SC to ND hurricane evacuation

lockedncupped

lockedncupped

Member
Got to evacuate. I start vacation on 10-6-2016 and return to work on 11-3-2016. My son now 19 has vacation and was making his first trip out west to hunt pheasants. We were (are) planning on hunting SD for the first 5 days of the season. 10-15 thru 10-19. I along with my father have made this trip the last 5 years. However with my son and I being on vacation, having to evacuate anyway, and no reason to sit here in the rain. We thought we would let Jager our 3 yr old shorthair get in a little practice and work, up in ND since your season opens a week earlier. Guys I hate to cyber scout, but I need some help. I am looking for an area that my son and I can camp, can find federal land open to hunt, has either Chickens, Sharpies and Pheasants. I have hunted Ruffed Grouse and Pheasants for the past 30 years, I don't have a clue how to hunt a prairie chix, or a sharptail. Not sure I would recognize one if the dog pointed it. I would like to broaden my horizon a bit. We will be hunting in the Aberdeen SD area when the season opens so would like or prefer to hunt in this general area of ND if possible. Look guys we have a month off to just head west and bond, work the dog and watch the sunset on the prairie, killing a handful of birds to throw on the grill is just an added bonus. If you could throw me a tidbit like make sure you visit spot X for a beer, or don't speed on highway Y, any and all advice is welcome. Thanks folks,

Josh
 
Couple of things. If you are in ND the first week , you can't be on any game and fish owned or leased lands as a non resident. The PLOTS program is their version of public walk in access. If you can get permission to hunt posted private , you should get into birds. You can hunt the waterfowl production areas (WPA). They are federally owned lands. They are green in the PLOTS guide. You must shoot non toxic shot for upland birds on WPA's. Prairie Chickens are closed to hunting this year. You will find sharpies on short grass prairies and around buck brush. You rarely find sharpies and pheasants in the same habitat. You will find them on the same piece of property but in different cover. I would recommend getting a PLOTS map online or on your phone and hitting the green WPA areas along the SD border.
 
Cool Wish you luck. You can't camp on Waterfowl Production areas or most state wildlife management areas. I would suggest camping in any of the smaller towns that have campgrounds, and many do. Just look at your maps and google any towns you are interested in.

Bring some stuff with that is SC-you know kinda unique to your state, food wise, to give to landowners who may let you hunt. Some may even be open to your camping on their land

I agree, sharptails like grass but not so tall they struggle to get out. They sound like they are chuckling as they depart, but if you're not sure of your target, don't shoot. Its possible you may run into some Huns (gray partridge) so be prepared, a great eating bird, bigger than a quail but not as big as grouse.

Just study your maps of public lands, N of Aberdeen into ND and west.

Good luck

Dan
 
lockedncupped, where you coming from. I'm in SC in the upstate. I always pack a good bit of shrimp frozen we catch and give them to land owners that allow us to hunt I as well take a whole processed deer and a processed wild hog and give it to the land owners we have built relationships with. It may not make a difference but I at least feel better about it. good luck out there
 
Congrats on the chance to spend time afield with your son. Our homestead sets in colleton county, where do you hail from? Our paths may of crossed if you drove dogs in the lowcountry ?
 
if you draw a straight line North From Aberdeen to Jamestown. the further west you go and south (IN ND)the better the pheasant hunting will be, that said you can get in to some very nice hunting in North Dakota, not that far North and West of Aberdeen. sorry don't know about public land spots there, and there are no Prairie Chickens, Only in SW part of state are the PC. but, You will find grouse, huns, and pheasants.


hope this is helpfull.
 
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You wont find prairie chickens in ND. I've been hunting here for 10 years now and haven't seen one, nor heard of anyone else getting them when he go into town for a cold one after the day. You may find some grouse, but don't expect to be walking CRP or shelter belts and be flushing both of them. You should be able to find some coveys of huns - we usually run into a few coveys a day (not intentionally looking for them though).

We hunt every year in the general area you're planning on going north of Aberdeen, and there are definitely birds to be found around Ellendale - slightly SW of there. Try some of the public land there and you should be able to come away with some birds. I've always found the farmers/homeowners in ND are very friendly (even if they say no), so don't be afraid to knock on some doors. There is a great little caf? in Ellendale called the Nodak Home Cooking Caf? - would be a great spot to stop for breakfast with the old man and grab a cup of coffee before the day.

Best of luck
 
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