I hunted SD the first week for non-res and my experience was different. I hunted near Chamberlain on walk-in and GPA areas. There was lots of standing grain put some areas were being harvested. There was still water in some ponds & lakes but it was obvious the water level was quite a bit lower and we did encounter dried up smaller ponds. In one week of hard hunting, using a professionally trained GSP, the dog pointed 5 roosters. Four of those presented a shot (one was in very heavy cedar cover) and we bagged two.
The day before the season opener, we talked to biologists at the fish and game dept in Chamberlain and got their input on the best public land spots to hunt. We also talked to other hunters who also were experiencing limited success. In driving around, hundreds of miles that first week, we only saw 2 roosters on road right of ways (we didn't shoot them as that is not our style of hunting). The only people getting any significant # of birds were those hunters who used lodges or guide services. On the Friday before the opener we saw several trucks loaded with crates of roosters that were heading to those places.
Maybe we picked the wrong area of SD to hunt (we did select the Chamberlain area as one report I read before leaving said it had the highest pheasant density), but the hunting was very poor by all accounts. Maybe as the crops get all harvested, the birds will seek the grass/cover offered on public lands but opening week was a huge disappointment for me.
Last edited by cooper57m; 11/01/21. Reason: grammar - it's important
