South Eastern/MN border historically produce birds?

danimal

New member
Planning another trip to SD the week between Xmas and New Years,just got back from the Clark SD area with some luck and a badly injured GSP...we are wanting to return but I would like to keep the drive time to under or around the 6 hour mark. I live on the IL/WI border 1.5 hrs south of Madison,not afraid to do a lot of walking in order to see birds...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
 
That area seems to be making a comback. Some locals may have specifics. I've never really researched public access, I guess I need to stop thinking about it and start doing.
What happened to your pup? I just got back from SD as well. My Springer danced with the barbed wire devil. Didn't end too well.
I'm on the border as well. See you around the water cooler. Welcome to UPH
 
Yes, they are there. However, if you were to travel 6 hrs to reach the SD/MN border, I would either recommend to go another 1-2 hours west to get far more birds. Or stop short of the border and hunt MN with a cheaper and year round Non-Res license. Since I'm assuming you already have the 2nd part of your SD license, I would say to get up an hour earlier to drive to SD to reach better bird numbers and to plan on getting home 1 hour later after seeing more successful bird numbers. All that said, you will still find them at the border.

One other thing to consider with the dates of your trip being between Christmas and New Years, is that you can purchase a license and use part 1 this year and part 2 next year. You'll have to look up the specific date on the GFP website of when this takes effect, but I am going to guess it is December 16.
 
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yes the 2nd half of my license is dated for that week,that s1 of the reasons that I would like to go that week also my shop is closed,so that helps as well.. Not sure why but Ive always been intrigued by MN birds,no idea why but I am. Was just thinking aloud and hoping for some more southern birds.

My 3.5 yr old GSP also got in a fight with a fence,must have slid all the way down her protective vest and hooked on the belly,ripped her open pretty bad,has a whole bunch of stitches and some open wound now healing,ended up leaving a day early,cannon balling 9.5hrs to get her into her vet for emergency surgury-rough way to end a sweet trip...she was a rockstar before that happened tho! 1st wild bird hunt,put up more than a few roosters,had some solid points and put up a bunch of hens as well,cant wait to go back,seemed like she was just coming into her own
 
Sorry to hear about your dog. That’s one of my biggest fears every year as my two pups love to go from one side of the barbed wire to the other. For anyone needing a Vet around the Mitchell area, I can personally recommend Creekside Vet Clinic. They’re about 1/2 mile down the road from Cabelas and what I think are reasonably priced. I’ve had to stop in there the last 2 seasons. Good luck to everyone going back out for late season. I hope it’s better then the tough 2 weeks of early season I hunted.
 
I used Creekside. I think his name was Dave? Got me in in 2 hours. Good folks. Would definitely recommend to anyone
 
6 hours I don't even stop to pee the first 6 hours. It's a 14 hour drive for me but I go to where I know the hunting will be good. West of the James River. I just got home from my second trip 5 day limit and done by 2 most days probably go back in December the corn was still out where I was. Should be plenty of opportunities if they can get it out before the season is over
 
What town do u stay near?just wanna map it and see how far it is for me. Still planning a 2-3 day trip after Xmas
 
6 hours I don't even stop to pee the first 6 hours. It's a 14 hour drive for me but I go to where I know the hunting will be good. West of the James River. I just got home from my second trip 5 day limit and done by 2 most days probably go back in December the corn was still out where I was. Should be plenty of opportunities if they can get it out before the season is over

my thoughts were that a 6 hour drive would be doable for a weekend trip,anything over that and its gonna be more than just 2 days...would be ideal to find somewhere around that drive time that had some birds,not talking about limiting out just 2-3 birds,enough to keep in interesting
 
Well, here's my $0.02. The public land near the MN border gets absolutely hammered by MN residents. Not saying you'd have tons of competition over that last week of the year, but for the most part, those birds have either been shot, pushed out, or have been hunted so many, many, many times that the few roosters left don't play fair at all. By & large, the roosters won't be using the public land during shooting hours. 45 minutes to an hour further west could make a big difference. Yes, the birds are still really challenging, but there are so many more of them that your chances at success could improve dramatically.
 
I stay and hunt within 50 miles of Mitchell. I used to go to Platte but numbers are not that great down that way anymore. I also used to hunt 3 days but last 10 years or so I just plan on the 5 days. Then if you get a bad day you just wait it out. If I was just looking at 2 days I would probably stay home and hunt a local presurve I'm an addict I admit
 
I stay and hunt within 50 miles of Mitchell. I used to go to Platte but numbers are not that great down that way anymore. I also used to hunt 3 days but last 10 years or so I just plan on the 5 days. Then if you get a bad day you just wait it out. If I was just looking at 2 days I would probably stay home and hunt a local presurve I'm an addict I admit
I'm in the same boat.I usually go for several days, when I go pheasant hunting. I didn't know there was so much free hunting in South Dakota. I wonder if the Indian reservations are any Good? My dad and I hunted on a fancy, bushwa place near Dixon, that was outrageously expensive. It was in March. I put down a bunch of birds at that outfit.One heck of a cruise to get There! In Montana, we're not used to hunting tree belts, and land farmed for pheasant hunting.
 
I stay and hunt within 50 miles of Mitchell. I used to go to Platte but numbers are not that great down that way anymore. I also used to hunt 3 days but last 10 years or so I just plan on the 5 days. Then if you get a bad day you just wait it out. If I was just looking at 2 days I would probably stay home and hunt a local presurve I'm an addict I admit
I know these people named Airhart, that are from Mitchell.
 
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