Finally did it! I'm hunting SD this fall.

[Old Dog]

I just booked three days on a private ranch in Brookings SD managed for wild pheasant.    I've got 45 pheasant in the grow out pen and 100 chukar in the brood house.  I plan to have the dogs ready!  

[270Shooter]

Nice should be a blast!!!!!

[Dakota Dogman]

Good for you.  I can't wait to get home this fall either.  Going to be out there mid June to give it a prelook-e-see.  What kind of a place is it?  Do they know you plan on bringing your dogs?

God bless,

[blindpig]

better put duct tape on your shooting finger, may get kind of sore.  You'll have a blast.

[adam.WI]

I did a hunt like that about 8 yrs back,  I would use the term wild losely because the state of SD is one big pheasant pen there are so many, but it was a great time and I'm looking to do it again. This time on public land.

[Ridgerunner]

I'd be interested in some good outfits to consider when heading back there for a hunt, its on my to-do list at some point in the future(hopefully near future).

[actionshooter]

Congrats, I've heard from many that is a upland bird hunters dream!!

[Dakota Dogman]

I'd be interested in some good outfits to consider when heading back there for a hunt, its on my to-do list at some point in the future(hopefully near future).

Depends on what you're looking for.  If you want a 5 star experience I'm no help.  If you are looking for a "home farm atmosphere, with around 10,000 acres to choose from, dogs available or you bring your own (flexible) oh & we have a house in 'town' that you can stay at"... I'd look up the Mendel's near Doland SD.  Something like Lake Mirage Hunting & Lodge...
http://www.lakemiragehunting.com/index.htm

That's the place, don't know how to make it a real link.
Anyways these guys are great, if they keep guiding.  Last year was rough for every guide in that area because of late harvest & lots of water.  That's the reality of farm life instead of pheasant farms.  Still I have been in on a number of 60 bird days with them, trained dogs on their birds and know them to be the best of the best kind of people.

God Bless,

[jetjockey]

   I've got 45 pheasant in the grow out pen and 100 chukar in the brood house.  I plan to have the dogs ready!  

Still, if you have pointing dogs I wouldn't expect much from your pups the first day or so.  It will take them a while to get used to hunting the wild birds.  My pup is with a field trial trainer about 70 miles south of Pierre right now.  Even with his Field Champion All Age dogs, who have spend the last 7 summers in S. Dakota, it takes them a few days to get in the groove back.  The trainer calls it "bowling for birds".  The dogs will rush in for the point and flush the birds because they get too close.  With pen raised birds the dogs learn they can get a lot closer to the birds before they will flush.  In S. Dakota if the dogs get too close they will flush, every time.  It took my dog about a week to really figure it out.  She has learned how to pin the pheasants and sharpies down so they won't run, or fly.   Shes to the point where she will hold them for 5-10 minutes before the trainer can catch up.  I'm going to go see her at camp over labor day weekend and can't wait. 

BTW... You know there is a lot of birds in S. Dakota when the trainer has to bring in "camp" dogs to keep the pheasants out of camp.  Otherwise the pheasants walk right through camp and drive the Brittany's who are penned up crazy!    I think your gonna have a blast!  Literally.

[Crunchy]

I hunted North Dakota for 4 years and we didnt even need dogs, just walked the fields and would flush them out.   Probably one of the best areas to go hunt upland game for sure.

[Old Dog]

Bad news.  Pheasant numbers in the area I will be hunting are down 40%  The guide I signed on with sent an e-mail offering a refund, but I figure it's 40% down from a 10 year high, so it's still going to beat anything WA has to offer.  I loaded all the hunting areas as points of interest on my new gps, been doing a little shooting , now I really need to tune up the dogs.  Begining next month we'll start with quail, then I should be able to get 4 or 5 days of pheasant before I leave for SD.  I AM STOKED!!