Hunting & Fishing Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

[Arch]

Just talked to an old friend and learned that another friend retired from the Corps and owns a hunting lodge in South Dakota. Trout - ducks-bird dogs = looks like a nice place to visit.

Granite Springs Hunting Lodge

 

[The_Punisher]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

It will blow your mind! We went a few times and shot tons of ducks and geese and pheasants. Take your coyote gun for some nite hunting!!!!

 

[Arch]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

Cannot say enough about the owner either...

 

[C.K]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

How far from New Holland is this place??

 

[krw]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota


Last yr went on my first phesant hunt in Kansas. My buddy told me not to bring a 20ga. Well I listen well, I took 2 20ga's, my O/U and my 1100. After the first day I'd have given $500 for my Beretta 12ga. Some of the boys offered 12ga's they had brought for backup but I shot what I brought. Pheasant hunting is a blast. Learned you need good Underarmour so you can stay warm but not bulk up so bad you can't walk all day. Drop me a PM with contact info if you'd like to guide a group of 8-10 this coming fall.
Thanks krw

 

[kurt]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

they proposed to raise the limit to 5 but it did not go through last year. it will be 3 agin this year. and more truth has never been spoken about the over and unders they might look nice but i am still shooting my old beat up wingmaster while they are reloading. can take the plug out for pheasants too. i get a kick out of the guys that bring out the 28 gauge for a challenge and cant get it back in the case fast enough to get the 12 out they get tired watching all there buddies shoot the birds.

 

[kurt]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

shit it is funny seeing some of the guys decked out in the full get up and you know this is the first time all year they have wore it and probally the last. since they buy new blaze orange clothes every year

 

[Jester8]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

Isn't that the truth^^^^!

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

youze guys are getting me all ginned up for birds.....god i love wing shooting.

 

[skinney_7]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

ah... bird huntin is alright i guess, whenever i get hungry i just walk out into my backyard and pound a couple ringers, chislic em up, nothin like corn fed ringneck.

 

[blksno]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C.K</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How far from New Holland is this place?? </div></div>
New Holland is roughly 45-60 minutes west. I go past both often on my way home as well as hunting trips out west. played sports in Alexandria and New Holland many many times in High School.

i'm glad someone pointed out that the <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">limit did not change</span></span> and it is still 3 birds. the last couple years there are plenty of birds to up the limit to 5, but the first 2-3 weeks of the season, to much corn remains and they are not as easy to come by.

As for location and birds. Many outfitters have lots of birds obviously because they raise them. If you hunt at a dedicated pheasant farm you by no means need a long (30") shotty or a 12ga for that matter. Nor do you NEED to use high brass the first two weekends of the season. remember these birds are on the verge of being tame. IF you want to hunt where there are wild birds and have some fun...two areas will interest you.

Winner area west river. and the area around and between Huron to Redfield. I have been hunting for 15 years in a twenty man group and we get our 60 birds in the first 1.5 -2 hours opening weekend and my father and I both shoot low brass 7 shot. Once november rolls around, time to switch to high brass 4shot.

 

[kurt]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

all i hunt is wild birds around mobridge and i would say the heavier loads save alot of looking for the winged ones. It hard to compare people who come out here for a week at the most to those that have grown up shooting the chinese chickens as alot of those guys are alot of show and no go. i like the guy that shows up with his beat to shit wingmaster then you know you have a hunter.

 

[blksno]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DFOOSKING</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't hunt on pheasant farms c_bass, ours are ALL WILD, I apologize that I assumed everone else did the same. I'm sorry!

If your gonna shoot'em in a cage, bring low base I stand corrected. Nor do pheasants ever use the open plains winds to try pick up an extra 10-30 mph tailwind to get them the fuck outta there. And all opening day birds are completely dumb.

My advice is based off decades of public and private land hunting, and its better to have a good strong load that will bring them down whatever the conditions, especially if your there for only one day to maybe a week were time in the field is important. If corn being up is an issue and you might only get 2 or 3 chances, I think my route would be alot more practical. </div></div>

oh yeah, no worries, didnt mean to step on toes, anyone that has the kind of experience with the ring neck that you obviously do...clearly knows what they are talking about. we've seen some of those wild bitches go strait up into the wind and are almost at a stand still for 1-2 seconds before turning to catch the wind. but when they do...watch out...once they get in that wind, and get past you...they're going 70mph and its awful tough for that lead to catch up and sting em in the ass. once they get past you and are flying away, no need to even bother shooting or you'll be looking for birds all day long.
we are just lucky to live in a place where we dont have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a sport we love. i would complain about the prices outta state guys have to pay...but i wont, if they werent going to private lodges...theyd be road hunting every gravel road in the state and tip toeing every fence along the way.

 

[Triggernometry]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

It really cracks me up reading how people think shotgun lethality is simply a positive linear relationship with the lower the gauge or the higher the brass. To further crap in the punch bowl, I shoot steel.

 

[orkan]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

Come hunt with us in december with that 7/8oz load and I guarantee you won't be bagging many. Most shots are between 40 and 60yds, and the birds have their winter coat built up pretty good. All you'll be doing is wounding them.

I shoot 3" 1 3/4oz 4's and some days that doesn't even reach far enough.

Want to shoot raised birds? ... sure, about anything will take one of those birds down. South dakota is the #1 pheasant hunting destination in the world... and dfoosking and I have lived here our whole lives and shot these birds every year since we were legal to do so. We see a LOT, and I mean A LOT of non-residents come and go... and every year we see the same shit. Countless birds wounded, countless more shot and lost due to poor dogs, and even worse trainers. I could go on for hours.

But I'm sure someone that doesn't live here and hunt pheasants nearly every day of the season will chime in about how they do it better.

 

[orkan]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

lol

Allow me to lighten up. My camera skills are terrible.

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[blksno]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

nice video, i've been planning to build a shotty mount for my 870 for next year. that might just convince me to do so.

I have no issue with the big loads...I use them too. I'm sure all real SD hunters do once the season is rolling. I shoot 1 1/4oz 4shot when the season gets into mid-november. But like was said earlier...during the first couple weeks, all the birds, wild or pen raised...are stupid and id rather not blow the complete shit out of them.

We have out of staters come shoot with us every year, and first saturday of the season, they come out looking like a road cone in head to toe blaze, 30" automatic 1100 and 3" mags and wonder why the locals get pissed when everything they shoot is reduced to feathers and legs.

and, for those out of staters that want to spend the $$$ to go to the private spots, more power to them, there will always be people willing to spend the coin. my mom works part time at a lodge by Plankington and every year there are guys that fly in, stop at Cabelas in Mitchell, buy a shot gun, shoot for 7 days, and leave the gun at the lodge when they go home. that my friends, is disposable income.

 

[Triggernometry]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

I know better than to internet argue (and was born, raised, and continue to shoot >100 wild pheasants/year in my home state), but just wanted to point out there are certain things like pattern density, retained energy, and a whole host of other things that trump gauge and payload. Akin to that logic, a 750 amax must be more lethal than a 180 berger.

I'd recommend attending a Tom Roster clinic.

 

[orkan]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Triggernometry</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know better than to internet argue (and was born, raised, and continue to shoot >100 wild pheasants/year in my home state), but just wanted to point out there are certain things like pattern density, retained energy, and a whole host of other things that trump gauge and payload. Akin to that logic, a 750 amax must be more lethal than a 180 berger.

I'd recommend attending a Tom Roster clinic. </div></div>

Keep telling me how it goes.

100 > huh? I'd cry if thats all I pulled in a season. Makes no nevermind that my team has won 1st place in the fall and spring league at the local sporting clays outfit for the last 7 years, with my father and I trading off in the role of "top gun" which awards for most clays broken in the league, no handicap. The 30-40 CASES of shotgun shells I shoot every year probably doesn't mean shit either.

Needless to say, I don't need a clinic. I take that back. After listening to non-residents come to this state and talk about how much they know about pheasant hunting... I probably DO need a clinic... because it drives me nuts.

 

[kurt]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: orkan</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Triggernometry</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know better than to internet argue (and was born, raised, and continue to shoot >100 wild pheasants/year in my home state), but just wanted to point out there are certain things like pattern density, retained energy, and a whole host of other things that trump gauge and payload. Akin to that logic, a 750 amax must be more lethal than a 180 berger.

I'd recommend attending a Tom Roster clinic. </div></div>

Keep telling me how it goes.

100 > huh? I'd cry if thats all I pulled in a season. Makes no nevermind that my team has won 1st place in the fall and spring league at the local sporting clays outfit for the last 7 years, with my father and I trading off in the role of "top gun" which awards for most clays broken in the league, no handicap. The 30-40 CASES of shotgun shells I shoot every year probably doesn't mean shit either.

Needless to say, I don't need a clinic. I take that back. After listening to non-residents come to this state and talk about how much they know about pheasant hunting... I probably DO need a clinic... because it drives me nuts. </div></div>

People dont understand that we see more pheasants up here in a day than most do in the whole season. In december if anyone is shooting the light loads they are just wounding them and that is a fact that i have learned over the last 18 years of hunting pheasants 60 plus days a year. Ya i love when i get the guy from arizona tell me how we should walk a field that i have walked before he was even a thought in his daddys mind.

 

[blksno]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

my group stopped taking advice from our out of state participants when they suggested surround a water hole about 50m x 50m and everyone walk towards the middle. 20 guys all pointing at eachother. I didnt care what loads they were using...i wanted no part of that idea.

i dont doubt or disagree that pattern density or retained energy are very very important, but you will have a hard time proving a 20ga 7/8oz Steel 4shot

that being said...back to more important topics. no need for everyone here to start measuring our cocks. (my biggest had 1 1/8" spurs)

 

[Triggernometry]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

orkan,

As said, I wasn't intending to start another internet pissing contest, but I'll digress a bit.

I'm happy you shoot in your local league. I shoot and have shot in a few too, and I've won sub junior, junior, class A, and class AA state ATA titles (AA in 2 states), have won a few medals at the Grand American, and won junior state champion 5-stand the first time I competed. The first year I competed at the Grand American, I shot 144 cases in 4 months. I'd cry if I only shot with a team and only 30-40 cases per year. That said, I'm not so naive as to think I'm a great shotgunner. The world gets big awfully quick.

I've also worked a few published researched projects testing the lethality of various loads and metals through the Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program (collected a few hundred of 6,600 birds on Lacreek NWR). I had several 300 pheasant seasons growing up (and a few more while at grad school in Brookings), but now only am afforded a few weeks a year...and I abide by daily bag limits and don't party hunt. That little 7/8 oz load of steel boringly kills at 60 yards if you know how to get it there. I have a lotta load recipes that'll beat that too.

I pass through your area a few times a year and I'd be happy to stop and continue this over a few beers. I'm out.

 

[orkan]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

Alright. I'll take you up on that. I'd like you to come hunting with us in late december. Bring the gun of your choosing, but you'll be restricted to 7/8oz steel.

I'm not interested in a pissing contest either. I'm all about putting your money where your mouth is.

You and I will block together. We'll see who brings home the bacon. ...er... pheasant.

Or... if you're in the neighborhood... swing by anytime.

I always like talking shop with other knowledgeable folks.

 

[Tennman]

Re: Pheasant Hunting - South Dakota

Hey guys, I don't post much, but read a lot on this forum. This pheasant hunting string sure got me longing to go back to SD and hunt some pheasants. I lived in Yankton and Vermillion as a kid many moons ago. I was amazed at the birds in the video. Like black birds here. That was really cool. I grew up hunting too and shooting anything available. You guys in SD have it great with the abundance of pheasants. Great state too, just cld as crap from what I remember. Anyhow, just wanted to say how I enjoyed reading this. Thanks.