SoDak hunters......let's here about opening day?

hush somebody will call you doom & gloomer!!! lol i feel you hope all gets better once the corn come off the fields!!! thats all im looking forward to now is the corn being 100% off the fields B4 i hunt SD or ND... beans about 80% if not more out in western MN wear i hunt corn standing all over the place!!!

i wore out 2 pairs of old cheap rubber boots i had & im over here in MN id assume buck up & buy a comfortable pair of rubber boots B4 you head to SD or ND i sure as hell will be doing so!!!
 
PcolaGSP said:
Talked to a few groups this weekend...
Faulkton - 8 hunters, 9 birds- private
Redfield - 4 hunters, 9 birds - public
Doland - 12 hunters, 8 birds - private
Orient - 8 hunters, 15 birds - private
I hunted today - 5 hunters, 8 birds - private
2 buddies hunted public CREP - 5 birds
Number of bird seen by all groups was much lower than last year. Several guys said worst bird numbers they have ever seen. The private ground we hunted today was outstanding, but saw about 100 birds. Other guys said they normally see 500-800 each day. I ran new pup this morning by the house and got up 1 rooster and 1 hen in about 30 minutes. Was a great day.
Click to expand...

Any of you all feeling sorry for yourself, we would kill for those numbers here.
This year(KS) we are looking at a harvest of about 15 percent of 3 years ago.
Enjoy it SD is the best thing going.
 
You guys are missing the boat. Opening day is not about the number of birds killed.....it's about the memories you made while you were there with your buddies. Believe me we all like to kill birds, but there is not a one of us that can't afford to go to the grocery store and buy food. These trips are all about laughing, telling stories and watching the dogs! Believe me when I say this......I lost my dad almost one month to the day after our last trip to Kansas in 2010, it didn't matter how many birds we killed, but the memories we made will last forever. My son went on that last trip to make it a 3 generation hunt, he will remember that more than he will ever remember anything that he missed in school that week. Of coarse my wife is very thankful that she agreed to let me out of school for that week. You never know what life is going to throw you, make sure you make memories not just kill birds.
We are planning our trip now for next year to come to the great state of South Dakota, it will be our first and I hope to make a lot of memories and have lots of laughs along the way.
 
Hunted sat and sun...bird #'s higher than what I expected...started both days on a public spot...hunted for about 90 minutes each day there...flushed/saw decent numbers of birds...quite a bit more than I have seen there on past opening weekends, actually...been going there for past 3-4 years. Hunted private ground, just one quarter, mid afternoon and again in the evening...group of 5 managed to scratch out limits, some guys "carrying" others, if you know what I mean...no dog = no action...no surprise!

Left SD monday am and headed back to Mn...hunted one public spot on way back, as Mn opens at 9 am and we didn't want to get back super late if we had to wait to hunt til noon in SD...hunted for 80 minutes at this one spot and killed 4 roosters...saw a good 6 others, plus 8 or so hens...maybe more...at about 11 am...kind of windy, lots of corn still standing nearby...cattails, heavy grass, some trees...quite shocked that it went so well on a monday, expecting it had been hit hard over the weekend...never know, I guess...was really just planning on a good walk with the dogs holding a nicely balanced spanish 20 gauge...again, SD or MN didn't contain the #'s I have seen in past years at this time of year...but, I had no less fun than in the "good years"! More, I think, as my 2 year old female is REALLY blossoming and what fun that is! Makes up for some pretty lousy shooting on saturday!
 
Hunted private creek bottom yesterday. 1/2 mile with cut beans on both sides. Saw 4 roosters and 4 hens. No shots. Normally see lots more birds here. Left and hunted CREP grass, saw 5 roosters and 4 hens. Only points I had were hens. Buddy wiffed on shots on 2 roosters. Talked to friend that farms all around this public area, and he said bird numbers way down. No doubt, but getting opportunities every day, just gotta walk more. Just need some sunshine. Snowed yesterday and snowing again this morning. Definately bring Mucks/Bogs knee boots. Everything wet and muddy. Water everywhere, ditchs, fields have standing water, many roads messy, unimproved roads really sloppy or unpassable even with 4wd.
 
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suspect so...we hunted til dark in my field, which has a quarter section of corn next to it, and birds were coming in to roost...but not a ton of them...but it will help for sure!
 
i found a similar area but public lands thats all i hunt corn on 3 sides slough on the other nice grasses next to the cattails & corn there was at least 20-30 birds roosting in 1 small area of the WMA cant wait till the crops come off!!!

no other public tracts of land ive hunted help as many birds just enough birds to keep me & the dog out there & if i shot better i would of had a limit 2 out of 3 days the 3rd day i should of had 1 bird in 1 walk then i got rained out there is birds to be had but not like it was 7-10 yrs ago but we all know that by now!!!

can not wait to head to ND & maybe late late season SD if i can fit that into the things???
 
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