Pressure

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0fer2

New member
Those of you that have already been hunting SD-Do you think hunting pressure is down this season? We're heading out mid-Nov, about 3 weeks later than usual. Just wondering what you've seen for numbers of hunters.

Thanks

Dan
 
I don't have much of a scale to judge off because last week was my first time hunting out there, but I can tell you in the Pierre area and north, there was what I would call a pretty good amount of pressure. There was a lot less pressure east and south of Pierre.

In Pierre, the hotels were full, there were hunters at every gas station, etc. I hunted one WIA last Friday morning that I thought was kind of isolated. It was only a couple of hundred acres tops and there were four groups of hunters total working it, and again this on a weekday. That said, I did put some birds up out of it.
 
I hunted Aurura county today.. Never seen another person in the field. Seen a Mn. Guy picking burrs off of his wirehair just at sundown. Didn't hunt hard. Started at 11, took break at 1230 with 2 in the bag. Didn't get back out till 430. Seen plenty, but they were too wild in the wind. Made two trips to Cabelas today, (forgot my bill fold on the first trip, dummy).. Like usual, there were lots of hunters there. Headed to Lyman county tomorrow..
 
I've been out three times, and it appears to me that the number of hunters is indeed down. On opening day, Winner appeared to have far fewer hunters than normal, and I also saw fewer on the way down from Rapid City. Apparently a lot of people have cancelled their trips due to the poor forecasts.

There are still birds out there, just fewer and farther between.
 
thats is 519 my trip is canceled to many hunters in SD for me!!! lol god i hope thats not the case for me im trying to stay 30 miles from close towns with hotels & ez hunts close by hope all others are not thinking the same way!!!???
 
I stayed in Chamberlain last week and hunted 20-30 miles in every direction and was surprised by the lack of hunters. I stayed at the American Creek Campground and it was empty, the small hotels in town were maybe half full and the expensive hotels by the highway were almost empty. The hunting pressure was non existent, I was able to hunt when and where I wanted. On my way to and from spots there were groups pounding private lots, assuming they were lodge guests.
 
We hunt my Father-in-law's Brother's land. When people called him about coming, he told them it would probably be best to stay home. Normally we spend the week trying to avoid the 3-4 big crews he has hunting his 7k acres because we don't pay and are smaller. This year, we pretty much had the run of things because there were only two groups and they had half as many guys.

This is pretty anecdotal, but we normally hit the bar on Saturday night for dinner and drinks and it is normally impossible to find a table. This year had to be a reduction of people by 2/3. It looked like a weekday night. I think that tells a bit of a story right there.
 
sorry to say thats music to my ears i dont care for the armys of hunters bulldog n there way into spots wear people are already hunting...

hope the pressure is lax enough that i can get into some birds that dont have a very good education on being hunted yet??? ill shoot a young rooster if my dog points it tracks it & retrieves it for me ill just eat him for camp meat!!!

well id rather have birds holding tight then running into corn a dodgeboy??? i run a pointer so i like them birds that hold for me...
 
zero pressure

I'm so pumped...had the dogs out today at the gamefarm for another tune up and they are working so well together that SD is gonna be a blast...just the girls and I!:thumbsup:
 
i had to slide my hunt to WED-SUN due to some rain/snow in the forcast hope that keeps them other hunters at bay 1 day or 2 B4 i get there cant wait!!!

i only hope for zero hunter pressure once i get to SD & see my 1st pheasant the weight will be off my shoulders lol
 
I hunted the presho area for the last two days. Very little pressure. Very few birds, compared to years past. That doesnt mean there arent any though. Shot 2 yesterday and lost one. Seen 10. Today I was done at ,1230. Had one 5 rooster flush to end the day. Talked to a farer I know who was combining milo. Asked what he was seeing and he indicated not much. Several walk in areas that have been there in the past, are mot there anymore. Back to Aurora county for.mon and tues. Harvest in full swing...for now
 
North East

Was back in NE South Dakoka this weekend, I didn't see many pheasant hunters at all but the waterfowl guys were out and about. 3 flocks of 10000 or so each snows n blues were in the area. Corn was being harvested but lots still in the field due to high moisture, some fields are started but unfinished harvested due to low areas being moist. I didn't see many birds at first, but one afternoon, the pointer was following me while I drove tractor, he was running down the second row of corn along the county road, and he was flushing birds quite often. I think the birds were on the corn edges feeding then running to the road for gravel then back into the corn. He flushed 20 + pheasants in 2 miles.

Watch out for the deer they are everywhere.

My 2 Cents
 
This past weekend was the second time our group went out. We first went at the end of Oct. and this last weekend. We have noticed quite a difference in the number of hunters compared to last year. We did pretty good hunted around platte area. I always enjoy going to South Dakota even if the numbers are down. Saw lots of snows, canadians and mallards. We even saw a jack rabbit.
 
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