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Redfield or Roscoe?
- Thread starter Crim42
- Start date
Interesting observations - thanks. Perhaps you are right about the crp going sort of stale after several years. I also wonder if some of the lesser known counties (Haakon) are heavily wooded or otherwise really marginal crop producers. I've hunted SD exclusively since the early 90's and have not hunted any of the counties that I previously listed in this thread. Lot of years spent in Hand County but now hunt farther west and south.
Trees are an endangered species in Haakon Co. so that isn't the issue
Dennis - Does this mean that the older crp fields won't produce/hold pheasants? Hens refuse to nest in these fields? What's your take on the counties that I listed as high crp numbers and low pheasant numbers? Some of this gets a bit confusing!
For areas with lots of CRP and not many pheasants west of Missouri I put the blame on lack of winter cover and also little to no fall row crops in huge areas of the counties. There is some areas of farm ground that you literally have go several miles before you see a tree line or farm/ranch site. Also zero cattails slough, only cattails are around stock dams. The little cover there is gets drifted over the first 6" snow fall of the year. Also generally huge areas of wheat only often do not hold pheasants over a normal winter. These birds will move to find the nearest winter cover and some falls crops. the following spring I think they only go so far to nest, often not the several miles they came from last fall. My observation from living in Stanley Co., SD
Thanks for your message and observation. Wondering about the following counties: Brown, Clark,Day, Marshall and Roberts. These are among the top crp counties in the state, yet are not the best for pheasant hunting. It appears Day is the highest - 93,999 acres. Not a top pheasant county
There's been a suggestion to new hunters "go where there is lots of crp." Not sure this is good advice!
There's been a suggestion to new hunters "go where there is lots of crp." Not sure this is good advice!
Dennis - Does this mean that the older crp fields won't produce/hold pheasants? Hens refuse to nest in these fields? What's your take on the c
I think as CRP matures there is less diversity in the plant species and therefore less attractive and that probably leads to less insects so even if it is used by hens it does not provide as good an environment as it did when it was new. I have some CRP that is almost 20 years old and while it is better nesting than a soybean field it is not all that productive.