South Dakota Guide

M

mikeP

New member
Hello, Just curious if anyone knows of any guides in South Dakota who are willing to guide for a single hunter. At this point I'm not too picky about what specific area, just wondering if anyone knows of any. Thanks!

Mike
 
most outfitters won't mess with less than 6 hunters, they want to make it worth their time to set up a hunt
 
South Dakota "guides" are a mixed bunch at best.

Over on FB @ 'Pheasant Hunting Unlimited' some outfitters are plastering picturesque images of tons of birds here in SD. Hunters draped in hauling straps full of birds. One guy is simply PIMPING his fool butt off to get people to send deposits TODAY. Been at this for a month now. SO....why so early? To be honest, and let us do be honest, this winter was a KILLER. These outfitters are wanting those 'non-refundable" deposits long before any brood counts are made public...simple greed/dishonesty. Most of these outfitters charge handsome fees for 2-3 day hunt packages. Fine...charge what you want. BUT...a lot of guys are not going to drive 600-1000 miles for a "bucket" hunt in SD for only 3 days shooting. Especially for thousands of dollars. Most guys don't want to invest that kind of $$ for only a couple days hunting. That's why outfitters want money TODAY. Otherwise the dream their selling fades very quickly when the late summer brood counts come out and they can no longer hide the lie that this winter has laid a HURTIN' on our birds. Their "hunting packages" become harder to sell for the $$. Guys may as well spend their money on refuge hunts and save the drive.

And...I've run into these poor guys...a couple guys 4 years ago. The outfitter may have provided a good hunt. But what he also said to these unfortunate hunters was: "Hey!...this is SD. Come have a great hunt with us. Learn a few things and then take advantage of the HUGE...UNGODLY...flocks of wild birds just sitting in our ditches! PLUS...we've got TONS of public land...AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!...bring a big truck and plenty of coolers or you won't know where to put all of the roosters!!!!!"

Sounds great, right? It did for the guys I met. Trouble was they booked an early season hunt...once on their own they found a lot of public land...WELL HUNTED...with most of the corn still standing in the fields...and very mild weather. That's a bad place to be for any pheasant hunter.
 
nastymcnarf said:
South Dakota "guides" are a mixed bunch at best.

Over on FB @ 'Pheasant Hunting Unlimited' some outfitters are plastering picturesque images of tons of birds here in SD. Hunters draped in hauling straps full of birds. One guy is simply PIMPING his fool butt off to get people to send deposits TODAY. Been at this for a month now. SO....why so early? To be honest, and let us do be honest, this winter was a KILLER. These outfitters are wanting those 'non-refundable" deposits long before any brood counts are made public...simple greed/dishonesty. Most of these outfitters charge handsome fees for 2-3 day hunt packages. Fine...charge what you want. BUT...a lot of guys are not going to drive 600-1000 miles for a "bucket" hunt in SD for only 3 days shooting. Especially for thousands of dollars. Most guys don't want to invest that kind of $$ for only a couple days hunting. That's why outfitters want money TODAY. Otherwise the dream their selling fades very quickly when the late summer brood counts come out and they can no longer hide the lie that this winter has laid a HURTIN' on our birds. Their "hunting packages" become harder to sell for the $$. Guys may as well spend their money on refuge hunts and save the drive.

And...I've run into these poor guys...a couple guys 4 years ago. The outfitter may have provided a good hunt. But what he also said to these unfortunate hunters was: "Hey!...this is SD. Come have a great hunt with us. Learn a few things and then take advantage of the HUGE...UNGODLY...flocks of wild birds just sitting in our ditches! PLUS...we've got TONS of public land...AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!...bring a big truck and plenty of coolers or you won't know where to put all of the roosters!!!!!"

Sounds great, right? It did for the guys I met. Trouble was they booked an early season hunt...once on their own they found a lot of public land...WELL HUNTED...with most of the corn still standing in the fields...and very mild weather. That's a bad place to be for any pheasant hunter.
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I got issues with almost everything you say, first of all them fb groups about phez huting, phu is about the worst, its totally geared towards guys who don't know enough about real pheaz hunting to do it any place but a planted bird preserve. I dont like the big business part of phez hunting in SD, don't think its good for hunting, but I'm pretty farmilar with it & its there to stay. The advertising & big money got nothing to do with winter kill off. They do it every year & have no problem filling up & geting those big deposits. The earlier the better. Easier to plan your season that way when you know who you got locked in. Nothing to do with dreams fading. It's the same every year. Poeple like it & they come back. They just don't know or don't care their not shooting wild birds. They offer 3 day hunts cause lots of times that's all there perserve can stand. They gotta let it rest a while even wiht pen birds. Not to mention they probably have farming that has to get done somehow. They may paint a pretty picture about public land & that's ok, if you know how to hunt, it's pretty good, just look at these guys who post films on here. Their bangin cocks when it's 70 out with the corn still in or when its 10 & a ton of snow & everywhere in between. But most guys, even locals & especialy out of staters can't do what them guys do. They get schooled by them wild roos a couple days & make there reservation for next year at the preserve. That's business of pehasant hunting. But theres plenty of guys who do pretty good on heavy pressured public in mild weather before the harvest is done. Yeah, them phez spend a lot of those days in the corn but you just gotta hit the timing right on public and you'll get em. and how out of touch with sd pheasant huntign do you have to be to not no they haven't done a brood count since like 2019 or 20. Preserve advertising & deposits have nothing to do with them neither. It don't matter though. Them surveys were not usually acurate to begin with. This winter was a bad one but it wasn't as bad as guys like you think. my dad & lots of others seen plenty around recently where they didn't when there was still 2 feet snow on the ground. They was pretty surprised but talking with other guys the birds spent time in towns, right by farm places, anywhere they could find food, lots of them headed way far away to find it but they did it & now with spring theyre starting to move back to places they left. It might not be the best year ever, but it ain't neer as bad as you doom & gloom guys are saying. Im geusssing more birds got hit by cars this winter then by snow or cold, just cause they spent way more time then usual up by roads trying to find seeds and gravel the plows uncovered.
 
hyresmack said:
I got issues with almost everything you say, first of all them fb groups about phez huting, phu is about the worst, its totally geared towards guys who don't know enough about real pheaz hunting to do it any place but a planted bird preserve. I dont like the big business part of phez hunting in SD, don't think its good for hunting, but I'm pretty farmilar with it & its there to stay. The advertising & big money got nothing to do with winter kill off. They do it every year & have no problem filling up & geting those big deposits. The earlier the better. Easier to plan your season that way when you know who you got locked in. Nothing to do with dreams fading. It's the same every year. Poeple like it & they come back. They just don't know or don't care their not shooting wild birds. They offer 3 day hunts cause lots of times that's all there perserve can stand. They gotta let it rest a while even wiht pen birds. Not to mention they probably have farming that has to get done somehow. They may paint a pretty picture about public land & that's ok, if you know how to hunt, it's pretty good, just look at these guys who post films on here. Their bangin cocks when it's 70 out with the corn still in or when its 10 & a ton of snow & everywhere in between. But most guys, even locals & especialy out of staters can't do what them guys do. They get schooled by them wild roos a couple days & make there reservation for next year at the preserve. That's business of pehasant hunting. But theres plenty of guys who do pretty good on heavy pressured public in mild weather before the harvest is done. Yeah, them phez spend a lot of those days in the corn but you just gotta hit the timing right on public and you'll get em. and how out of touch with sd pheasant huntign do you have to be to not no they haven't done a brood count since like 2019 or 20. Preserve advertising & deposits have nothing to do with them neither. It don't matter though. Them surveys were not usually acurate to begin with. This winter was a bad one but it wasn't as bad as guys like you think. my dad & lots of others seen plenty around recently where they didn't when there was still 2 feet snow on the ground. They was pretty surprised but talking with other guys the birds spent time in towns, right by farm places, anywhere they could find food, lots of them headed way far away to find it but they did it & now with spring theyre starting to move back to places they left. It might not be the best year ever, but it ain't neer as bad as you doom & gloom guys are saying. Im geusssing more birds got hit by cars this winter then by snow or cold, just cause they spent way more time then usual up by roads trying to find seeds and gravel the plows uncovered.
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Look...not trying to fight with you.

Wait...wait...wait...I said that wrong....lets start over.

Look...I couldn't care less about the incessant 'yammerings' that compose your reply above. Ok...now that I got that right. South Dakota does counts each year. Several...including brood counts. They're simply judicious with what data is made public. Do you suggest they have zero curiosity about chick mortality on yearly hatches. They also publish that wonderful "density" map before every pheasant season as well. How do they come up with that?..."Using the force, are they now" (using my best Yoda voice).

I lived in Iowa for more than a few years. Each August they published their own 'roadside' counts...still do. These were always pretty accurate in telling where the birds were, and what areas took a hit. SO!...your suggesting that SD goes into a season without any population monitoring or counts?

Born/raised in SD, lived in Iowa for years after college and now back home (SD). I've never hunted a preserve. Most of my hunting is on public land. While I'm sure I'm not nearly the pheasant "GOD" you must certainly be, somehow I do pretty well. My springers and I have figured it out pretty well over the years. On the plus side...I certainly found you reply above MOST challenging. Clearly yours is a dizzying intellect.
 
nastymcnarf said:
Look...not trying to fight with you.

Wait...wait...wait...I said that wrong....lets start over.

Look...I couldn't care less about the incessant 'yammerings' that compose your reply above. Ok...now that I got that right. South Dakota does counts each year. Several...including brood counts. They're simply judicious with what data is made public. Do you suggest they have zero curiosity about chick mortality on yearly hatches. They also publish that wonderful "density" map before every pheasant season as well. How do they come up with that?..."Using the force, are they now" (using my best Yoda voice).

I lived in Iowa for more than a few years. Each August they published their own 'roadside' counts...still do. These were always pretty accurate in telling where the birds were, and what areas took a hit. SO!...your suggesting that SD goes into a season without any population monitoring or counts?

Born/raised in SD, lived in Iowa for years after college and now back home (SD). I've never hunted a preserve. Most of my hunting is on public land. While I'm sure I'm not nearly the pheasant "GOD" you must certainly be, somehow I do pretty well. My springers and I have figured it out pretty well over the years. On the plus side...I certainly found you reply above MOST challenging. Clearly yours is a dizzying intellect.
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bruh your the most condessending guy I ever seen on here. My point was this. I never said the state don't use science to manage pheasants. You said twice outfitters try to book people before the brood cunt comes out. They haven't released one the last 2 maybe 3 years. It was big news & is still a topic on here pretty regular. It got nothing to do with getting people booked early. Neither does winter kill, like you said. And that density report you're talking about, I think that's harvest density. Nothing to do with no brood count. And then you basically said hunting public early, before harvest, is pretty much a waste of time. It is for some guys, but they couldn't get laid in a whore house. Anyone halfway good at hunting roodawgz can get a few. Easier then than late season for sure. My last point was this winter wasn't as hard on phez as you think it was. And I never professed to being no phez God, but I'm sure glad you an your dog got it figured out. How many you usually shoot a year? Bet it's a bunch. But whatever bro. You make fun of my dizzying intellect. I could care less. 🤡
 
nastymcnarf said:
Look...not trying to fight with you.

Wait...wait...wait...I said that wrong....lets start over.

Look...I couldn't care less about the incessant 'yammerings' that compose your reply above. Ok...now that I got that right. South Dakota does counts each year. Several...including brood counts. They're simply judicious with what data is made public. Do you suggest they have zero curiosity about chick mortality on yearly hatches. They also publish that wonderful "density" map before every pheasant season as well. How do they come up with that?..."Using the force, are they now" (using my best Yoda voice).

I lived in Iowa for more than a few years. Each August they published their own 'roadside' counts...still do. These were always pretty accurate in telling where the birds were, and what areas took a hit. SO!...your suggesting that SD goes into a season without any population monitoring or counts?

Born/raised in SD, lived in Iowa for years after college and now back home (SD). I've never hunted a preserve. Most of my hunting is on public land. While I'm sure I'm not nearly the pheasant "GOD" you must certainly be, somehow I do pretty well. My springers and I have figured it out pretty well over the years. On the plus side...I certainly found you reply above MOST challenging. Clearly yours is a dizzying intellect.
Click to expand...

I got my thoughts on Hyres response but have to agree that the SD DNR doesn't do the brood survey no more. They got wildlife biologists checking on things but the routes and volunteers on those routes for the brood survey ain't happening no more. And even thought I only hunted SD one time I got a card in the mail that asked where I hunted and how many birds and how many days and if I had a good time and I bet you that's how they come up with the density map.
 
Bah, this has taken an interesting turn. While I know next to nothing about guides/outfitters, & couldn't possibly make a recommendation, I usually find it impossible to completely bite my tongue when a conversation turns to the old brood....count. I'm pretty sure the last year the GF&P published it was 2019. My understanding is that since then, they've put the money it consumed toward promotion/advertising. So although the State does do other things to manage the pheasant population (& therefore the pheasant season) via science, I don't believe they're still performing the brood count, as it was done before, & just keeping the results a secret. The money went away. That's not to say they're not doing other things to estimate the pheasant population, but if they are, they're VERY MUCH keeping that quiet. But, as I've mentioned several (probably many) times by this point, I don't miss the brood count, except maybe for the numbers to play with. I've done enough manipulation of the data provided by the brood count, other data published by the GF&P, coupled with my own experience in the field, to conclude that the brood count survey was at best an indicator of long-term trends. It didn't very closely follow harvest reports or my own findings in a particular area of the state.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
I'm pretty sure the last year the GF&P published it was 2019. My understanding is that since then, they've put the money it consumed toward promotion/advertising.
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I believe this to be accurate. Brood count, roadside count, call it whatever you want. They aren't doing it anymore. And if they are, they aren't making it available to the public. Mostly because they believe that broadcasting a poor count negatively affected the number of non-resident hunters that the state attracted. So their thinking is "no news is good news." Some non-resident hunters would look at the count, see that its down, and then hunt elsewhere instead.

And they've definitely put more funding into advertising and marketing instead.
 
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