Hunting Pheasants in South Dakota

[jetjockey]

Montana has plenty of birds, but it ain't SD!  SD is quickly becoming very commercialized though, where Montana is still reminiscent of older days with less pressure and lots of open land.  Land owners are also more likely to let you hunt their land, where much of the private land in SD is leased for lodges.  Next spring I'm moving to CO, and I can't WAIT!!  SD, KS, NE, and MT will all be within an easy half day drive.  With the drought in KS quickly disappearing, pheasant and quail numbers should rebound quick there as well.

[JODakota]

Yes everybody, please stay south. There are 0 birds in the north

[hntnfool2]

I have been going back for the past 5 years and found plenty of places that are open to hunting without ever having to knock on farmers doors. There is nothing quite like seeing several hundred birds in the air at one time and watching the dogs doing what the love to do. I would recommend the trip to anyone who loves to hunt pheasants, it is a special place, I can guarantee you wont regret going.

[Ridgerunner]

Man what a great thread, this trip is high on the to do list one of these years, sounds like an amazing time.

[wonder]

You guys are making it very hard for me to work now!  Nice job.  In all seriousness I used to think the best place to hunt in Western US was outside Pendleton Oregon with all the wheat fields, geez those are some amazing pictures.

Had a College buddy who's dad used to hunt the Klamath Falls area way back in the 60's and 70's that had piles of roosters in a days hunt like these but that is just amazing. Just amazing.  Thanks again!

[Bluemoon]

Yep, no birds in MT.  as JODakota stated just keep on driving South....

[ELKBURGER]

Yep, no birds in MT.  as JODakota stated just keep on driving South....

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!

[eastsidemallard74]

I hunt ND, and have hunted SD once. Biggest difference I've seen is price. ND is cheaper, more farmers hate the birds, as to where it's a big business in SD. Either way you will not be disappointed. Make sure to keep up on the weather though. We've been out there last week of October for 7 years now, and have hit freezing snow,70 degree days, and 70+/- MPH winds. The weather is crazy there.

[haugenna]

I am in Winner the next couple days for a prairie dog shoot. Looks like they have had a pretty mild spring for a good hatch. Pheasants are everywhere on the drive in.

[JODakota]

I am in Winner the next couple days for a prairie dog shoot. Looks like they have had a pretty mild spring for a good hatch. Pheasants are everywhere on the drive in.

Your in pheasant Capitol ND

[haugenna]

This is in South Dakota. Staying at Tbones treehouse.

[wildweeds]

I've hunted in Ipswich 3 times,Platte,Utica and Irene all private property.I've also hunted Montana and Iowa and our own state,Actually I've got a spot in our own state that is comparable to Montana and Utica. Irene,Platte and Ipswich were phenomenal in sheer numbers on more than one occasion I saw 300+ bird flushes,it really is something to see a 300+ bird flush and then arrive at the standing corn patch feedplot to have another 150 erupt at the first report of a shotgun,and still have birds in the patch for dogs to point after that.Irene was springer cover 8 foot tall cattails,Platte was CRP that held pheasants and sharpies.My buddys aunt owns a BUNCH of ground about 25k acres,his uncle passed away suddenly and they were in the process of getting set for retirement income of hunting season and hunters by farming solely for birds,his uncle quit the clean farming and began leaving a 20 foot strip of milo in the entire circumfrence of the fields for winter  in two years the bird population blossomed.The best tip I can give in this thread is DO NOT EVER go in search of Pheasants in the LeMars/Mapleton area of Iowa,5 days hunting,4 hunters 5 shots fired 3 pheasants killed,1 bobwhite quail,we returned to the palouse on saturday and killed 9 roosters with good dog work in an afternoon circa 2003.It's all in wherever a person wants to go.

[jetjockey]

I am in Winner the next couple days for a prairie dog shoot. Looks like they have had a pretty mild spring for a good hatch. Pheasants are everywhere on the drive in.

That's good to hear.  My pup will be just outside Winner in Ideal sometime this week or next for summer camp.  I'll be driving up there in late July or early August to drop off my older dog for camp as well.  Can't wait to run some dogs up there in August.

[AspenBud]

This is a little off beat, but when you guys look at those pheasant numbers out there bear in mind that there are A LOT of stocked birds turned loose in South Dakota in addition to the wild population. Case in point...

http://www.capjournal.com/news/pheasants-released-in-south-dakota/article_739c77b2-0e36-11e4-9396-001a4bcf887a.html

[Kittman]

I know the OP was talking about SD, but growing up in ND and hunting them south of I-94 in the Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA's) we never had problems getting our limits of birds hunting these gems.  Like another poster on here had mentioned, they are a less costly DIY hunt, and not commercialized.  Lots of public places to go.

http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/waterfowl-production-areas/resource/adfad33f-efc1-4b6f-8413-705fc21c7b1c