season overview

B

benelli-banger

Well-known member
just returned from last trip to SD....7 for the year. overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the season despite the dire forecast from GFP. Biggest difference from last season to this was the apparent abundance of young birds...shot few last year, shot many this year. Also, hunter #'s were way down this year...a blessing, really, and it made for some nice hunting on public ground.

Can't think of many fields, sloughs, food plots, tree belts, etc. that didn't produce at least some birds (flushes, that is)...most produced many more than I would of expected. Also, I am happy to report that the hen #'s appear very healthy...nice to see. Also, I just looked at the 10 day forecast...the cold snap is ending and it is back in the upper 20's/low 30's for a good 5 days at the end of the next 10 days.

The biggest difference this year from the past 5-10 seasons is I had more trips with 4 or 6 guys vs. 6 or 8 or 10....hunted smaller pieces of cover. However, when I got to SD on Thursday, we instantly went to a public area that is full of cattails and got into hundreds of birds...hunted several other spots over the 3 days and there were others that were similar...some private, some public. Bottom line, where there is decent habitat there are decent to good bird #'s. Yes, seeing 500 or 1000 birds is cool, but seeing dozens is cool as well! As always, the dog work was the highlight...love seeing a young dog progress and blossom! Also, hosting farmers and their families for food and drink is right up there...and, the invariable hunting invitations are a blessing.
And, bringing new blood to join the crew and to experience the event is alot of fun too...they always comment on the graciousness of the farmer friends we have made over the years, and what tremendous people they are....very true!

The trends as far as habitat are concerned are disconcerting...but, where there is habitat there are birds, and always will be. SD is blessed with alot of good public ground...those who want to hunt will be able to hunt. Pheasants are adaptable and quite cunning, and they are where you would expect them to be. Let's hope and pray and act in ways that will support wildlife...and get out there and hunt! That's all we can do...nothing I enjoy more! Happy 2014....just a hair over 8 months til the sharptail and hun season opens in ND!!! And I have a new (to me) Parker VH 16 gauge on an 0 frame with 26 inch original barrels (upgraded to a DH based on the engraving and the wood) that weighs in at a few ounces under 6 lbs....a dream to carry and comes up like a dream as well...made in 1916, and is my first foray into non-spanish doubles...I think she is gonna do well for me. Stay warm!!!!
 
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With approximately 170,000 less NR licenses sold, there should have been a few birds more for the guys who hunted SD this year. From the guys I talked too that did hunt, birds were still way down compared to a few years ago.
 
A good year

Late season was by far the best hunting. Over all it was a good--not great--year. Yes the numbers were down but there were still a lot birds, more than it appeared to be in the early season. Most people I talked to said the last week was just outstanding until the weather went bad for the last day or two.

The number of hens to roosters was about what I expected (5 to 1) from what I saw the last time I was out and the birds were really wild. All in all it encourages me to work harder on my habitat as I think if the weather is OK then next year should be really good--lots can happen so we can only hope for the best.

Once again the friends both old and new--the dog work--and just being outdoors has resulted in another year of memories--what more can a guy ask for. :thumbsup:

PS: The wife says do any habitat work you want to--HUM I'll have to take her up on that one. :D
 
Just kind of waited to throw my two cents worth in.

Despite the dire reports, I had a good season. I put 40 pheasants in the, bag give or take 1 or 2, to the best of my memory. 16 were on private ground, the rest public.
In a nutshell, it started slow with the crops in and the abundance of young, uncolored birds at the beginning of the season. There is no question in my mind that an August hatch was the most productive in most of the area I hunted. Opening day was a success with two of us getting the sixth bird about ten minutes before sundown. We were on pubbies all day, and never had another hunter in a field we were in however. It was a great hunt. We let a lot of questionable roosters go or we would have been done earlier.
The weather crimped Dec. Frost bite on the trigger finger Dec. 7th. Every oportunity seemed to present blizzard or extreme wind conditions. It is ordinarily a good month for me, but I only went out 4 days. On the best weekend weather wise, the 14th and 15th, 8 new Pudelpointer pups were picked up at my house and I cannot bitch about that.
I also managed 2 quail, three grouse and 2 Huns.
The weather has not been ideal for the birds to winter, but we have been getting breaks in between events so I am hoping we can have a good hatch this spring early summer and have a great season next year.
 
I can say that my one and only trip to SD this year was a "Win"....most probably would not agree..My partner and I were lucky enough to get a NR waterfowl draw so we hunted ducks in the morning and pheasant in the afternoon....our party of 4 limited in ducks 1 out of 5 days and never limited on pheasant any of the 5 days.....I measure my trip in 3 ways....blood/alcohol content....decompression level and then bird harvest....it"s my one and only trip a year away from the family....It's our "holy grail" trip...We eat good...drink better....tell lies...pee in the bushes and smell some gun powder....If lightning doesn't strike this year and we don't get a lottery draw we probably won't make the trip....just not enough to keep the dog and I interested....If we were guaranteed 5 days of duck and 5 days of pheasant I'd write the check today and really wouldn't care what it cost!!!...10 days of waterfowl that's given that can only be done all in a row is just something that I can't do....can't take that much time away from work and family.....I do believe that it promotes overhunting and folks being over possession limits as well...not a fan of that.....I do hope to get back this year....We as "out of towners" appreciate the hospitality show and have forged some great relationships....I came back to Indiana refreshed with a cooler of ducks and pheasants....WELL below what we could legally bring back but again....I don't measure my trip by how full the cooler is......I measure it by how little alcohol I bring BACK!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Jan 2014 my first trip to SD and it will not be my last. Good numbers of birds not many other hunters. My son and are ready for our return trip next Jan.
 
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