Six of us from Michigan looking to hunt South Dakota this October. We normally go to Pelee Island Canada, but the hunt has been cancelled due to Covid 19.

Any recommendations for location and outfitter. We have dogs.

There's a good population of birds so it will be a good year to come out. You can do lodge hunts or you can scratch around yourselves on the public ground or anywhere in between. What kind of trip are you looking for?

Hi BKinSD, we are looking for a self guided hunt. We have dogs and are experienced hunters. It would be nice if a farmer or rancher had a guest house and could put us up for 4 days, provide breakfast and dinner and put us on to birds on his land or land that he leases. We are not looking to stay at a lodge and shoot pen raised birds. Too long of a drive to hunt pen raised pheasants, we want to go after wild birds and experience hunting the way it was back in the 1960's here in Michigan. We could also do our own cooking if the house came with a kitchen.

Thanks for any help.


300 Savage

Unless you’re absolutely set on October, see Dukxdog’s thread about “good hunting this year in SD” a little below yours. He’s has what you are looking for but is filled until December.

Let me say a word about December — it’s when our group goes and while we’ve hit a snow storm or two the hunting has been very good; admittedly you are playing some weather-roulette, but the non-res crowds are gone and there will still be plenty of birds available.

OK I get that. It's perfectly understandable, for sure. Seems like your biggest task is going to be making sure that the place you go to started out with a good population and isn't shot out by the time you get there. Plenty of "wild birds" get released to maintain numbers through the season, be aware. YMMV.

Daybreak Ranch north of Highmore might be of interest to you. Their property is large and holds wild birds through the end of season, year after year. ToriLil by Vivian is a wild bird operation. So is Halverson Hunts near Kennebec. All three good operations.

Good luck and I hope its a great season for all!

Thanks again BKinSD. I will look up your suggestions and see if they have openings.

PS I agree with George. By far the best time, for me as a resident, is after Thanksgiving. Its not practical for everyone but my family/friends/fun hunts are in the first 2-3 weeks of the season. My serious hunting is done after Thanksgiving though the end of the season.

You probably know, but a lot of the guided or lodge hunts in sodak use planted pen raised birds. Some are ok with that, some are not. If you’re not, I’d ask before you book with someone.

Thanks George.

December is fantastic hunting. Weather can be rough but not always. Good thing is you don't have to be out all day and can be in the field 30 minutes to couple hours then get warm, take a little break then back hunting if you haven't filled out yet. Then you have a warm house, hot chow and friends to hang out with. I used to always plan 10 days in December for fun hunting.

No other hunters around. Birds holding tight. Dogs working close. Roosters busting out of the snow. Man, it's just plain awesome!

You are tempting me to sign on for an additional 5 days. 😀

However, I may need some clothing advice. 🌬

Fresh snow adds a whole other dimension to a “rooster blowing up skyward.” Growing up, we never were real serious until later November and into December. The contrasts, all beautiful, that meet the eye are exquisite and unmatched.

Great pic’s dukxdog. A rooster in the snow is God’s own paint on His palette.

I noticed that some of the hunters are not wearing orange in the photos. Is it required in SD? Also do you have to plug your guns for upland birds?

It is not required, but officially encouraged. With a group, it’s a good idea especially with walking shelter belts (long, but very narrow strips of trees), particularly caps, etc. Hunter’s responsibility to meet the situation safely. Of course that’s always true.

Zippo for the plugs also.

This was off-the-cuff so check the reg’s of course.

Plugs are for migratory birds and waterfowl.

Orange is NOT required. I don't hunt in groups and often just by myself with my dogs. I'll wear an orange hat for opening week of SD deer season while I'm pheasant hunting. Old timers never had blaze orange. Personal preference.

Not much better than a dog on point in front of you with a rooster tucked in bent grass covered in fresh snow on a chilly morning. Only thing is you never know how many will bust out!

Like above post, I no longer wear blaze orange hunting alone. I think the birds really are conditioned to avoid someone wearing orange. I don't use whistles or beeper with my dog. Hand signals and vibrating collar.

Thanks to all that responded, I will follow up with my hunting buddies and see how they feel about a December hunt. DukXDog thank you for your input and photos. I may be getting back to you
if they want to try some December hunting. We have a second season for upland here in Michigan starting December 1st. So I am familiar with cold weather pheasant hunting.
Thanks again everyone.

300Savage

Hunted Jim River Ranch located just outside of Redfield. Excellent time!

Check out dakotahotspots.com near Kennebec SD.

Tag

I like the Mitchell/Artesian area. Lots of birds on the state lands, though a guy needs to use non-toxic shells. If you're OK with that then I wouldn't bother with asking around/trespass fees. The amount of birds there is stupid compared to other places I've hunted (Idaho, Montana, Utah), even in their low years.
If they're planted birds, even from the previous year.....I wouldn't know as they flush and fly really strongly.

One more thing to keep in mind: in South Dakota you can't start hunting until 10:00 AM each day. I believe that is on both public and private, but you may want to make sure about that. You can however hunt the borrow ditches of roads that are not maintained by either state or federal agencies (or something like that-check to make sure). You can send your dog onto the private land to retrieve, or leave your gun in the borrow ditch and go retrieve it yourself but can't shoot birds unless you're in the borrow ditch (the regulations provide more exact definitions, so please consult it first).

Hunting on Public Road Rights-of-Way
Laws and rules governing trespass and motor vehicles
are complex. The laws may be simplified if the hunter
remembers to hunt only on foot during established
seasons, to ask permission to enter private land and not
to drive on state and federal lands. It is also advisable to
restrict vehicular travel in wet weather when roads, trails,
rangeland and cropland could be damaged and in dry
conditions when fire danger is high.
ATTENTION DOG OWNERS: Hunters who hunt road
rights-of-way should understand they must maintain
control of their hunting dogs at all times. Dog owners
who allow their animals to remain on private property
without landowner permission for the purpose of flushing
game birds may be subject to trespassing charges. Dogs
may be used in the unarmed retrieval of lawfully taken
waterfowl and small game birds from private property.
However, under no circumstances may dogs be used to
intentionally flush birds from private property to hunters in
the road rights-of-way.
Road rights-of-way, excluding the Interstate
highway system, are open for the hunting of
small game and waterfowl (see Mourning Dove,
Youth Pheasant and Resident-Only Pheasant
seasons for special road hunting restrictions). Only
the owner of the occupied dwelling, church, or
schoolhouse; the owner of livestock; or a person
who has written permission from the owner of the
occupied dwelling, church, or schoolhouse, or the
owner of the livestock may use such highways or
rights-of-way for the purposes of discharging any
firearm or for the purposes of hunting within a 660
foot safety zone surrounding an occupied dwelling,
a church, schoolhouse, or livestock. No other
person may discharge a firearm at small game
within the safety zone.
The rights-of-way along a section line or
other highway are open for hunting if:
• The rights-of-way have been commonly
used by the public for vehicular travel, as
demonstrated by the existence of a well-worn
vehicle trail.
• An intentional alteration or adaptation has
been made to the rights-of-way to enhance
the natural terrain’s utility for vehicular travel
or to permit vehicular travel where it was not
possible before.
NOTE: Fences are sometimes not on a rights-ofway boundary and sometimes there is no fence.
Most section line rights-of-way are 66 feet wide.
Some acquired rights-of-way are wider.
• Hunters can take only small game (except
mourning doves) and waterfowl within the
rights-of-way on foot. The hunter must be
within the rights-of-way and the game must
originate from the road rights-of-way or be
flying over the rights-of-way.
• The person must park or stop their vehicle
as far to the right-hand side of the road as
possible.
• If the person who discharges a firearm is more
than 50 yards from the vehicle, the doors on
the side of the vehicle nearest the roadway
must be closed, but the engine may remain
running.
• If the person who discharges a firearm is less
than 50 yards from the vehicle, all of the doors
of the vehicle must be closed and the engine
shall be turned off.
• It is NOT legal to shoot small game and
waterfowl that takes flight from rights-of-way
over a Federal Refuge or Tribal lands. If a
state-licensed hunter shoots at a bird across
the fence on either of these lands, the hunter
may be subject to federal arrest.
• Small game and waterfowl taken from the
rights-of-way but falling onto private property
can be retrieved by unarmed hunters on foot.
• No person may discharge a firearm,
muzzleloader, crossbow or bow and arrow
at any big game animal, except turkey to be
taken with a shotgun using shot shells or with
a bow and arrow, from within the rights-of-way
of an improved public highway.
• A person may not discharge a firearm or
other weapon across or from any Black Hills
National Forest system road.
• Any person who, while hunting road rights-ofway, negligently endangers another person
or puts that person in fear of imminent
serious bodily harm, is guilty of a Class 1
misdemeanor.

If you have time look into Double k guide service, it sounds just like what you are looking for. I've hunted with them 3 times and absolutely had an amazing time.