Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game South Dakota 2021

The usual group of suspects went out for a shoot in Sully Co on Saturday. I would say that twelve shooters shot twenty birds, not working very hard to do so. Its more of a family event like a holiday than it is hunting. We mix the two well in SD. I shot three birds. I was about as proud of my Lola on the first one as I could be. She worked him up out of nothing, put him up right and I grassed him to her satisfaction. She took him on a victory lap even. I didn't correct her.

On Sunday we went over to Harrold and eight of us shot six. We started at 515 and quit at sundown. The crops round there are just not harvested enough yet to fill our CRP with feathers. Hopeful for things to come yet this year. The harvest is in full motion and in a couple weeks things will get really good. I shot zero, never even pulled up on a bird.

I've been getting good reports. It's been hot and dry so that doesn't the dogs.

I'll be out there in a week!

As usual, our group is looking forward to our December trips.

Pouring rain here today. Flat out pouring. This will set harvest back a few days. Feel bad for folks who came to hunt, and are sitting in motel rooms waiting it out. Ick.

Next door neighbor just got back from SD, had a great time with his sons and friends.

Not alot of report. Some crops starting to come out again after the rain delays of last week. Went to Gov's Hunt but skipped the hunting for Hobo Day, as is my custom. I do not skip Hobo Day.
Two of us went out in the rain yesterday for a short bit to exercise the dogs mainly. My hunting partner got one rooster, I did not. Heard many out in the corn, crowing proudly. They'll have to come out sometime.

Going out today for the annual State Pub hunt. Making hot lunch on the tailgate, out in the field. Have a great Monday everyone!

Weather, specifically rain, is one reason we go in Dec. if it’s going to precipitate, it’s liable to be white stuff which can be a great help, as long as it isn’t coming down sideways accompanied by 25 mph and a - 25* wind chill.

Wet, rainy, and muddy is for the birds, except they don’t like it either.

After tomorrow, no rain in sight for 10 days!

Friday's high will be 69, though. Too hot for the dog. But it is only that one day, it seems.

Back from the State Pub hunt. Its a put and take deal, not my cup of tea, but a great group of guys and glad to be a part of them. I took a grill and made korean style beef ribs on the tailgate for lunch. I shot four and was back in town for a 4pm meeting.

I saw no harvesters in action yesterday and its a damp 49 degrees at present. As Rimfire noted, the forecast is looking up.

Crops are coming out here as early as I can recall. Especially corn. But rain on and off here for the next two days will keep the farmers around the coffee pot.

Pheasants are safe here until Saturday morning.

We had 7 inches of rain in a few days. Very uncommon for fall weather - it must be Trump's fault. Anyhow my pheasants have not been disturbed I'd have to trod through a lot of mud to get to them. It's raining here today...

Back from elk hunting on Friday night. Drove to Brookings and back to watch the Jacks throttle the Bison. Made it out last night, went over to Harrold. Crops coming out nicely all over the place although a quarter of an inch of rain this morning will slow them down some.

In any event I was presented with three nice opportunities. Missed the first bird with the first shell and crushed him with the second shot. Proceeded to grass the next two roosters with a single shot apiece and all of it happened on Go Pro in the space of about 6 minutes. I'll post video if I can figure out how to do it.

A couple of short videos here: https://imgur.com/pnuvWSB

and here: https://imgur.com/IbZEz7B

I have been hearing that a ton of the birds shot in SD are actually stocked birds. Is this true?

Preserves are required to release a number of roosters equal to the number killed on the preserve. They use tags to keep track. There's around 200 licensed preserves. They do indeed shoot a ton of birds on preserves each year.

Yesterday…30-40 mph wind along with sleeting snow. Birds were tucked in, however we often saw them in bunches. 6 Birds were killed by 5 of us and it should have been double that.

This kind of weather is way a Lab is a great choice for out here…..Merlot is getting a rest day for most of today.

Weather in Rapid Ciity was nice today 4-6mph wind from west to nw
Probably get better for you guys on saturday. Good luck
Mb

Yes Labs are a great choice for hunting here. No question about it. If I thought some other breed was better, I'd run it.

Yes it’s very true. I hunted around Gregory SD a couple years. There was 6-8 guys in our group. We limited easily. I believe all of the birds were released.

Just curious here---

Was this on public ground? Private, but pay farm? Private, but free access? Big hunting lodge?