RedLeg Hunter
New member
Land Owner in SD
As a land owner in South Dakota I have to say that there are more bad (Law Breaking) hunters than law abiding hunters that road hunt. Probably because they get caught up in the excitement of the hunt or don't read and abide by the regulation in the front of our hunting regulation book (available where you get your license). Most of my land is surrounded by county or township roads so road hunting is a constant. If the road hunter would abide by the law and only shoot at the birds while in the right of way (fence row to fence row) instead of shooting pheasants that originate on private property and stays on private property and then the hunter crosses onto the property with his gun to retrieve the bird and then engages the birds that flush while he is doing so. Or the birds originate in the right of way and fly on to private property where the hunter shoots it (also illegal). More often than not the hunters and it doesn't matter if they are local or out of state break the law while road hunting. Landowners own the land to the center of the road and pay taxes on it even though it is a right of way. I do not have my land in the Ag program so I do not receive subsidies. If I see someone walking ditches along my property I will stop and watch at a distance but will not interfere unless he/she violates the law. Land owners are constantly dealing with hunters trespassing to hunt habitat close to the road because it is easy, so after a while it is tiring keeping the law breaking hunters out. Another area is those that road hunt and discharges their guns close to farms steads or feedlots that cause a threat to my property and family. Also road hunting does not apply to large game (deer or turkey) but is violated more during those seasons. I get upset because my family spends a lot of money for habitat on our property only to have more than a few bad apples come along and wreck it or take advantage of it. I would say if you are road hunting and within the law you have nothing to fear other than an upset farmer every once in a while yelling at you, then yell back if you are lawful. RLH
As a land owner in South Dakota I have to say that there are more bad (Law Breaking) hunters than law abiding hunters that road hunt. Probably because they get caught up in the excitement of the hunt or don't read and abide by the regulation in the front of our hunting regulation book (available where you get your license). Most of my land is surrounded by county or township roads so road hunting is a constant. If the road hunter would abide by the law and only shoot at the birds while in the right of way (fence row to fence row) instead of shooting pheasants that originate on private property and stays on private property and then the hunter crosses onto the property with his gun to retrieve the bird and then engages the birds that flush while he is doing so. Or the birds originate in the right of way and fly on to private property where the hunter shoots it (also illegal). More often than not the hunters and it doesn't matter if they are local or out of state break the law while road hunting. Landowners own the land to the center of the road and pay taxes on it even though it is a right of way. I do not have my land in the Ag program so I do not receive subsidies. If I see someone walking ditches along my property I will stop and watch at a distance but will not interfere unless he/she violates the law. Land owners are constantly dealing with hunters trespassing to hunt habitat close to the road because it is easy, so after a while it is tiring keeping the law breaking hunters out. Another area is those that road hunt and discharges their guns close to farms steads or feedlots that cause a threat to my property and family. Also road hunting does not apply to large game (deer or turkey) but is violated more during those seasons. I get upset because my family spends a lot of money for habitat on our property only to have more than a few bad apples come along and wreck it or take advantage of it. I would say if you are road hunting and within the law you have nothing to fear other than an upset farmer every once in a while yelling at you, then yell back if you are lawful. RLH