Gun Dog Forum

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 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

Pretty sure Pheasant season opened today in SD.
It has been very dry in some areas and the bird counts are way down......Cj

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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