


As far as others joining you, same thing as above, just communicate. Say you realize it's public ground but you prefer to hunt it yourself since you got here first. If they don't like that (again, it is public) then just talk with them to get a game plan. Are they hunting WITH you or just in the same field as you. Where are they going and where are they going to finish. That type of stuff.
 
If it’s a fairly big spot, others will
Park at a designated spot and will
Be joining you…focus on small spots with one parking area, perhaps. I arrive 2 hours early on the general opener…
 
Having others in a 160 acre or bigger spot probably helps, but u you may not like having them. yes, communicate, you may find some decent guys out there…
 
Having done the SD opener as a resident for the last 20+ years there is some etiquette. I usually arrive two hours early. If the spot is large enough there is most likely more than one parking spot. So expect others in the same field. If the spot has produced for others in the past they will show up and park next to you. Generally most people give the person there first their choice of direction they want to go and then go the opposite way. Not always. As far as hunting with others, I generally don't. Just a safety issue for me and my dog.
 
Consider not worrying about being first. As a resident w/ much more flexibility (usually) than the average nonresident, I MUCH prefer to skip the opening bell & first few hours of the day, whether it be the youth opener, residents opener, or regular opener. Those first several weekends, I typically don't get out there until at least mid to late afternoon; sometimes not until the last 1.5-2 hours of daylight. By that time, most people are done with the public land. Not to mention, early in the season, a couple hours in mid-afternoon before feeding time & then the last hour of daylight are commonly the most productive times of day to hunt public land (on average). Doesn't do any good to hunt ground at a time pheasants are likely to be someplace else.
 
yes, especially if it's hot...if alone, or with one other guy, it doesn't take hours and hours and hours to put a few in the vest if you've got a decent dog or two and you know how to go about things...and can shoot OK...
 
I still go out for resident season. I have taken the regular season opener off for the last few seasons. Just too much of a hassle on public land anymore. Too many bad experiences with people pulling in five minutes before shooting time and thinking they can just go do what they want. Getting shot at. I pretty much consider it amature weekend anymore. Too many jerks and too many once a season hunters out there.
 
I was a SD resident for a few years... Resident opener - can be very hot. Get there early to claim your spot, hunters with "proper etiquette" will also get to their spots early and avoid yours if you're already there. However, there will be others that will pull up at shooting time and get out and start hunting right next to you. Choose harder to get to spots, a lot of the resident only hunters are lazy and going to be done hunting within a few weeks of the season.
 
Rogue Hunter said:
Years ago, I found that if you're hunting alone, people will just push in on you and make the experience not worth the hassle. I gave up hunting, or fishing, opening weekends. I'm there for the experience, not to shoot limits. I avoid the "macho hunter" types.
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Inclement weather will keep a lot of people out of the field or off the lake.

I generally hunt and fish to avoid other people, not run into them.

Wait until the Monday or Tuesday after opener and you will probably see a fraction of the hunters you would on opening day.
 
One time I bumped into a guy on the resident opening weekend. He was cool about it, as was I. It was a big place and he parked at one end and I was at the other. Ship happens. Otherwise, resident opener has always been a casual and respectful event. If I'm desperate to hunt a spot, I'll be there 90 minutes before opening bell. If I hope to hunt a spot, I'll be there a half hour before legal shooting time. If I don't really care, I'm going to show up, let the dog out and start hunting.

What I'm getting at is for the RESIDENT OPENER in my neck of the woods, folks will not show up to hunt a piece of public ground if they know someone else is there. If you're parked there, they'll pass on by. If someone else is parked there, I'll pass on by.

I will be present and accounted for at the opening bell on the resident and traditional pheasant openers simply because it's a Christmas morning type feeling to be hunting as soon as I can, but I will double down on what that A5 guy said. You'll likely have cooler temps and better chances of success by heading out at 3pm, rather than 10am.
 
Opener Etiquette = Oxymoron! Good luck, we were rookies last year and won't make that mistake again. We're moving back 10 days before we head back for round 2 this year...if there's any ground left unbaled by then.
 
GetTothePoint said:
f there's
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GetTothePoint said:
Opener Etiquette = Oxymoron! Good luck, we were rookies last year and won't make that mistake again. We're moving back 10 days before we head back for round 2 this year...if there's any ground left unbaled by then.
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with the pressure of opening day and all the ground likely to be hayed, this opener might not be worth the hassle.
better to wait a few days.
 
Rogue Hunter said:
Years ago, I found that if you're hunting alone, people will just push in on you and make the experience not worth the hassle. I gave up hunting, or fishing, opening weekends. I'm there for the experience, not to shoot limits. I avoid the "macho hunter" types.
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Opening day hunters are rookies.
 
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