SD Pheasant report

S

stillsteamn

New member
What? A pheasant report already??? Well, yes. But take it with a grain of salt. My neighbor just got back from a $$-guy pheasant preserve in Gregory county, SD that is already open for hunting. His dad is actually the $$ guy. He has been there a few times, he calls it a pheasant "shoot". Anyway the land is set up for best pheasant habitat, and he reports that the habitat conditions this year are fantastic. He said the people that run the place claim they have not released any birds yet this year (may or may not really be true). But he reported lots of pheasants, lots of hens, numerous young roosters not showing much color, so it sounds like they did have a really good wild bird hatch this year. And they killed a lot of birds. So I think this indicates a pretty good pheasant season should be coming soon.
 
We flushed some wild birds also, while chicken and grouse hunting. Saw many young Roosters with just a little color showing.....

Hoping for a great year, but I'm sure some areas will be poor and some will be great but that's hunting!:thumbsup:
 
A high dollar pheasant lodge in that area might release 10,000 roosters a season. Starting about now, they will hunt 7 days a week every day until Thanksgiving. I'm not disparaging it, but your instinct was correct, they were being disingenuous about releasing birds. And although fun, this report provides not a clue about bird numbers outside a preserve. I wish I was there.
 
niceshot said:
A high dollar pheasant lodge in that area might release 10,000 roosters a season. Starting about now, they will hunt 7 days a week every day until Thanksgiving. I'm not disparaging it, but your instinct was correct, they were being disingenuous about releasing birds. And although fun, this report provides not a clue about bird numbers outside a preserve. I wish I was there.
Click to expand...

It actually does. The property may not be required to release the birds until much later in the year. Some properties produce seriously high numbers of wild birds and still have to release based on their licensing requirements. It is altogether possible that a preserve has not released any pheasants yet. Some preserves have some of the best habitat in the state.
 
niceshot said:
Really? Where do the 10K roosters go?
Click to expand...

Uguide is saying they might not of started releasing the 10k roosters yet (or what ever number they are supposed to release for the year). So the birds people are seeing are wild Pheasants (I believe). Most pen raised birds don't last that long in the wild, so the chances all these birds are from earlier releases (last year) are slim, more likely they are wild birds. Correct? At least that's how I understood it. And if this place are seeing an increase in birds, then that is a good indication that there are more birds in the area. I agree with all that Uguide said.

My question is how can these customers in essence be shooting wild birds before the season starts? I understand I can go to a Pheasant farm and release 10 birds and shoot 10+ birds (my 10 and a couple residual birds from another Hunter).
But if I Go to a pheasant farm that hasn't released a single bird this year and I shoot wild pheasants, before the season is open, that doesn't seem right to me. It seems like a way to Pay for pheasant hunting before the season, or before you legally should be able to shoot wild pheasants. just my 2 cents. Also I enjoy shooting at pheasant farms, as well as shooting wild birds on public and private land .

I am ok with releasing birds before the season starts and shooting them. and I realize you might be shooting a couple wild birds. I just have an issue if a pheasant farm doesn't release ANY BIRDS and hunters come in and shoot a bunch of birds before the season starts, to me that seems like you just paid to shoot wild birds before the season starts.

Sorry if this is off topic.
 
Last edited:
pheasanthunt said:
Uguide is saying they might not of started releasing the 10k roosters yet (or what ever number they are supposed to release for the year). So the birds people are seeing are wild Pheasants (I believe). Most pen raised birds don't last that long in the wild, so the chances all these birds are from earlier releases (last year) are slim, more likely they are wild birds. Correct? At least that's how I understood it. And if this place are seeing an increase in birds, then that is a good indication that there are more birds in the area. I agree with all that Uguide said.

My question is how can these customers in essence be shooting wild birds before the season starts? I understand I can go to a Pheasant farm and release 10 birds and shoot 10+ birds (my 10 and a couple residual birds from another Hunter).
But if I Go to a pheasant farm that hasn't released a single bird this year and I shoot wild pheasants, before the season is open, that doesn't seem right to me. It seems like a way to Pay for pheasant hunting before the season, or before you legally should be able to shoot wild pheasants. just my 2 cents. Also I enjoy shooting at pheasant farms, as well as shooting wild birds on public and private land .

I am ok with releasing birds before the season starts and shooting them. and I realize you might be shooting a couple wild birds. I just have an issue if a pheasant farm doesn't release ANY BIRDS and hunters come in and shoot a bunch of birds before the season starts, to me that seems like you just paid to shoot wild birds before the season starts.

Sorry if this is off topic.
Click to expand...

Birds have to be released prior to hunting. You can not hunt until you have released birds. Is that enforced? Who knows?
 
On a preserve in SD you have to call the GFP and notify them that you are releasing birds and most of the game wardens observe the first realease of the year for sure, and you must release birds before hunting period and it is enforced.
 
There is no way a pheasant hunting preserve can charge/hunt wild pheasants before the state pheasant season opens. (legally)

They release a 100 roosters they can charge for 100 roosters.
 
Just a curious question. Isn't the Fish & Game concerned about the effects of released birds compromising the wild strains ? Possibly they don't survive to breed ?
 
mnmthunting said:
There is no way a pheasant hunting preserve can charge/hunt wild pheasants before the state pheasant season opens. (legally)

They release a 100 roosters they can charge for 100 roosters.
Click to expand...

i think this whole concept is strictly enforced through the honor system, if the truth be known! :rolleyes:
 
41:09:01:02. Release of male birds required -- Harvest limited. The permittee must release a minimum of 600 male pheasants on each of the permittee's shooting preserves. However, the required minimum release is reduced to 300 male pheasants on each of the permittee's shooting preserves if the permittee has not received a shooting preserve operating permit any time prior to the current permit or no portion of land contained within the current permit has been a part of a previously permitted shooting preserve.

Only male birds released from August 1 to March 31, inclusive, may be counted toward the required minimum and included on the game release records. A shooting preserve may release hens; however, no such hens released may be shot. Pheasants released must be Chinese ring-necked pheasants. "Jumbo" Chinese ring-necked pheasants may not be released. Turkeys released must be wild turkeys as defined by subdivision 41:06:00.01:02(15). Prior to any harvest, birds of that species must be released on the preserve. At no time following the required releases may a permittee allow the number of wild and released birds harvested to exceed 100 percent of the number of birds which have been released. All birds must be healthy when released.
 
41:09:01:02.01. Notification required prior to release of birds. A preserve permittee shall make personal contact with the local conservation officer to verify the bird marking method, planned date of any release, and the number of each bird species to be released.

Prior to the initial release of any of the permittee's permitted bird species, the permittee shall do one of the following:

(1) Make personal contact with the conservation officer at least 48 hours prior to any planned release;
(2) Leave a phone message on the conservation officer's answering machine at least 48 hours prior to any planned release;
(3) Send written correspondence to the conservation officer postmarked 4 days prior to any planned release;
(4) Send a message to the conservation officer's state email address at least 48 hours prior to any planned release; or
(5) Reach a verbal or written agreement with the local conservation officer concerning notification of any release.

If the permittee has made contact pursuant to this section and no response is received from the local conservation officer, the permittee may proceed with the planned release without further notification.

With regard to any subsequent release of each species, notification shall be made pursuant to an agreement between the permittee and the local conservation officer.
 
From posts above, it looks like the preserve was required to release birds prior to that hunt. And most likely did. My friend did state that the birds acted pretty wild (strong flushers). I'm sure he has not experienced REALLY wild birds like we all experience later in the season. Anyway my point for posting this info was mainly that the moisture, growing season, and hatching conditions in SD were probably really good this year which bodes well for everyone. And from the habitat conditions I saw when traveling through the state in July and August this year that is what I would expect. Conditions in early July (at least in western SD) were the best I can recall ever seeing, ever. Not that sweet clover is good habitat or makes good hay (it does not), but in early July I saw stands of sweet clover 4 feet tall that extended for miles as far as the eye could see (west river). It makes for a nice view.
 
moellermd said:
41:09:01:02.01. Notification required prior to release of birds. A preserve permittee shall make personal contact with the local conservation officer to verify the bird marking method, planned date of any release, and the number of each bird species to be released.

Prior to the initial release of any of the permittee's permitted bird species, the permittee shall do one of the following:

(1) Make personal contact with the conservation officer at least 48 hours prior to any planned release;
(2) Leave a phone message on the conservation officer's answering machine at least 48 hours prior to any planned release;
(3) Send written correspondence to the conservation officer postmarked 4 days prior to any planned release;
(4) Send a message to the conservation officer's state email address at least 48 hours prior to any planned release; or
(5) Reach a verbal or written agreement with the local conservation officer concerning notification of any release.

If the permittee has made contact pursuant to this section and no response is received from the local conservation officer, the permittee may proceed with the planned release without further notification.

With regard to any subsequent release of each species, notification shall be made pursuant to an agreement between the permittee and the local conservation officer.
Click to expand...



thanks! that makes more sense. I would of been surprised if it was legal to shoot birds before opener unless a like amount of birds had been released.
 
sounds like the "bird police" would be real busy, assuming there are enough to go around......:thumbsup:
 
With the prices they charge, I'm sure they put plenty of birds out. A lot of the people they attract want to see huge numbers... that's what they are paying for. It's nice to have places for people to go.........

Then they aren't on the public lands!:D
 
Rooster

GPowers said:
With the prices they charge, I'm sure they put plenty of birds out. A lot of the people they attract want to see huge numbers... that's what they are paying for. It's nice to have places for people to go.........

Then they aren't on the public lands!:D
Click to expand...

I agree. Let them shoot those pen raised birds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top