For all the SD hunters I got a quick one for ya. Each year me and a few buddies go to Pierre for 4-5 days and I'm usually the trip organizer/"guide." That being said we usually hunt SE of town but North of 90. We hunt all public land, and walk some ditches. This year I'm scouting some new areas and wanted some opinions, would you hunt Lyman or Hughes/Sully counties? I'm familiar with most of the walk in areas in Lyman but just looking to expand to a new area.
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Question about Counties
- Thread starter Yankee
- Start date
Being that I live on the Hughes/Sully co. boundary I will say that almost all of the walk-ins/public lands in northern Hughes and all of Sully that are west of 83 are pretty much straight crop ground with little to no upland cover. Talk to a lot of disappointed NRs that come here based on what they saw for public ground on the walk-in map only to find out it wasn't good upland cover. Much of the walk-in is largely for waterfowl and big game hunting
Gettin Birdy
Member
I would also suggest knocking on doors. I hunt same area a couple weeks into season and farmers up that way are very nice and several will let you hunt. Some ask that you pay a fee but with in reason for what you get on cover and numbers. Good luck!!:cheers::cheers:
I hunted SD for the 1st time last year on the opener. I chose Lyman county. I had the whole county to myself it seemed like, only saw 1 other party hunting. I hit all the best WIA and none of them had been previously hunted. I have a very good dog and hunted some good terrain. Only the best 2 produced any birds. Drove all over the friday before and only saw 1 pheasant. I hunted a piece of this property that was an abandoned homestead wia. when the owner drove by and he said there are no birds on his property. then he said that the Sunday before a van was stopped on the road for a while and later 3 pheasants appeared. He pointed to were I had seen the only pheasant I saw the day before it opened, so it corresponds to what I saw. Crops were still up but I don't think there are any pheasants there. Now I don't know if I want to drive back to sd again.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
I hunted SD for the 1st time last year on the opener. I chose Lyman county. I had the whole county to myself it seemed like, only saw 1 other party hunting. I hit all the best WIA and none of them had been previously hunted. I have a very good dog and hunted some good terrain. Only the best 2 produced any birds. Drove all over the friday before and only saw 1 pheasant. I hunted a piece of this property that was an abandoned homestead wia. when the owner drove by and he said there are no birds on his property. then he said that the Sunday before a van was stopped on the road for a while and later 3 pheasants appeared. He pointed to were I had seen the only pheasant I saw the day before it opened, so it corresponds to what I saw. Crops were still up but I don't think there are any pheasants there. Now I don't know if I want to drive back to sd again.
there is probably a reason nobody else was in that area if it was opener & nobody else was there no birds... not all public land in SD is leased for pheasants or pheasant hunting it the hunters job to do research b4 the trip to locate pheasant core areas & habitat... even call a biologist if u dont do these things ur set n urself up for failier & a big let down u still gotta hunt smart in SD to routinely kill pheasants even then u get shafted...
i would not go back if that was my experience? SD does
have pheasants get away from ez hunting aka hotels towns & huge chunks of lands that draw large groups... a ditch near crops should hold a bird if u only seen 1 pheasant all i can say is ur area was poor at best find a better area to hunt...
opening wk-end is for rookies & the party or get togethers once crops are off is for pheasant hunting go back late oct & b4 rifle deer season...
small munsterlander owner
Banned
Two more days then the 24 hour trek begins...gotta love fall in America, already got two deer in the freezer, now gonna whack some roosters!
so what county did you settle on??? dont leave us hang n man??? lol
so what county did you settle on??? dont leave us hang n man??? lol
Man, I wish I could tell ya! The poll results are leaning distinctly in one direction! I will be in the Pierre area early Friday and have a lot scouting to do! Both north and south of town! But hey if you're looking for me just follow the smell of grilled backstaps and venison boudin! We will be cooking on out tailgate grill...