Bad bird reports?

[deke]

Second day in sd. First day we saw two hundred birds . Second day hundred fifty, saw a hundred birds get out of a twenty by twenty lump of cat tails. We have e limited eVery day by noon, wonder why all reports are bad

[gonehuntin']

Perhaps you're hunting private land?

[Meller]

Perhaps you're hunting private land?

Or maybe at a hunting lodge!

[deke]

All public

[jack the dog]

Well, I wish I was there with you.

[Ruffshooter]

Or not hunting where the blizzard Hit?

[dsmtsi]

All public

I'll be there in a week what county?

[weimhunter]

That is absolutely amazing (almost unbelievable)....we saw nothing like that. Locals are going days without seeing a bird, even the warden has not seen anything like that. Are you sure you didn't take a time machine back to 2006?? Where were you guys hunting?

[deke]

No idea about any blizzards. We had snow last few days which is making the cat tails really productive. We are in hand county.

[Ruffshooter]

I did not see it was WA. Sorry. But what is hand country?

[gonehuntin']

I did not see it was WA. Sorry. But what is hand country?

It wasn't....they were in SD.

[Vision]

Maybe you saw the last flock of wild pheasants in SD.

[bb560m]

Been looking for bobwhites in Missouri. 1 covey in 14 hours of walking now and stumbled upon 1 pheasant in a ditch while driving and let the dogs out. It's getting old fast; going on these nature walks - I think the dogs are getting frustrated too.

[bonasa]

It's getting old fast; going on these nature walks.

I hate armed hikes. Woodcock is over, deer hunters are in the woods and mushrooms are finished. Time to cover scout again I guess.

[roaniecowpony]

It's getting old fast; going on these nature walks.

I hate armed hikes. Woodcock is over, deer hunters are in the woods and mushrooms are finished. Time to cover scout again I guess.

It's still better'n going to work. I had an "armed nature hike" this past weekend. Not a one quail or chukar. It's so dry in Southern CA that its scary flammable out there. Still, I did enjoy getting out and getting some fresh air and exercise. But when there's plenty of birds (like 1 in 4-5 yrs here) it doesn't seem like exercise...just fun.

[bb560m]

It's still better'n going to work. I had an "armed nature hike" this past weekend. Not a one quail or chukar. It's so dry in Southern CA that its scary flammable out there. Still, I did enjoy getting out and getting some fresh air and exercise. But when there's plenty of birds (like 1 in 4-5 yrs here) it doesn't seem like exercise...just fun.

My younger dog is getting less interested though when he hasn't found anything... well, 1 covey. Not what he really needs right now. Thought numbers would be good, weather has been good... oh well.

[buckshot1]

It's good to hear that you're seeing birds in SD. Maybe the sky isn't falling. It must be the snow. They always bunch up into big groups in heavy cover when it snows.

[deke]

Today is in the sixties and we have noticed we are not seeing as many birds. Still scratched out five before lunch between two guys. We have had good luck walking next to fresh cut corn fields first part of the day. Shot my first double on wild roosters yesterday two minutes after it opened.

[dsmtsi]

We saw tons of birds (200+ a day) on private ground in Pierre. I really don't thing it's all doom and gloom. There was a great hatch and tons of birds a good spring and not a crazy winter you won't even know this year happend.

Deke when are you leaving SD we are leaving tonight to head to Chamberlain.

[deke]

Leaving the 21st. Might rest the dog tommorow. He looks a little beat up. Hopefully we get snow on Sunday and the hunting will be hotter again. Just got back tonight saw fifty or so birds jump out of a wia

[gonehuntin']

Today is in the sixties and we have noticed we are not seeing as many birds. Still scratched out five before lunch between two guys. We have had good luck walking next to fresh cut corn fields first part of the day. Shot my first double on wild roosters yesterday two minutes after it opened.

I'd guard your spot with my life were I you. That type of success is unheard of in SD this year unless you're on private land. Guys are hunting prime cover and seeing only a couple of birds a day. You fellas are doing very well; best of anyone I've heard.

[deke]

It's not like we are hunting secret spots. We haven't hunted the same place twice. All the guys at our hotel I have talked to have been shooting limits on private property.

[dsmtsi]

If you want to meet up PM me, we will be in town tomorrow. We will have 4 fresh dogs and three guys. I had a good hunt and a few beers last weekend with some guys from ultimate pheasant hunting site. We're going to start out south west of you.

[cjhills]

We saw tons of birds (200+ a day) on private ground in Pierre. I really don't thing it's all doom and gloom. There was a great hatch and tons of birds a good spring and not a crazy winter you won't even know this year happend.

Deke when are you leaving SD we are leaving tonight to head to Chamberlain.

200 a day on private ground is not tons of birds. They can put out all they want. There definitely was not a great hatch and the spring was terrible in the Redfield area and most all of SD. Just got back. In our CRP. I saw 20 birds where we used to see 2,000. numbers have declined steadily for the last seven years and nobody has the answers. It is not all loss of CRP. everybody has a opinion.
We will always know this year happened and it will take time to recover. The hunter numbers appeared to be down, I seen no hunters on public property. Cover was good due to all the rain. Corn was everywhere looks like a bumper crop.
I have issues with paying $200 dollars a gun/day for three birds so We take our chances with wild birds on our land and public.......................Cj

[roaniecowpony]

I was in Huron for the opener. Our group of 8-9 hunters put only 25 roosters a day in the air on that weekend. This is all private ground and produced hundreds of rooster flushes in good years.

My friend who owns the land said he was told by a DFG biologist that West Nile has had a high impact on populations.

[deke]

Cj.

We hunted south of there yesterday if I can remember correctly. A lot less birds than other areas we hunted. We watched a farmer cutting corn for an hour after we got our final bird and counted seventy roosters flush from the edge of the field we were standing on. Never saw this South Dakota in the good days, but this beats eastern Washington on a great day.

[cjhills]

Cj.

We hunted south of there yesterday if I can remember correctly. A lot less birds than other areas we hunted. We watched a farmer cutting corn for an hour after we got our final bird and counted seventy roosters flush from the edge of the field we were standing on. Never saw this South Dakota in the good days, but this beats eastern Washington on a great day.

Deke:
You are right. The worst day in SD is better than the best day most places. I could usually manage a limit.
I just see this downward spiral and wonder why. Obviously a number of things. I too think disease may be a factor. In some places the drop was very dramatic. Cj

[dsmtsi]

We saw tons of birds (200+ a day) on private ground in Pierre. I really don't thing it's all doom and gloom. There was a great hatch and tons of birds a good spring and not a crazy winter you won't even know this year happend.

Deke when are you leaving SD we are leaving tonight to head to Chamberlain.

200 a day on private ground is not tons of birds. They can put out all they want. There definitely was not a great hatch and the spring was terrible in the Redfield area and most all of SD. Just got back. In our CRP. I saw 20 birds where we used to see 2,000. numbers have declined steadily for the last seven years and nobody has the answers. It is not all loss of CRP. everybody has a opinion.
We will always know this year happened and it will take time to recover. The hunter numbers appeared to be down, I seen no hunters on public property. Cover was good due to all the rain. Corn was everywhere looks like a bumper crop.
I have issues with paying $200 dollars a gun/day for three birds so We take our chances with wild birds on our land and public.......................Cj

No birds put out at this place, I can hunt them at home.

First day in SD was okay. We wasted quite a bit of time going to one place that didn't pan out

[deke]

Hey dsmtsi.


Tried to send you a pm but not sure if it sent. If you are still in the area we would love to tag along. Our dog is pretty beat up. Had a run in with a wounded deer today in a cornfield that did not end well for him or the deer. Still scratched out a limit though and found out a sixty pound lab can drag down a deer.

[cjhills]

All the lodges are releasing birds by now. The state laws require it and they would be out of birds without releasing. Don't let the all wild bird ads fool you............................Cj

[roaniecowpony]

I saw hunt lease guides releasing birds on private farms they have leased near my friend's place. That was opening weekend. I don't know if they need special license for releasing birds but my friend just shook his head.

[dsmtsi]

Hey dsmtsi.


Tried to send you a pm but not sure if it sent. If you are still in the area we would love to tag along. Our dog is pretty beat up. Had a run in with a wounded deer today in a cornfield that did not end well for him or the deer. Still scratched out a limit though and found out a sixty pound lab can drag down a deer.

I never got one and I missed this post until our last day.

I wanted to give an update though, we got into limits almost everyday. There were not many 20+ flushes but we had a few. My pup did great on the last day and pointed a bunch of birds.
We also only ran into one truck that was out hunting. There wasn't much for pressure on most of the spots we went.