REAL South Dakota 2021 review.

sjohn said:
Good report Matt D, thanks. Photos are awesome. Love your dogs. I have always owned labs, but thinking about getting a different breed this time. Looking for more leg than what my labs give me. Springers are high on my list. We hunt dove, woodcock, and pheasant. Wondering how a Springer would do on the dove field or woodcock bottoms???
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Thanks. Have spent lots of time in the dove fields with mine and no issues there at all. Have shot a few woodcock from mine but have never purposely hunted them so can’t offer any first hand knowledge there but I would expect they would do fine hunting woodcocks. They will have more leg than most labs thats for sure. I love hunting with them for sure. Good luck in your search.
 
Thanks Matt. If I choose the Springer, I may reach out to you for leads on a good breeder. I got my lab from High Caliber Labs in Lennox, SD. Great dog but I am needing three labs or one springer.
 
Sjohn, what do you mean, 3 labs or 1 springer? For endurance?? Not doubting you know what you're talking about; I'm just somewhat confused when I hear a (so far) lab guy imply a well conditioned lab might not be able to keep up with a springer. I think they can; they just have a little different style. I know of at least 1 other High Caliber dog who's absolutely fantastic.
 
A5, Yes for endurance. My labs have always been conditioned, but I guess not well conditioned. It really all depends on cover. I have been able to hunt my labs for 5 days in light cover, drought years, etc. but when the grass and weeds are 2 feet over your head, or everything is blown over and crossed, or hunting nothing but blown in cattails.. no my labs burn out in two or three days.

My High Caliber lab is also fantastic. I never trained her to point so she will only point on sight. And you know that doesn't happen very much in SD or it hasn't for me. It has happened but only a handful of times.
 
Awesome BB. Good to hear others that share the same breeder. Would your labs be able to run 5 days straight hunting for a party of 8-10? At the end of woodcock season, my lab may be able to do it. She just doesn't get the field training necessary for 5 days straight at the beginning of her upland bird season.
 
I have 3…10, 6, and 2….I did hunt 12 days straight in sept and 10 days straight in oct…but just for me…no group stuff…lots of rest and rotation of dogs, especially in sept in MT/ND…gets hot that time of year. I would be cautious and not overdo it…obviously a 2 year old can do things a 10 year old can’t. But I’ve hunted 11 days from nov 3-nov20….rested them Sunday-Tuesday or Wednesday each week before resuming hunting…
 
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Right BB. The group stuff is what really adds up the miles on the dogs. With three dogs and hunting by yourself, I can see how you can hunt like that. If I had three labs, there would be no discussion about a different breed of dog, end of story!

I may be done with the large group hunting as well. I joined a group about 10 years ago and still hunt with them but all but one person has changed over in those 10 years so at this point, i may just bag out from the group. Either go with 1 or three other guys making either a 2 or 4 man hunting party. Only invites go to those with well trained dogs. I don't care if they can't shoot, but their dogs must be 99% under control. Can I get an AMEN on that?
 
Here is Harper at about 1.5 yr old. Look at the collection on the tailgate. This is what South Carolina has to offer. All from one farm on a beautiful January day. We started on a dove hunt, got interrupted on the dove hunt with a quail hunt. IMG_3039.JPG and then finished the day shooting a limit of woodcock. If you look close around her eyes you can see she is still recovering from SD. She comes back with scabs around her eyes and nose.
 
Report form South Central SD. First day hunted two private tracts. There were seven guys and one brought 5 trained dogs. They shot 14 birds and one coyote. Keep in mind I am not there. I am in SC reporting on the group I usually hunt with. They said it was very warm for the walkers and today was supposed to be even hotter into the 60's. That's a little warm my friends even for us South Carolinians.
 
Second day hunt report. They hunted all private and only shot 2 in the field, one on the road. Today they are going to two of our best private spots. Will be interesting to hear the report tonight.
 
sjohn said:
Second day hunt report. They hunted all private and only shot 2 in the field, one on the road. Today they are going to two of our best private spots. Will be interesting to hear the report tonight.
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Thanks for sharing the reports. It's nice to hear what others are experiencing.
 
sjohn said:
Report form South Central SD. First day hunted two private tracts. There were seven guys and one brought 5 trained dogs. They shot 14 birds and one coyote. Keep in mind I am not there. I am in SC reporting on the group I usually hunt with. They said it was very warm for the walkers and today was supposed to be even hotter into the 60's. That's a little warm my friends even for us South Carolinians.
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7 guys? Jesus!!
 
I’m 73 years old and love to hunt by myself with a dog. I’ve hunted private land which I pay to access.(wild birds only) the ranch I hunt hasn’t changed a lot in the last 4 years but bird numbers are definitely down compare to the last 15 years. When you get older young can’t hunt as many hours but in the past I almost limited out in 2 hours or less. Not so anymore!
 
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