Would you rather...

FlushingSetters1724

FlushingSetters1724

Active member
Come to SD for the opener.. Or, wait and come in early November?

I have two dogs, one of which is a puppy (around 7 months) that will be making his first trip out.. I know in November more crops will be out and it'll likely be cooler, but I also wonder if bird numbers will be THAT MUCH higher opening weekend and the days following that it'd be beneficial to come early.. I've read that early on birds are a bit dumber, and maybe that'll offset some of the mistakes my pup is bound to make. Either way I know the weather can ruin a trip, but I've seen 70 degree days in November too. As of now forecasts are showing anywhere from 60-75 for highs the days I'd come, but I know you can't trust any forecast more than a day or two out. I think regardless I'd cancel my plans to come out if the highs are anywhere around 70 regardless of the week I end up choosing.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 
I’ve only been out post-opening weekend once, but I loved the experience! That feeling of uninhibited freedom felt in SD fields is heightened because of the lack of pressure and hunters. I can’t see myself ever missing opening weekend intentionally but later was definitely equal in its own way.
I will say it might be harder on your pup if the late season birds are busting too far in advance, though?
 
Opening week public land VS first of November. No question in my book, early November mid week. Better temps for the dogs, less competition for public land hunting places and the crop harvest will be finishing up.
 
I have always gone to SD first week of November. A few years ago it was in the 70s for three of the days we were hunting but generally temps are milder. I took a 1 year old pup about 5 years ago and even if you aren’t killing roosters there are generally plenty of hens to work your dog on. I would keep your expectations for your pup low and make sure not to over hunt it and take the fun out of it. With your older dog I would then focus on better cover and maybe a few spots that you had better success earlier in the week. Like I said we have always come early November and we alway kill at least some birds or have opportunities to kill some. In November the weather is generally better and most crowds are gone.
 
Used to go opening weekend, switched to the first week in November years ago. Those extra couple of weeks really make a big difference with the progress of the corn and bean harvest. Weather is usually awesome to.
 
At seven months, the pup is still going to school and still experiencing WONDERFUL new scents and hunting fields. Since that is the case, the November date would give it more ease of movement, better visibility (for you to see it), and most likely, more comfortable temps for the hunts.
Pups will over-exert themselves more easily than mature dogs. Every step is a learning experience, and you obviously are aware of the possibility of expecting too much from a youngster still in grammar school.

Be safe.
 
Later, never did like easy and dumber. You get out what you put in. I'm looking for birds that think they are smarter than my dog, they are not.
 
Following this with a lot of interest. I had to change my solo public land hunt week from the middle of Nov to starting Oct 22.
 
Opener week for me since I hunt slow and stupid and that's how I like my birds. But that honestly lasts until about Sunday afternoon until they all get shot at one time then are permanently edumacted to stay off the roads. After that I am counting on large numbers of birds to stumble into for good hunting. I think that is a good plan for hunters new to SD pheasants and/or without a dog so that they at least get some gimme birds for a couple days as they start to figure it out. Being from out of state, I like the crowds in the bars and the opening weekend banquets/events. Just a different perspective than many of the posters here that are in-state and looking for good opportunities to hunt behind their dogs.
 
After a dismal KS hunt last Dec when the pup was 8 months old I'm looking forward to getting him as much experience as possible with birds. If I happen to hit a few along the way so much the better :)
 
MB1724 said:
Come to SD for the opener.. Or, wait and come in early November?

I have two dogs, one of which is a puppy (around 7 months) that will be making his first trip out.. I know in November more crops will be out and it'll likely be cooler, but I also wonder if bird numbers will be THAT MUCH higher opening weekend and the days following that it'd be beneficial to come early.. I've read that early on birds are a bit dumber, and maybe that'll offset some of the mistakes my pup is bound to make. Either way I know the weather can ruin a trip, but I've seen 70 degree days in November too. As of now forecasts are showing anywhere from 60-75 for highs the days I'd come, but I know you can't trust any forecast more than a day or two out. I think regardless I'd cancel my plans to come out if the highs are anywhere around 70 regardless of the week I end up choosing.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks!
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If you can only come once & have a puppy (or are somewhat inexperienced yourself), I'd come opening week, especially if you plan to hunt public land. Why? Because I think much of the corn will be harvested by then, making public land even better than usual. If that happens & you wait another 3 weeks (or whatever), a good percentage of the birds may not be using public land much anymore. Regardless, it's just generally easier to put a dog on birds during the first couple weeks of the season. If you detest crowds, simply wait until mid afternoon before heading out. Scout in the morning BEFORE 10:00, right after sunup. I don't fight crowds either. Crowds suck.
 
I'll be coming November 10th as well... I think it'd be good to give my dogs more than 4 days rest between hunts, but having the option to rotate dogs a bit this year might lessen the wear and tear we're used to. If I stay in Wisconsin for the SD opener we can only shoot 1 bird per day, and there will be 1000X more people than I could imagine seeing in SD (then again I haven't seen a SD opener).

Maybe I should have titled this "convince me I'm making the right choice by coming for the opener too."

If it's true that a lot of the corn will be out I can't see a reason not to come for the opener. I came last year in November and lot of the corn around Huron was just coming off.
 
Weather can play a big role at any time of the season from close to 80 degrees to rain to blizzard conditions. I think both times you are considering coming have multiple pluses and minuses. You will have to decide what works best for you and your dogs. Best choice is come both times!
 
As mentioned there are many pluses and minuses for both. I prefer November but that is just us. This year we will be hunting from the 2nd through the 11th. Cant wait. As to weather there is always the chance for extremes on both ends and anything in between. A few years ago we went from short sleeves to 2 days later 10 degrees and 30 plus MPH winds.
 
PeteRevvv said:
Opener week for me since I hunt slow and stupid and that's how I like my birds. But that honestly lasts until about Sunday afternoon until they all get shot at one time then are permanently edumacted to stay off the roads. After that I am counting on large numbers of birds to stumble into for good hunting. I think that is a good plan for hunters new to SD pheasants and/or without a dog so that they at least get some gimme birds for a couple days as they start to figure it out. Being from out of state, I like the crowds in the bars and the opening weekend banquets/events. Just a different perspective than many of the posters here that are in-state and looking for good opportunities to hunt behind their dogs.
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Looking forward to your opening week report !
 
Local report on Sunday said the James River just went back into it's banks last week after flooding out since May due to ND snows and rain last spring. Lots of local heavy rains and flooding a couple times early in the summer so sites nearby the river are likely going to be soft or hard to get to but there is water around in most sloughs and dugouts. Lots of late hatches everywhere in this area that may not get feathered out by opener so there will likely be a lot of additional birds passed up that will make it well into the season.

Birds were seen standing in the open on roads everywhere they went in east central before any crops came off. They large bird numbers are normally staying in the cover so that shows a big population of birds to see that so often. Bean harvest is now mostly done due to Aug being so dry and corn is going quickly as well. USDA says they are 10% ahead of average harvest but with sunny and cool weather all the way to opener, they should open up a lot of corn ground and cover by then. Forecast is for low 60s and 50s every day so perfect weather for my needs.
 
PeteRevvv said:
USDA says they are 10% ahead of average
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South Dakota must be WAY ahead of where they are here in Minnesota. The Oct 3 USDA report here shows 29% of soybeans harvested and only 5% of corn harvested. Driving around central MN last week I literally hadn't seen a single soybean or corn field harvested yet. At this rate its gonna be Thanksgiving before the majority of corn is taken out.
 
When I first started going to SD 20 years ago, we went the first two weeks of November. I have now pushed it back to first week of December. We don't hunt much public land but there are some public pieces we hunt and do well. I like the crops to be out, the pressure to be gone, the cold to set in, the birds to bunched up in the better habitats, and a better chance the water will be stiff. The difference in bird numbers between opening day and December 1st is a non factor, especially if you are an experienced hunter. My 6 month old pup will be going with me and my 7 year old will be staying home with a worn out shoulder. My buddy and his dog will be going with me but his dog is not the best. Even so, I choose to go later in the year. The potential high temps is enough to keep me away from the first month of the season. And I live in South Carolina.

However, PeteRevvv has a good point. The excitement in SD opening weekend must be thick. Maybe in my later years, I will try opening weekend.

Best of luck. john
 
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