Pheasant numbers in South Dakota?

[Click]

What's it looking like this year?

 

[wmd]

Good question, the state stopped their brood counts this year so no numbers will be published. IMO its strictly a political move and they will promote and advertise to beat hell. It will be interesting what out of state hunters that don't go to preserves and lodges will do. We had a good spring not too wet and not too dry so hatches should be ok and overall numbers up some from last year, that wont take much. I have relatives in central SD that ranch and they say numbers are up about 50% on their place.
wmd

 

[spur60]

Numbers are up. Both wild and hauled in.

 

[Click]

Good news. How far along is the harvest?

 

[spur60]

Good news. How far along is the harvest?

60-70% of beans are done, I'd say about 25-30% of corn, more in some areas. I also saw lots of sorghum & milo getting cut & some sunflowers along I-90 on the way out to hot springs and back from sioux falls friday and sunday.

 

[fishdart]

This is all great info and much appreciated. Thank you, Spur.

I'll be in the Gettysburg area for the opening week for my 1st time chasing birds in SoDak.

 

[j_volt]

I will be in SD hunting public on opening weekend. Check this out SD Crop Report

 

[yojo.3]

We finally had an easy enough winter for them and a pretty easy spring. So numbers are up from what ive noticed driving around. But then again, almost anything would be up from years past. Just hope we can get a few more years like this to really get the population back up. Maybe then ill go out and try to get a few birds.

 

[Squincher]

A bad year in SD still beats most everywhere else.

 

[jmez]

That's the thing. SD natives have no clue what a bad year really is.

Bad years here are still stupid good to most.

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[Squincher]

The first year I went I was with a group that had gone every year for a long time. At dinner the first night they were talking about how the numbers seemed to be down quite a bit. I saw more birds that day than in the last 5 years combined at home.

 

[huntngolf]

This is all great info and much appreciated. Thank you, Spur.

I'll be in the Gettysburg area for the opening week for my 1st time chasing birds in SoDak.

There are still a lot of crops in around the Gettysburg area. Corn is probably only 10% done and sunflowers haven't even started. The next week should put a good dent in the corn fields but the sunflowers still have a ways to go before they are ready to cut. Bird numbers are definitely up from previous years. If your planning to hunt public land get to spots early as there will be a ton of people out

 

[jmez]

The first year I went I was with a group that had gone every year for a long time. At dinner the first night they were talking about how the numbers seemed to be down quite a bit. I saw more birds that day than in the last 5 years combined at home.

Bingo

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[fishdart]

There are still a lot of crops in around the Gettysburg area. Corn is probably only 10% done and sunflowers haven't even started. The next week should put a good dent in the corn fields but the sunflowers still have a ways to go before they are ready to cut. Bird numbers are definitely up from previous years. If your planning to hunt public land get to spots early as there will be a ton of people out

Thanks for that info. Yes we are going DIY on walk in and public land. Success or not, the experience of the chase on wild birds on the prairies with my father is the payoff.

 

[Click]

Hunting private. Thanks for the info.

 

[Lytro]

My girlfriend's family lives on the east side of the state, and her Dad said he hasn't seen the pheasant population this high in a long time.

 

[PA Hunter]

The first year I went I was with a group that had gone every year for a long time. At dinner the first night they were talking about how the numbers seemed to be down quite a bit. I saw more birds that day than in the last 5 years combined at home.

Last year I saw over a thousand in one week in December compared to zero real birds left in my state.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Birds are there to be had. Just got in from a quick walk with the dog. Snow is already getting deep pushing them out of the grass and into the cattails. Need a warm up otherwise it is gunna be a long winter.

 

[j_volt]

We hunted public land on 10/17, 10/18, and 10/19. Day 1 ended early due a skunk incident. We limited out on days 2 and 3. The hunting was great. It seemed like having so much corn out really helped.

 

[KurtR]

with this snow and crops gone their are birds every where