Public Hunting around Winner
- Thread starter wlffmnnn
- Start date
Cobblestone
New member
This is almost funny.
reddog
Well-known member
No offense, but if I even knew of a place like that to tell you on here, there would be 221 ppl there by the time you even got there.
Hunting South Dakota is an adventure in learning. There are no surefire ways or places to go without doing the legwork. Its taken me ten years to develop my network of places to hunt. (In fact Im leaving as soon as I send this) and like everyone else, Im gonna be stingy with the information, because of my time invested.
Sorry, cant help you. Never hunted around Winner.
Hunting South Dakota is an adventure in learning. There are no surefire ways or places to go without doing the legwork. Its taken me ten years to develop my network of places to hunt. (In fact Im leaving as soon as I send this) and like everyone else, Im gonna be stingy with the information, because of my time invested.
Sorry, cant help you. Never hunted around Winner.
Thanks red, maybe it is a fool question, but for out of staters that want to hunt, and only get 5 days it is not a lot of time to do leg work. Besides if Oklahoma had birds to hunt and i knew of places I would share. Maybe thats me. I am still young but I go by the older ways. I hate where todays hunting is in the form of leases and having to pay. I guess that is why there are forums like this to help out. Guess I am wrong too.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/areas/maps/default.aspx
That's the best I can do for you. Enjoy the trip. You will find some birds. If you luck up you may limit some days. Public land is a tough hunt. But the adventure is worth it. Best of luck to you.
That's the best I can do for you. Enjoy the trip. You will find some birds. If you luck up you may limit some days. Public land is a tough hunt. But the adventure is worth it. Best of luck to you.
carptom1
Well-known member
Almost funny?
Best Plan in SoDak on short funds and time.... utilize the ROW law. SD allows hunters to shoot birds along the ROW on unimproved roads (gravel roads). Read up on the bylaws, the ROW is generally 33' from CL on each side. With limited time, I hunted along the ROW's and when I came across a farmer, I asked if he/she allowed hunting. 90% there is a polite no, or we do but charge X-amount. Just said thank you and moved on. 10% of the time you may get a few questions and an OK. In the 10 years I've hunted SD, I have picked up several sections to hunt and all it takes is a little leg work and maybe a bottle or a gift card to a local restaurant for the guy to take the Mrs. out for a nice dinner. Good luck... I hunted Winner opening weekend and we saw quite a few birds.
Martin
Martin
Cobblestone
New member
I apologise if I offended..... it was more of a chuckle, when I read your post.
Nah, You weren't missing anything. It's just that finding a place with big bird numbers and few hunters and being public is a long shot. Most of the guys who hunt up there have spent years looking for a magical spot like that. If it exists. You just got to pound the pavement, put in your time. Work your ass off and above all have a great time.
If you check out the SD Hunting atlas, there's just not a lot of public ground compared to some other areas around Winner.
Just go for it and let the chips fall whre they may and learn, learn and learn. Thee's no easier way than experience.
Apology accepted. I do not get offended easily. I am just trying to provide a great trip for my father. You never know how many chances you are going to get to go, so that is why I am here. Is Winner the spot we should be going to or should we look elsewhere. We have found one great tract there, but nothing else to speak of. We are not road hunters. We do not really understand how to do it legally. it is not allowed in Oklahoma. Also my father is discouraged/ bothered at the fact that the landowners want to charge you as much as they do for you to be able to hunt. I can see it from both sides as it is a small part of an income, but like on our land as long as someone asks and noone else in the family is hunting my dad usually lets them. It is the ones that don't ask that ruin it for everyone else. We both have a hard time justifying 33.00 a bird to hunt after all of the travel expenses, nor is it easily affordable with a down economy.
SDJIM
New member
Good advice--just be sure to follow the rules as laid out in the hunting handbook and starting about now it doesn't hurt to knock on some doors and remember your going to get a lot of no's but it only takes one yes to make a great day of hunting.:cheers: oh yea ROW stands for right of way
Good to point out the definition, sorry about that. It was about this time about 6 years ago, crops were almost out and while ROW hunting I drove by a fellow in his 60's who was trying to mend some fence. I stopped, simply helped him w/ a few posts, and an hour or so later, I had access to 1000acres!!! Another good point is that some crazy number like 85% of the roosters taken in a season are taken in the first 3-weeks, when most of the pressure is on. Hit up the local restaurants/bars.... maybe you could find someone willing to entertain your discounted fee....
1pheas4
Moderator
reddog
Well-known member
FYI, I'm an out of stater also. I would love to help you out, but I dont know of anything in Winner area.
SDGFP has a website that you can upload all the walk in areas onto a handheld, or even a vehicle gps. I find that extremely helpful.
I started out today in Mt Vernon on a 25 acre piece of private ground and shot my limit in an hour. It took me several years to gain access to this 25 acres. He owns 2000 acres, so basically he throws me a bone with the 25 acres, but I am very thankful for the access. I dont need 500 rooster flying up in front of me. I'm just one guy with one dog, and it is easier gaining private ground access as one person, but it aint gonna happen without the legwork.
I appreciate the fact that you want to bring your dad. I sure wish I could, but he's been gone for 40 years in Oct.
If this is your first trip, I suggest you hunt hard, and enjoy your experience. IN your spare time, investigate other options, and look for an opportunity to work your way into some private ground. With that said.... I started out 10 years ago paying $100 trespass fees,and have worked my way into 2500 private acres, of which I have to ask every time I want to hunt it.
Private ground, (that isnt leased to hunting operations) are getting fewer and fewer every year. Im happy to have what I have, but its taken alot of time and effort.
Enjoy your hunt!
jfreeman
New member
winner area
That late in the season you might want to consider the Chaimberlain area,
there is far more public land close to there than Winner. The crowds should
have thinned out by then and all the crops should be out, like some have
said get the atlas and it is very easy to follow it is on line also and the road
side counts in different areas is also on line and the Chaimberlain area is always the hightest in the counts but that also lends to more people, but
that may not be the case that late in the season. You did not say if you have dogs or not, if not the right of way hunting would be the best choice,
but before I had a dog I have walked up birds in public you just have to
work a lot harder. And check the rule book on road hunting it is a common
type of hunting in SD and it can be very productive. And you can hunt any
public road improved or unimproved except the interstate hwys. even paved
state hwys and I can find no requirment to use steel shot on road right of
ways or on most Walk in areas, or state land, but is required on all other
public land. also there is true unimproved roads noted by a dotted line on the
hunting atlas and it may just have vehicle tracks and fences or no fences, then you would have to go by the 33 feet from the center line and these can
be great hunting just follow the laws and use common sense and you would
be fine. There is also a rail road right of way that parts of are open to hunting but since I have been there they have closed parts of it but it is in
the law book what parts are open to hunting.
Good luck
That late in the season you might want to consider the Chaimberlain area,
there is far more public land close to there than Winner. The crowds should
have thinned out by then and all the crops should be out, like some have
said get the atlas and it is very easy to follow it is on line also and the road
side counts in different areas is also on line and the Chaimberlain area is always the hightest in the counts but that also lends to more people, but
that may not be the case that late in the season. You did not say if you have dogs or not, if not the right of way hunting would be the best choice,
but before I had a dog I have walked up birds in public you just have to
work a lot harder. And check the rule book on road hunting it is a common
type of hunting in SD and it can be very productive. And you can hunt any
public road improved or unimproved except the interstate hwys. even paved
state hwys and I can find no requirment to use steel shot on road right of
ways or on most Walk in areas, or state land, but is required on all other
public land. also there is true unimproved roads noted by a dotted line on the
hunting atlas and it may just have vehicle tracks and fences or no fences, then you would have to go by the 33 feet from the center line and these can
be great hunting just follow the laws and use common sense and you would
be fine. There is also a rail road right of way that parts of are open to hunting but since I have been there they have closed parts of it but it is in
the law book what parts are open to hunting.
Good luck
WallyGator12000
New member
As Jfreeman just said, there is no requirement for non-toxic shot when hunting right of ways, nor when hunting walk-in areas.
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_6dbff30e-61a1-11e0-a9af-001cc4c03286.html
Ranger Rick
Member
The good things in life are worth working for...
I think it's part of the over all experience to wander out, no contacts, start out with a map, a full tank of gas and explore. Wear out some boot leather hunting roads and walk-in area. I've shot a lot of birds in SD hunting cover that had two fences on either side of a grassy two track. Shake some hands and introduce yourself to a few folks. Your experience will be richer for it than if someone handed you a golden spot without having to work for it.
Travel all that way just to go to a spot that's been set up for you. Hunt an hour and shoot your limit, then go back to the motel. What fun is that?
The problem with the younger generation is they all want it easy. My youngest brother probably would have given up walleye fishing if we didn't teach him the lake. He won't go back to SD any more because one year of a severe drought the cover was sparse and we really had to work hard for the birds we shot. Two of my nephews won't be going deer hunting this year because they get bored in the woods when they don't see deer.
I've been to SD a number of times where I did just what I laid out in the first paragraph. Those were great trips that I'll never forget.
I think it's part of the over all experience to wander out, no contacts, start out with a map, a full tank of gas and explore. Wear out some boot leather hunting roads and walk-in area. I've shot a lot of birds in SD hunting cover that had two fences on either side of a grassy two track. Shake some hands and introduce yourself to a few folks. Your experience will be richer for it than if someone handed you a golden spot without having to work for it.
Travel all that way just to go to a spot that's been set up for you. Hunt an hour and shoot your limit, then go back to the motel. What fun is that?
The problem with the younger generation is they all want it easy. My youngest brother probably would have given up walleye fishing if we didn't teach him the lake. He won't go back to SD any more because one year of a severe drought the cover was sparse and we really had to work hard for the birds we shot. Two of my nephews won't be going deer hunting this year because they get bored in the woods when they don't see deer.
I've been to SD a number of times where I did just what I laid out in the first paragraph. Those were great trips that I'll never forget.