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Originally Posted by nighthawk
I am going to go against the grain going against the grain. If you've never hunted pheasants in South Dakota you're going to need some luck to get birds. And once you figure what land to hunt and the best way to hunt it you'll find birds on public land are hunted hard. Guided hunt with released birds can be a lot of fun, and somebody else gets to worry about the details. Start now an Google your ass off. I don't know anybody to recommend. Listen to George, he's done it a lot.

(Hi George.)



Maybe some guys would, but I would never travel to hunt released birds. You can do that anywhere. A good dog will find birds even on the hardest hit public lands. I have not hunted SD yet but a bunch of my buddies have all public land and did just fine.


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There is quite a difference even among released birds. I’ve been to places where they were put out in the grass fields in boxes the morning of your arrival. You’d have to literally kick them out their box; like shooting a placed pigeon while training a pup. Then there are those released freely in September and you arrive in mid-December — they’ve been on the front lines for two and a half months. They are no longer “pigeons.”

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Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd

There is quite a difference even among released birds. I’ve been to places where they were put out in the grass fields in boxes the morning of your arrival. You’d have to literally kick them out their box; like shooting a placed pigeon while training a pup. Then there are those released freely in September and you arrive in mid-December — they’ve been on the front lines for two and a half months. They are no longer “pigeons.”


Oh I understand that. But I myself am not traveling to hunt released birds. We call those liberated birds.


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You might contact www.wylyfarmandranch.com. It's a family-owned farm near Aberdeen, SD that started managing its habitat for pheasants close to 20 years ago, so has plenty of wild birds, though naturally the populations go up and down with conditions. They can also arrange a package designed for you, instead of crowding hunters who don't know each other together, with various levels of service.


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Again thanks for all the responses

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They’re booked up until mid December

I’ll be there 13 to 16 December

Not to high jack but any other outfits in SD?



Originally Posted by Mule Deer
You might contact www.wylyfarmandranch.com. It's a family-owned farm near Aberdeen, SD that started managing its habitat for pheasants close to 20 years ago, so has plenty of wild birds, though naturally the populations go up and down with conditions. They can also arrange a package designed for you, instead of crowding hunters who don't know each other together, with various levels of service.

Originally Posted by Mule Deer
You might contact www.wylyfarmandranch.com. It's a family-owned farm near Aberdeen, SD that started managing its habitat for pheasants close to 20 years ago, so has plenty of wild birds, though naturally the populations go up and down with conditions. They can also arrange a package designed for you, instead of crowding hunters who don't know each other together, with various levels of service.


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I think if you’d search “pheasant hunting Chamberlain, SD” you’d come up with several good ones. Can’t name a specific one at the moment.

ETA: I mention Chamberlain because it’s right on I-90 on the east side of the Missouri so convenient for anyone coming from the east or west.

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Actually, Rose Pheasant Hunting is one I know of..

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The state of SD buys and releases thousands of birds from KS, NE, MO,and SD. Liberated birds have been released longer.

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We have great luck hunting public land in SD with a small group every year. But you have to be methodical about it. I find that a 10 mile day in chest high grass and cattail sloughs is harder on me than a 10 mile day hunting elk in the mtns of CO so get in shape.
I’ll probably get flamed for this but I firmly believe it. Unless you have a lab or similar flushing and retrieving breed that will stay right beside you leave them at home. I’ve had more birds busted out past the edge of shooting range by pointing dogs than I’ve ever got to shoot at. Late season birds that have been hunted won’t hunker and hold while you close the 30-40 yards to the point.
Don’t be slamming truck doors or dog boxes and for God’s sake don’t be yelling at the dogs or one another. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen birds flood out of a field out of range when my two deaf ass uncles start hollering at each other about this and that. Hunt them like you’re still hunting deer, ease along quietly in a zigzag pattern. Pause for 30 seconds or a minute every 40-50 yards, any birds that were going to let you walk by will get nervous and flush.
You will be more or less wasting your time hunting big 320 acre CRP fields as a whole. Hunt the thick nasty stuff, cattail sloughs, overgrown ponds, abandoned shelter belts, and low spots out away from the road in the middle of the big fields. Try to look for habitat that for whatever reason just might be a little more appealing to a bunch of cold nervous birds. The further away from the road and harder the walking the better, lots of guys are fat and lazy and won’t walk a half mile to a likely looking depression in the middle of a section.
If you shoot a rooster watch him as he goes down. If his head is up as he falls dose him again, shells are cheap and pheasants are tough. If he’s not dead when he hits the ground he’ll head out on foot and you’ll have a tough time finding him. Even if he looks like he’s stone dead going down mark the spot and don’t waste any time getting out there, I jog after every downed bird. Sometimes if they’re not dead but stunned you can get to them and ring their neck before they gather themselves to escape. Don’t be afraid to ground sluice a wounded runner either.

I don’t know how much of this you already knew but it works for me. I am nervous as a cat anytime I go with a group of more than 3-4 other guys, too many guns for me to try to keep tabs on. For my methods I prefer 1 or 2 trusted partners and we have developed a system that has worked for us over the years.

I hunted KS for a decade back when it was good, shot many limits of roosters there. I was completely blown away by the sheer number of birds when I started going to SD 5 years ago. I’ve hunted 3 days a year there since and never yet hunted a day without shooting a limit, it’s that good if you work at it. I’m planning on trying to keep the streak going this December. Good luck

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Originally Posted by TheKid
We have great luck hunting public land in SD with a small group every year. But you have to be methodical about it. I find that a 10 mile day in chest high grass and cattail sloughs is harder on me than a 10 mile day hunting elk in the mtns of CO so get in shape.
I’ll probably get flamed for this but I firmly believe it. Unless you have a lab or similar flushing and retrieving breed that will stay right beside you leave them at home. I’ve had more birds busted out past the edge of shooting range by pointing dogs than I’ve ever got to shoot at. Late season birds that have been hunted won’t hunker and hold while you close the 30-40 yards to the point.
Don’t be slamming truck doors or dog boxes and for God’s sake don’t be yelling at the dogs or one another. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen birds flood out of a field out of range when my two deaf ass uncles start hollering at each other about this and that. Hunt them like you’re still hunting deer, ease along quietly in a zigzag pattern. Pause for 30 seconds or a minute every 40-50 yards, any birds that were going to let you walk by will get nervous and flush.
You will be more or less wasting your time hunting big 320 acre CRP fields as a whole. Hunt the thick nasty stuff, cattail sloughs, overgrown ponds, abandoned shelter belts, and low spots out away from the road in the middle of the big fields. Try to look for habitat that for whatever reason just might be a little more appealing to a bunch of cold nervous birds. The further away from the road and harder the walking the better, lots of guys are fat and lazy and won’t walk a half mile to a likely looking depression in the middle of a section.
If you shoot a rooster watch him as he goes down. If his head is up as he falls dose him again, shells are cheap and pheasants are tough. If he’s not dead when he hits the ground he’ll head out on foot and you’ll have a tough time finding him. Even if he looks like he’s stone dead going down mark the spot and don’t waste any time getting out there, I jog after every downed bird. Sometimes if they’re not dead but stunned you can get to them and ring their neck before they gather themselves to escape. Don’t be afraid to ground sluice a wounded runner either.

I don’t know how much of this you already knew but it works for me. I am nervous as a cat anytime I go with a group of more than 3-4 other guys, too many guns for me to try to keep tabs on. For my methods I prefer 1 or 2 trusted partners and we have developed a system that has worked for us over the years.

I hunted KS for a decade back when it was good, shot many limits of roosters there. I was completely blown away by the sheer number of birds when I started going to SD 5 years ago. I’ve hunted 3 days a year there since and never yet hunted a day without shooting a limit, it’s that good if you work at it. I’m planning on trying to keep the streak going this December. Good luck


Great post!

One thing is be aware of ground sluicing a wounded rooster often the dog is after the bird.

Last edited by kk alaska; 04/04/19.

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Be aware that both Dakotas are having a pretty rough winter here for the birds. Numbers will be down this fall; some places will be WAY down.

Don't come without some intel first.

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Originally Posted by DakotaDeer
Be aware that both Dakotas are having a pretty rough winter here for the birds. Numbers will be down this fall; some places will be WAY down.

Don't come without some intel first.


Nice to know , Thank You

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Originally Posted by kk alaska
Originally Posted by TheKid
We have great luck hunting public land in SD with a small group every year. But you have to be methodical about it. I find that a 10 mile day in chest high grass and cattail sloughs is harder on me than a 10 mile day hunting elk in the mtns of CO so get in shape.
I’ll probably get flamed for this but I firmly believe it. Unless you have a lab or similar flushing and retrieving breed that will stay right beside you leave them at home. I’ve had more birds busted out past the edge of shooting range by pointing dogs than I’ve ever got to shoot at. Late season birds that have been hunted won’t hunker and hold while you close the 30-40 yards to the point.
Don’t be slamming truck doors or dog boxes and for God’s sake don’t be yelling at the dogs or one another. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen birds flood out of a field out of range when my two deaf ass uncles start hollering at each other about this and that. Hunt them like you’re still hunting deer, ease along quietly in a zigzag pattern. Pause for 30 seconds or a minute every 40-50 yards, any birds that were going to let you walk by will get nervous and flush.
You will be more or less wasting your time hunting big 320 acre CRP fields as a whole. Hunt the thick nasty stuff, cattail sloughs, overgrown ponds, abandoned shelter belts, and low spots out away from the road in the middle of the big fields. Try to look for habitat that for whatever reason just might be a little more appealing to a bunch of cold nervous birds. The further away from the road and harder the walking the better, lots of guys are fat and lazy and won’t walk a half mile to a likely looking depression in the middle of a section.
If you shoot a rooster watch him as he goes down. If his head is up as he falls dose him again, shells are cheap and pheasants are tough. If he’s not dead when he hits the ground he’ll head out on foot and you’ll have a tough time finding him. Even if he looks like he’s stone dead going down mark the spot and don’t waste any time getting out there, I jog after every downed bird. Sometimes if they’re not dead but stunned you can get to them and ring their neck before they gather themselves to escape. Don’t be afraid to ground sluice a wounded runner either.

I don’t know how much of this you already knew but it works for me. I am nervous as a cat anytime I go with a group of more than 3-4 other guys, too many guns for me to try to keep tabs on. For my methods I prefer 1 or 2 trusted partners and we have developed a system that has worked for us over the years.

I hunted KS for a decade back when it was good, shot many limits of roosters there. I was completely blown away by the sheer number of birds when I started going to SD 5 years ago. I’ve hunted 3 days a year there since and never yet hunted a day without shooting a limit, it’s that good if you work at it. I’m planning on trying to keep the streak going this December. Good luck


Great post!

One thing is be aware of ground sluicing a wounded rooster often the dog is after the bird.


A "hunter" almost killed my Golden Retriever thinking it was a Rooster.

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Lot of truth here...Don`t know how old you are, or if you mind working for your birds...but my brother and I have walked ditches in SD for years, with very good luck, either with a dog or without. The reason I ask about working for birds, I once finished my 8th section, mile a section, when a truck pulled up and asked if I was having luck. I told him I`d just killed my last rooster. and was filled. He asked where my truck was, at the time it was three miles behind be..he couldn`t believe I`d walked three miles. When I told him I`d just finished my 8th, I thought he`d faint. They hadn`t a thing..driving all day.
We found ditches very productive...shortest walk was 7 min...a double, then a single, done. The neet thing about this, is you don`t have to pay, ask permission, or worry about stumbling on someone elses property. We drive the country, look for a field that has been cut..if the ditches are full of grass, get out and hunt. My brother drops me off, drives down to the next section line, walks it, I pick up the truck and go to the third and so on. Nice thing about ditches is the birds are contained in a smaller area...yes they can run ahead..if your brother is ahead, he can block. But if you walk as noted above..zig-zag, stop, etc, many birds will hold and get up at your feet. Oh, make sure you walk the grass to the gravel road..many hold right there and if you don`t, you`ll miss them. Ask me how I know. If the bird drops over the landowners fence, you can do an unarmed retrive..put your hat on a fence pole so you can find your shotgun..if you have to run down a bird, you can get turned round..never lost my gun, but was worried a few times. We hunt up round Redfield..third week of season..hunting starts at 10. My brother is in poor health now.. will not be going anymore,but we did this for 47 years..brought the kids up doing same....Love it...I gotta get back out there.
YMMV, but Good Luck..

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Sister was a bank teller in Redfield until this past week when she took a new job closer to home. smile.

I’m in my 30’s and have been killing pheasants since I was 10, my absolute favorite bird to hunt. My dad and uncles are in their 50’s and 60’s but still fit. We’ve always used the “go further and harder than the other guy” approach, whether chasing pheasants in SD or elk up high in CO. It’s pretty normal for us to put in 8-10 miles of marching in a day of bird hunting and we’ve only froze out once a couple years ago when we awoke to -20deg temps and called it and headed south. I’ve never been so tired at the end of a day or had as much fun in the field as I have hunting pheasants.

The first day I ever hunted SD I limited in 15 minutes with three shots. The next day I needed 4 shells but less than 10 minutes. I knew then that I’d reached the promised land!
My personal record though is still in KS back in the old days when 2 days in a row I shot a quadruple of roosters with a Browning autoloader for a limit in literally under a minute. Both times were when we’d bailed out to walk around an abandoned farmstead that was grown up in tumbleweed. Late season with the birds grouped up and dozens of them pouring out all at once.

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My dad's side of the family have been avid pheasant hunters for going on four generations now. All of us. We learn pheasant habits (and the habits of other hunters) and try to outsmart them rather than outrun them. Except for a couple of knothead cousins who seem to enjoy busting the worst part of sloughs. Places where their dog wouldn't go, even the energetic Sparky. (Age is curing them of that. grin ) Somebody from NC who is not up on SD pheasant habits is basically not going to know what to do. Certainly not an optimum strategy. You can learn as you go but expect a lot of work with iffy results. Hunts with released birds can be a lot of fun like the stories of my grandfather's day. People I know release birds a couple days before a hunt so you're hunting a mix of native birds, recently released birds, and survivors all together doing pheasanty things. Just you know you're going to run into them sooner or later and when you do there will be good shooting. Depends on what you're looking for.


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10 yards — wait, wait, wait!; 40 inches long; 40 mph — magnificent!

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Originally Posted by nighthawk
My dad's side of the family have been avid pheasant hunters for going on four generations now. All of us. We learn pheasant habits (and the habits of other hunters) and try to outsmart them rather than outrun them. Except for a couple of knothead cousins who seem to enjoy busting the worst part of sloughs. Places where their dog wouldn't go, even the energetic Sparky. (Age is curing them of that. grin ) Somebody from NC who is not up on SD pheasant habits is basically not going to know what to do. Certainly not an optimum strategy. You can learn as you go but expect a lot of work with iffy results. Hunts with released birds can be a lot of fun like the stories of my grandfather's day. People I know release birds a couple days before a hunt so you're hunting a mix of native birds, recently released birds, and survivors all together doing pheasanty things. Just you know you're going to run into them sooner or later and when you do there will be good shooting. Depends on what you're looking for.


I have not lived in NC my entire life, I hunted Pheasants in 3 states when I lived north of the Mason Dixon line so I think I know what to expect. I didn't use dogs for a big part of that time, so used to walking a few miles.

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