South Dakota Pheasant Season Set

[Dakota Swede]

I Know. It's only March. But I (and my pups) always look forward to the fall season ------

(From www.KELO.com)

SD Pheasant Season Set
Published: March 10, 2011, 5:18 AM

Bookmark and Share SD Pheasant Season Set
SIOUX FALLS, SD - Hunters can circle Oct. 15 on their calendar. That's the opening of the South Dakota pheasant hunting season.

The Game, Fish and Parks Commission has approved a season identical to last year. It will run from Oct. 15 to Jan. 1 with a daily limit of three roosters and a possession limit of 15.

Shooting will begin at noon for the first week and then switch to a 10 a.m. start on Oct. 22.

[gsp3333]

Any word on the North Dakota season yet? Got a trip to plan.

[nikegundog]

October 8, however that's still tentative. Hopefully the snow will be melted by then.

[CowboyBirdDogs]

Why is the timing of the season so different than Kansas'?

[nikegundog]

I know that South Dakota has been using the third weekend in October for about the last 20 seasons, MN is usually the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in October. I don't know why Kansas in so late. I know that in Minnesota the DNR thinks about money, before they think about wildlife.

[RuttCrazed]

I think Kansas sets their season late so the farmers can get their crops out of the field first. A couple of years ago we had a very wet fall and a lot of the WIHA property was posted "no trespassing" until the crops were harvested.

Rut

[jimssetters]

I would like to take a trip a to SD maybe next year. What is the best way to get info about walkin areas, and how much hunting pressure? I really dont like to scramble for land. All parts of the state equal or some better than others, motels, food, rules, weather, early or later in the year are a few of the question i would like to get info on.

[nikegundog]

IMO, Any place in the East half of South Dakota you will find pheasants. South Dakota has a book of all the walk-in areas in the state and its free, without a doubt I you should get it. The area I hunt doesn't have a public land and a most of the land owners want cash to hunt their land. If you skip the first three weeks you will avoid most to the pressure, however it still is heavily pressured. If you go late Dec., you will avoid the pressure, however you maybe contending with heavy snow. Just about all the Motels will allow dogs, book ahead of time because they fill up early in the season. The State HEAVILY promotes hunting, so write to them and they will send you all kinds of info, do research on which counties have the most public land. Also all road ditches are open to public hunting, so if its just one or two guys and you don't mind walking ditches you have an extremely good chance of filling out.

[jimssetters]

Thanks a bunch. I guess best place to start is parks and rec? I would like to see 1000's of birds like they talk about. How much do land owners charge per gun?

[nikegundog]

I think you can download some maps off of SD tourism web site. also check out this link it might help.
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/pheasants.aspx
Also in your question about the weather, what I do is go to Weather.com type in the zip for the location your going to and on that page you'll find the average temp. for the date you plan on going.

[Dakota Swede]

You can spend as much, or as little as you want in South Dakota. I have seen the Million Dollar Lodges (and they are SWEET!) and some people come and hunt the road ditches and sleep in their campers.

If you aren't scared of the fickle weather on the plains, and are willing to walk miles and miles, you will find birds. Sometimes filling the skies, more often one or two at a time, but making your heart jump each time a rooster rises skyward. And o the fun of watching the dogs work!

Dakota Swede
www.SkoglundFarm.com