anyone hunted ND or SD yet

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deseeker
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anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by deseeker » Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:28 pm

I can't believe there hasn't been brags and pictures from these 2 pheasant states yet :!: :!: Has everyone up there given up bird hunting :?: :roll: Come on let's see some pictures and hear some stories :D My season starts on the Macy Indian Reservation tomarrow(opens a week earlier than the Nebraska season)--hopefully I'll hit something, so I can post a couple pictures of the dogs :D

cjhills
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by cjhills » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:00 am

Pretty sure Pheasant season opened today in SD.
It has been very dry in some areas and the bird counts are way down......Cj
Last edited by cjhills on Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Dakotazeb
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by Dakotazeb » Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:11 am

The ND season opened on Oct. 7th. The SD opens at Noon today, Oct. 21st. Both states were hit hard by the drought this summer and pheasant numbers are way down. Reports I've heard from ND a pretty bleak. I'm sure reports from SD will start to filter in this next week.
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deseeker
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by deseeker » Sat Oct 21, 2017 1:46 pm

3 of us opened the season on the Macy NE. reservation(opens a week earlier than Nebraska regular season). We hunted 1/2 a day--saw 4 roosters and 3 hens and killed the 2 roosters that were in range. I haven't fired my gun this year yet :( Didn't hear much shooting for opening morning. Bird numbers seem to be way down this year :( Headed up again tomarrow. :D

jstevens
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by jstevens » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:48 pm

I've talked to the guy we've hunted on for quite a while. I won't be going to SD this year, that's all you need to know.

Leeza
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by Leeza » Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:33 pm

I know it didn't rain in ND until August this year. No rain = no insects = no baby game birds.
Tough year for lots of farmers too.
Tread lightly if you go, there are birds in places but not many young of the year.

ckirsch
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by ckirsch » Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:11 am

Three of us limited in two hours on private ground near WInner. Saw more birds than expected given the dismal state forecast. Quite a few young birds - seven of our nine roosters were this year's hatch. Reports from around the area were that numbers are indeed off from previous years, but even in an off year South Dakota is likely better than anywhere else. I had poor luck with grouse this fall so I suspect the drought has been tough on them as well.

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Wyobio
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by Wyobio » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:19 pm

IMG_0912[1].jpg
tui pheasant small.jpg
Hunted NW ND last week, found good numbers of birds, after looking for areas that had decent production. Took a bit of looking, each day we did better, some areas were devoid of birds, despite good looking habitat. Kind of disturbing how much cattail habitat is being mowed. giant bails of cattails left out, is there a use for this? Hard to believe these areas will be useful, arable land, in the dozen years we have hunted up there, there is no doubt these spots will be under water or swamp land as soon as they get some moisture. It is amazing how the area has been through horrible drought, and unprecedented flooding, followed by drought within a 10 year period.

That said, I do appreciate that there are farmers up there that are willing to let hunters access their property.

All together, it was well worth making the trip. Besides the areas we hit the first 2 days, all roosters we shot were young birds from this year.

Top pic is my 15 YO GWP. She mostly sleeps, but still got a walk around the farmstead twice a day, even got up some hens!!
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treedaddy
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by treedaddy » Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:58 am

I hunted South Eastern South Dakota last week. Birds were down about 1/3 in my estimate. There are still birds to be found. We did kill mostly young birds.

Coach
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Re: anyone hunted ND or SD yet

Post by Coach » Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:23 pm

I hunted SE ND during the week of Thanksgiving. We did great. I do not think bird numbers were down in that area.

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