South Dakota 2020

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IdahoCountryBoy

Active member
Just got back to Idaho from my annual pheasant trip with my dad. We either had a great day or a horrible day. Day 1 (Friday) was around white lake and got 5 birds. Day 2 was around Woonsocket and got skunked. Day 3 around platte and got skunked. Day 4-5 around presho and got our limits. All on public property. So ended up with 17 birds out of 30 possible for two guys. Had a great trip and always nice to be with my dad for a week away from all the hustle and bustle but I’m already missing it. I’m really hoping that I can make it back again this year in December but we’ll see. Couple thoughts I have. Crops out nice and early may have hurt us and helped us. Some areas it really helped and I’m guessing by the way birds acted they hadn’t seen too many hunters but other areas you could tell they’ve seen hunters and were wild. Second lots of left over water from last year. Some areas we used to hunt still under water. Also seems to be a lot of cattails around this year and lots of places for birds to spread out and hide. Third didn’t get a bird road hunting. I honestly don’t see them on the road like we used to when I was a kid. Lastly it was really warm while we were there or at least warmer than I’m used to thanksgiving week. That took a small toll on my two labs but I always stayed close to water. As for COVID seems like it’s been fairly bad there but we stayed away from people best we could. I guess I’ll know in a week or so if it worked.

I forgot to mention one more thing I love about SoDak but it’s the killer sunsets. I saw on another post somebody said to enjoy it while you’re there. It’s so true. I love the wide open space and just the quietness of South Dakota.
 

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Thanks for the report. I’m envious. This was the first year in 15 my Dad had to stay put because of Covid. He is 80 now, crossing my fingers that he is healthy enough to go next year. Great Pictures!
 
That's a great trip. Some days are better than others. Averaging a little better than 1.5 birds per person per day is definitely a successful hunt. Especially when the skunk days come in the middle of the trip, rather than the beginning or end.

I wanted to remark on your observation of road hunting. Like you, I don't see nearly as many pheasants pecking gravel late in the day like I used to. I've thought about this and come to a couple conclusions that have no empirical evidence to back them up.

1. Adaptation. A day of pheasant hunting was often marked by quitting the fields about an hour and a half before sunset, everyone would scatter and road hunt, eventually meeting back up when the day was over. It was the same where I grew up, where my buddies grew up, what non-residents did, it was a common method. I've seen geese adapt to hunters over the years. It would only make sense for a superior species like pheasants to do the same.

2. Roundup Ready. When I was younger, I remember switching rows when walking cornfields because it was a genuine challenge to walk down a corn row. Grasses, weeds, etc., clogged up the rows. And made for some pretty sweet habitat. Then Roundup Ready was invented and switching rows is done to see if I can spot birds many yards ahead on the spotless soil. It is my belief that the used of heavy duty herbicides has allowed pheasants to find the gravel needed for digestion in the fields, making a trip to the gravel road a fools errand.

Again, just my own thoughts.
 
Was out Thanksgiving week as well and based on what I saw the population is way down. We shot limits 2 of the 3 days we hunted but shot well and did not miss any birds. The birds on the roads in the mornings and evenings was non existent. The heavy rains in June and early July did us in. All of our birds but 1 were old birds. Still has a blast!
 
Drake1 said:
Was out Thanksgiving week as well and based on what I saw the population is way down. We shot limits 2 of the 3 days we hunted but shot well and did not miss any birds. The birds on the roads in the mornings and evenings was non existent. The heavy rains in June and early July did us in. All of our birds but 1 were old birds. Still has a blast!
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just out of curiosity what part of the state were you in? thanks
 
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