New member. First post. Going to hunt birds in SD for the first time next week or two. My folks always talked about hunting Prairie Chickens in WI in the late 1930's & how much fun it was. Wondering if anyone could steer me to an area where I MIGHT get a chance at some. Will be staying in Eureka In McPearson county. Not asking for a GPS coordinate but just a general area. I have 13 & 2 year old labs. Thanks for any help.
Prairie Chickens
- Thread starter Nasty-G
- Start date
kansasbrittany
Banned
Welcome to the site and good luck!
Well it is quite a bit south of where you are going but I got this one near Wood,
here is a link to the SD Game fish and parks density map.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/prairie-chicken-ruffed-grouse.aspx
here is a link to the SD Game fish and parks density map.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/prairie-chicken-ruffed-grouse.aspx
tmrichardson
Banned
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siouxcitysmitty
Member
From everything i've been told, the top pic would be a grouse and the bottom two are chickens.
The grouse have more feathers on their feet, and the black 'bars' on their feathers are v-shaped while the chicken bars are straight.
The grouse have more feathers on their feet, and the black 'bars' on their feathers are v-shaped while the chicken bars are straight.
Remedial bird identification class
I have heard all this poppycock for years about how hard it is to tell whether it's a sharptail or a prairie chicken. Take it from a long time prairie grouse hunter. Single bird in photo is a sharptail, other picture, with two birds, they are greater prairie chickens. If I had them in hand I could tell you male or female. They do not crossbreed, and the two photo's clearly demonstrate the difference. In Nebraska or S.D. they inhabit the same general areas, though it has been my experience that prairie chickens tend to be a little lower in the terrain, like the base of hills, and in taller undisturbed grass, sit like ticks. sharpies higher on ridges, thinner cover, much more likely to bust wild, ( though almost always 1 bird won't). I.D. is simple, in flight, chickens look dark, have square tails, sharpies look very light, almost white, have pointed tails. In hand, if it has, spots on it's belly, and gray feathered feet, it's a sharpie, if it has bars, and yellow feet, it's a chicken. Better question is what are you guys doing shooting at things you can't identify? Some places, over the years, one has been legal and one not, fortunately for the shooters in this case, not South Dakota. There are however quite a few hen pheasants in that area, right up there in the hills with the prairie grouse. I would hold my fire on any dark appearing bird with a pointed tail. Have seen many a pointed juvenile short tailed hen or juvenile just starting to color up rooster pheasant pointed in September.
I have heard all this poppycock for years about how hard it is to tell whether it's a sharptail or a prairie chicken. Take it from a long time prairie grouse hunter. Single bird in photo is a sharptail, other picture, with two birds, they are greater prairie chickens. If I had them in hand I could tell you male or female. They do not crossbreed, and the two photo's clearly demonstrate the difference. In Nebraska or S.D. they inhabit the same general areas, though it has been my experience that prairie chickens tend to be a little lower in the terrain, like the base of hills, and in taller undisturbed grass, sit like ticks. sharpies higher on ridges, thinner cover, much more likely to bust wild, ( though almost always 1 bird won't). I.D. is simple, in flight, chickens look dark, have square tails, sharpies look very light, almost white, have pointed tails. In hand, if it has, spots on it's belly, and gray feathered feet, it's a sharpie, if it has bars, and yellow feet, it's a chicken. Better question is what are you guys doing shooting at things you can't identify? Some places, over the years, one has been legal and one not, fortunately for the shooters in this case, not South Dakota. There are however quite a few hen pheasants in that area, right up there in the hills with the prairie grouse. I would hold my fire on any dark appearing bird with a pointed tail. Have seen many a pointed juvenile short tailed hen or juvenile just starting to color up rooster pheasant pointed in September.
tmrichardson
Banned
deleted deleted
Last edited:
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Prairie chicken have a fan tail.