Weather Conditions near Watertown, SD?

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Wolfchief

Well-known member
Planning a hunt just west of there in early November, just wondering how this summer has treated the birds. Adequate rainfall, decent hatch, good insect numbers, etc.?
Any first hand information greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
Local reports from 50mi west of Watertown showed about 40% survival rate over the winter. This was comparing winter feeding numbers and what came out of the James River cattails when spring floods over ran the bank and pushed all the birds up into the bare fields. Big hatch and early number of nesting broods where seen and should have survived with the moisture they got and the bumper crop of grasshoppers. Mid summer rains did flood ditches and fields but they did think that most chicks were big enough to get to cover at that point. It was borderline early enough to get in another hatch for late nesting hens to try another brood if they lost them. This would be on top of increased numbers have been on the upswing in that area and very hunt-able in the last two years after about 10 years of local population crash in this area from our experience.
 
Wolfchief said:
Planning a hunt just west of there in early November, just wondering how this summer has treated the birds. Adequate rainfall, decent hatch, good insect numbers, etc.?
Any first hand information greatly appreciated, thanks.
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When you say just west of Watertown I hope you are looking at 50 or more miles west. I've lived in Watertown for the past 12 years and pheasant numbers have been down around here the entire time. I haven't heard any numbers from the area yet this year. The birds may have taken somewhat of a hit due to the severe winter but nesting should have been good. Hoping for the best.
 
We have had a good nesting/brood rearing season. Rains at just the right time. I've spoken to some farmers and rural residents and they are seeing some broods, the most uplifting news is that those broods contain 8 or more chicks.
 
Golden Hour said:
We have had a good nesting/brood rearing season. Rains at just the right time. I've spoken to some farmers and rural residents and they are seeing some broods, the most uplifting news is that those broods contain 8 or more chicks.
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Do you think those secret, private honey holes of yours will be good this season? There's a guy who was wanting to ask if you'd take him hunting, but he's not interested unless you think it'll be at least somewhat like shooting flare nares at a preserve.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Do you think those secret, private honey holes of yours will be good this season? There's a guy who was wanting to ask if you'd take him hunting, but he's not interested unless you think it'll be at least somewhat like shooting flare nares at a preserve.
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I'd guess one or two are still hanging around. As for the rest, my weekends are pretty booked up for the foreseeable future.
 
I've never heard of large numbers of birds anywhere in the pothole lakes region like it is around Watertown so we've never hunted to the east of a line from Bristol to Crocker to Clark. Maybe the OP is going east from Watertown but farther west was better hunting when you got away from the water. From the mid 1980s to 2000, there was fantastic bird numbers in a square from Mellete, Conde, Doland to Redfield. Then it collapsed after alternating years of drought and floods. It has started to come back in 2018 like a slow migration from 281 moving east. Sizable numbers that stick around year over year have now crossed the jim crick as far as 10 miles east. Another 10 miles and they'll be in the big stretch of CREP from Conde to Turton. That is sections nearly contiguous for 7 miles long and 1/2 mile wide that would put the hurt on any of you dog walkers.

Most of the weather from where I get reports heads east in that direction and everything I've heard has added up to even more birds than last year. Rains seem to be getting more regular and spaced out. If that holds then harvest conditions should be on the dry side and on time. Crops should be off by November. Hope that info helps Chief.
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, please keep them coming. There appears to be a good amount of public land in the area west of Watertown and I'll be trying some of that. I have a young (3 year old yellow Lab) dog who seems to have a nose for the birds, so hope we find some.
 
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