My bro in law asked me if I want to go with him to a lodge in South Dakota in November for a guided pheasant hunt. Day and a half of hunting sat to sun. Just the air fare is gonna run me 500 rockets. So asking you guys..... Anyone hunt in SD specifically pheasant? Stocked pheasant had not been my favorite hunting in the past.....But I've never been to SD either. Im not a rich man by any means......However I could pony up a grand for a hunting trip/short vacation......But for that grand I could take my son and me for 3 days of snowshoe hare in Maine. Is it worth the experience in SD?
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SD pheasant hunt
- Thread starter whacko
- Start date
I have not been to SD, but over the years have hunted pheasant in the farm fields and meadows of MO, IA, and MI- similar plains style hunting. It's what I envision pheasant hunting is supposed to be. The crowds, not so wild acting birds, and small plots enclosed by woods we get here is not my cup of tea but I'll do it and have fun plus get something good to eat.
Have you done any plains hunting? Might be interesting for you to do at least once.
Have you done any plains hunting? Might be interesting for you to do at least once.
If you like pheasant hunting SD is the Mecca. It might be a bit of $$$ but I bet it's one of the best trips you'll ever do. Be advised wild birds are quite a bit faster than raised birds. ![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
If you like pheasant hunting SD is the Mecca. It might be a bit of $$$ but I bet it's one of the best trips you'll ever do. Be advised wild birds are quite a bit faster than raised birds.
Thanks. I have never done plains hunting. I actually stopped hunting pheasant in mass two years ago due to the circus of orange hats and fighting dogs. And the whole stocked field thing didn't appeal to me anymore when during the same season I learned to go to the woods for squirrel and non stocked power lines for cotton tail and have more of a challenge and a good plate of food.
Anyway......I'll have to think on it. The other thing to consider here is my BIL is a different kind of hunter. He has ALWAYS paid people to take him hunting (guides) and high end guide service too. He is a patent attorney that worked for Motorola for quite a few years and does not have to consider the cost as much as I do! When he came up for show shoe hare last winter with me and my son it was the first thing with "fur" he had ever hunted (all upland birds and waterfoul for him in the past) and I was shocked to learn he had never even field dressed any game he ever harvested!!!! He always had the guides do it........but I showed him how to handle a rabbit and he was appreciative. He is into all the high end gear.....gun..... clothes.....the works. I don't begrudge him that ....he has earned it. I'm just different. I hunt with a mossy 500 and a set of field clothes I've been using for a decade! Funniest thing when we got up to go hare hunting he pointed to the dark brown blotch on the wrist of my arborwear sweatshirt (thread bear sleeves too of course) and said what is that.......it was blood from the deer I shot two months ago LOL! He shook his head and laughed.
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Chris M.
NES Member
Just my opinion, if you haven't been to SD and can be reasonably assured they are in fact wild birds AND it's not a lodge deal where 50 guys push toward another 50 guys blocking, then I would say do it.
Any shred of doublt...save the money for a big game trip to the Dakotas/plains someday, or do a nicer pheasant hunt for less money at Addieville this fall, and definitely go to Me with the kiddo for rabbit.
Any shred of doublt...save the money for a big game trip to the Dakotas/plains someday, or do a nicer pheasant hunt for less money at Addieville this fall, and definitely go to Me with the kiddo for rabbit.
X2. Be aware that a lot of lodges in South Dakota, while they do have wild birds, also supplement the population with pen raised birds to get those high bird numbers.
Thanks for this info. I'll ask my bil for more detailed information. The lodge deal you talk about is definitely something he would be into and that is not my style. The only paid hunting I've ever done is snowshoe hare because I don't have dogs.....And it's awesome fun......And you hunt a healthy wild population of game. I certainly don't have the cash for two trips so I'm now leaning toward putting it toward a snow shoe hare trip next winter. Ill ask him more about it though.
