S. Dakota opener results

jonnyB

Well-known member
This morning the Minneapolis paper published a report discussing the opener.

It appears they hunted in the Aberdeen area, but had information from across the state. Results: a "fair" opener. Bag counts were down from previous years from the various the stations that reported.

This seems contrary to the reports on this site...
 
SD hunters are so spoiled! :D
 
I also saw that article. I was cautiously excited about hunting in Aberdeen in a couple weeks, but now I'm nervous that we'll even get a bird a day. If nothing else, I get to go walk some fields and watch a GSP run to her heart's content. :D
 
I'm nervous that we'll even get a bird a day. If nothing else, I get to go walk some fields and watch a GSP run to her heart's content. :D

Good attitude. You'll always enjoy hunting. :)
 
We go every year.... Don't limit out but that is also our fault at times (most the time). We see Tons of birds and have our opportunities.... seeing 100s of birds flush out in the distance sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy it!

My goal for hunts..... Get together with great friends, enjoy seeing birds that we can't in WI, see dogs work...and have fun!!! I could care less if I come home with a limit or 2 birds!!!
 
I wouldn't worry too much about those reports. Bird number are up from the last year or two. A lot of corn was still in the fields for the opener and the birds are in the corn. But corn harvest is in full swing so I doubt there will be much left by the end of the month. Hunting will change big time once the corn is gone.
 
Two years ago was the same thing for us on the opener. Most of the corn was still up and made for a tough trip. Still better than sitting in that office...
 
On the farm I hunt they had 8 guys for 5 days. They shot 115 birds. I guess that is pretty good. :)
 
Heading up to the Gregory area on Monday. How optimistic am I? I live in Kansas. Pheasant hunting in SD is always worth the trip.
 
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this was a opener report like stated already corn standing makes for a tuff hunt plus a noon start time dont help any... opener is not best hunting just lots of young dumb birds then so they make us look & feel good when harvested..

mid month nov. be prime... i will let u know how i do sat-wed heading to sd 2 guys 2 dogs...
 
two yrs ago

everyone cancelled who usually stays where we do. We had our best trip ever.
"The sky was falling" as far as bird #s were concerned according to "reports".
Bird #s were down, yes. To put it in perspective: If So DAk bird #s are down say 75% & MN. bird #s are reported by the DNR to be up say 75%
there are still way more birds in the right parts of So Dak.
I hunt So. Central MN because I was raised there & have family there.
(what else do you do when you are down for the holidays & traveling with 4 bird dogs?????????????). There is plenty of cover. The Phez numbers are plain pathetic & the MN. DNR is flat out selling licenses when they (seems every year) report bird #s are up. I do think the far S.W. part of MN. has better that"pathetic" numbers of Phez.
We will put in two weeks in So Dak in Mid November & enjoy it anyway.
Watch the dogs work, admire the birds, & hopefully shoot better than sometimes.
 
everyone cancelled who usually stays where we do. We had our best trip ever.
"The sky was falling" as far as bird #s were concerned according to "reports".
Bird #s were down, yes. To put it in perspective: If So DAk bird #s are down say 75% & MN. bird #s are reported by the DNR to be up say 75%
there are still way more birds in the right parts of So Dak.
I hunt So. Central MN because I was raised there & have family there.
(what else do you do when you are down for the holidays & traveling with 4 bird dogs?????????????). There is plenty of cover. The Phez numbers are plain pathetic & the MN. DNR is flat out selling licenses when they (seems every year) report bird #s are up. I do think the far S.W. part of MN. has better that"pathetic" numbers of Phez.
We will put in two weeks in So Dak in Mid November & enjoy it anyway.
Watch the dogs work, admire the birds, & hopefully shoot better than sometimes.


good you had a good SD trip but why put down MN ? pretty pathetic if u have to go to sd to kill birds with all the birds mn has outside of the south central mn pheasant free zone. south central mn was only part of mn to decrease in pheasant numbers this year...

its always better in sd we all know that no secret... go hunt sd more mn birds for me once i get back from sd my self...
 
Opening weekend in SD

Hunted opening weekend around Huron. Hunting was good but corn wasn't harvested so tough to get the birds up. If you don't mind working hard for your birds they are there just gotta walk them up
 
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