south dakota pheasant season extended to jan 31

snow

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For years I always did a late season pheasant/duck hunt in nebraska near grand island but with sodak open a 5 hr drive vs 8 hrs makes my decision easy... bird count are similar but nebraska has more bonus birds chickens ,grouse,quail...
 


Wall-eyes

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Pheasant hunted east of Aberdeen twice sucked gave my out of state money to them
 

Traxion

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In reality if it is that bad out no one would be hunting any way. While the state creates opportunities for people to go hunting it seems some would rather restrict it. The brood survey were guesses at best with little science involved a bunch of interns counting pheasants on the side of the road. They would be better off having ups drivers count them.

I can agree with the fact that if the weather is crappy folks wouldn't hunt. And I do agree that providing hunting opportunities is important. However, it cannot be argued that our hunting and fishing policies are now more economically driven than scientifically based. The great Gov. Noem has been a HUGE part of that along with the GFP commission. They have not been shy about it either. Brood counts were a reasonable way to compare years at a very low cost. It was clearly stated they eliminated them because it was turning away hunters and thus revenue. As an out of state hunter, I'd be a little pissed that I now have no way of knowing how the population looks for the year. You certainly don't go elk hunting in areas that are decimated by wolves and have no elk right? Why would a traveling hunter choose SD if there are better places? Yes, easy winters and good springs usually mean more birds. But it's a disservice to all hunters, R and NR, to essentially HIDE that data source. Maybe next we quit doing lake surveys too. Fishing is great at all SD lakes, come get a license and come stay for a week! Simply put, we're selling the resource.

As we continue down this road in SD things are going to change. The "open for business" COVID response is bringing in people like you wouldn't believe and from places you probably don't want them to come from. As we continue to sell our resources and bring in folks from pay to play places, hunting and fishing will change for the worse.
 

Wherdog

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I 100% agree with this comment. SD is about one thing and that is tourism=$$. Bring SD your money. While pheasant numbers are probably fair this year throughout state, it is no where near what it once was. But they don't want out of staters knowing that. Couldn't care less about residents. I understand the revenue hunting and fishing bring to our state. You should see my area now. Northeast SD. There are 100s of non res fisherman hammering every slough, lake , pond they can find. They get on facebook and literally ask where to fish and others tell them where hot bites are. They often come and just drive around country and scout to see where shacks are with no prior knowledge of a bite or name of slough or access etc. See a shack...go out and fish right next to it. I guarantee our resources are going to suffer in future. Birds, fish numbers etc will be drastically hurt (already have) by the influx of non res pressure. The pressure is worse this year even but I suspect that is due to covid. If the state wants money so bad why cant they just jack up prices on non res licenses? All game/fish licenses. It would come out the same wouldn't it? Maybe less people will come but the cost is higher for those that do so a wash? I'm just frustrated with our decision making in the state. There is no concern for habitat or conservation. Only money. Just my .02. We need outdoorsman on the commission not lawyers and businessmen.

This is absolutely correct. I have been saying this for the last few years. Every survey the GFP sends out, I let it be known to them my thoughts about it. Commission needs to change.
 

Kurtr

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I can agree with the fact that if the weather is crappy folks wouldn't hunt. And I do agree that providing hunting opportunities is important. However, it cannot be argued that our hunting and fishing policies are now more economically driven than scientifically based. The great Gov. Noem has been a HUGE part of that along with the GFP commission. They have not been shy about it either. Brood counts were a reasonable way to compare years at a very low cost. It was clearly stated they eliminated them because it was turning away hunters and thus revenue. As an out of state hunter, I'd be a little pissed that I now have no way of knowing how the population looks for the year. You certainly don't go elk hunting in areas that are decimated by wolves and have no elk right? Why would a traveling hunter choose SD if there are better places? Yes, easy winters and good springs usually mean more birds. But it's a disservice to all hunters, R and NR, to essentially HIDE that data source. Maybe next we quit doing lake surveys too. Fishing is great at all SD lakes, come get a license and come stay for a week! Simply put, we're selling the resource.

As we continue down this road in SD things are going to change. The "open for business" COVID response is bringing in people like you wouldn't believe and from places you probably don't want them to come from. As we continue to sell our resources and bring in folks from pay to play places, hunting and fishing will change for the worse.


i hunted otc Idaho for five years the whole place is ravaged by wolves. Not a very good comparison. Plus I trust those surveys people do as far as I can throw them. I must just be overly positive because as a whole I think we have it pretty good here compared to a lot of places.
 


zoops

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i hunted otc Idaho for five years the whole place is ravaged by wolves. Not a very good comparison. Plus I trust those surveys people do as far as I can throw them. I must just be overly positive because as a whole I think we have it pretty good here compared to a lot of places.

I know Mobridge isn't ground zero for guide operations but I have never hunted SD. How much guide/leased land is there in the NC part of the state?
 

Kurtr

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I know Mobridge isn't ground zero for guide operations but I have never hunted SD. How much guide/leased land is there in the NC part of the state?
There are 5 I know of I have worked for 2. Lots of people fly in I live right by air port so I could tell it was down
 

snow

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Interesting take guyz,but agree on the revenue aspect,south dakota cleans up on non rez license fee's restricts non rez waterfowling with a high license fee as compared to other states I hunt plus restrictions on how many days non rez folks can hunt,last year the area in south dakota I was invited to hunt pheasants the general report I read was "pheasant population" was up 50% from prior year,then once settled in local news report regarding local pheasant population was down 75% so I felt hood winked and the state got my money $120 for a 10 day license,only hunted for 3 days and never pulled the trigger,nice weather for walking tho,then the big money farmers that plant/release birds which I won't ablige too charge up the ass,some get $350/day cash money for 3 birds! got a hunt club down the road from my house I run my dog on scratch birds after I hear a big corp group bought a couple 100 birds and only connected on a couple dozen,but these pen raised birds are nothing near the experience of western wild birds but poor bastards like me love the experience of hunting wild birds in western states,working my dog is a big part of the hunt,knock a couple down great but not a big deal,if I want to kill a bunch of pheasants for a honey bee not spend money on food/lodging I have it and quite frankly these clubs are a huge success for the weekend warriors in the midwest,but it ain't the same as wild birds or the experience of western plains. waterfowl hunting license in south dakota for NR's is a challenge to obtain,lottery system gotta be in by mid july 3750 state wide 10 connsecutive days licenses,its a dice roll on hitting the migration right unless you keep a watchful eye as birds filter thru north dakota before you lock in your days to hunt ,some stage in northeast south dakota and others migrate down the missouri but again big money for license fee's that are hard to obtain.This is my PO as a non rez that travels.south dakota does well capitalizing on non rez business as stated above but also has plenty of restrictions compared to north dakota.
 
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zoops

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Interesting take guyz,but agree on the revenue aspect,south dakota cleans up on non rez license fee's restricts non rez waterfowling with a high license fee as compared to other states I hunt plus restrictions on how many days non rez folks can hunt,last year the area in south dakota I was invited to hunt pheasants the general report I read was "pheasant population" was up 50% from prior year,then once settled in local news report regarding local pheasant population was down 75% so I felt hood winked and the state got my money $120 for a 10 day license,only hunted for 3 days and never pulled the trigger,nice weather for walking tho,then the big money farmers that plant/release birds which I won't ablige too charge up the ass,some get $350/day cash money for 3 birds! got a hunt club down the road from my house I run my dog on scratch birds after I hear a big corp group bought a couple 100 birds and only connected on a couple dozen,but these pen raised birds are nothing near the experience of western wild birds but poor bastards like me love the experience of hunting wild birds in western states,working my dog is a big part of the hunt,knock a couple down great but not a big deal,if I want to kill a bunch of pheasants for a honey bee not spend money on food/lodging I have it and quite frankly these clubs are a huge success for the weekend warriors in the midwest,but it ain't the same as wild birds or the experience of western plains. waterfowl hunting license in south dakota for NR's is a challenge to obtain,lottery system gotta be in by mid july 3750 state wide 10 connsecutive days licenses,its a dice roll on hitting the migration right unless you keep a watchful eye as birds filter thru north dakota before you lock in your days to hunt ,some stage in northeast south dakota and others migrate down the missouri but again big money for license fee's that are hard to obtain.This is my PO as a non rez that travels.south dakota does well capitalizing on non rez business as stated above but also has plenty of restrictions compared to north dakota.

It is odd that SD is basically a free for all on pheasants for NR but maybe the most restrictive in the US for waterfowl?
 

snow

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Agreed zoops actually if a non rez gets a waterfowl tag SD has bookoo public walkin land plus once crops are down not much of a problem gaining access to private land to setup,but the farmers will tell "leave my pheasants alone"
 


Traxion

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i hunted otc Idaho for five years the whole place is ravaged by wolves. Not a very good comparison. Plus I trust those surveys people do as far as I can throw them. I must just be overly positive because as a whole I think we have it pretty good here compared to a lot of places.

I agree that if you're hunting Idaho it's not a good comparison. I know when I plan my OOS elk adventures I'm looking for solid populations and avoid areas that have predator issues. But I don't hunt Idaho. But, the point simply is that if you're paying for a license, folks should have the ability to check population data that is tracked by the states. Don't care if it is birds, deer, elk, or fish. Those data sets, as little as you seem to trust them, are the only comparative data we have from year to year. Withholding that from the public is wrong, just on general principle. The public owns the wildlife and pays licenses to hunt it. Withholding that information is not transparent or honest, something I expect from a government entity. And doing so to enhance revenue is even more wrong.

You are correct in that we have it good here. Especially in the NC part of the state. But, I spend a lot of time in the SC part and pheasant hunting is nearly 100% pay to play. In the small town my inlaws live near, none of the residents hunt. Why? Lodges, absentee NR landowners, and pay hunting. It's just that simple, they don't really have anywhere to hunt. It's viewed totally as a business down there, not as good local fun. A local guy might get to go in late season and hunt here or there, but for most it's road hunting or nothing. The impact of commercialized hunting is huge.

I actually think SD plays the waterfowl game about right. Maybe a bit too restrictive. But, the peak migration where EVERYONE wants to hunt is fairly short. The limit on licenses keeps that timeline from becoming a complete crapshow. This fall the ducks were packed into about 5 roosts on the east side of the state. Huge numbers but not a lot of opportunities. Smart hunters show up outside this window and have still good opportunities. Simply put, the NR waterfowl restriction keeps the peaks from becoming a mess. And the peaks seem to be later and shorter anymore.....
 

ndlongshot

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North Dakotan here. If SD is so concerned with tourism, get rid of the waterfowl restrictions and get rid of some of these assholes up north!
 

Traxion

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North Dakotan here. If SD is so concerned with tourism, get rid of the waterfowl restrictions and get rid of some of these assholes up north!

Send Kristi an email with the idea. I'm sure she'd try to sell that out too. Our legislative session starts here, I'm sure it will come up!
 

bigv

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North Dakotan here. If SD is so concerned with tourism, get rid of the waterfowl restrictions and get rid of some of these assholes up north!


No thanks. The waterfowl license bill comes up every time. Waterfowlers including me write to local legislators to basically beg not to open waterfowl up. It's the only thing in our state that's now whored out. We have over a 100k non res pheasant hunters (usually) and prob double that in fisherman. Also....it's not logical to open up waterfowl when it's a federal event and no one can predict the weather. Birds may be here until past thanksgiving like this year or...be gone by mid october. It's an unfair guessing game. Low blow to make money on mother nature.
 

Kurtr

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I just found an editorial from 1965 my grandpa wrote about nr waterfowl and keeping it how it was and it rings true today. I am 100% being selfish when it comes to waterfowl as that is where my true love is. Now add in the new puppy and kid who is getting hooked I think elk hunting is taking a back seat to me and him going to Nebraska and Kansas next year

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Side note ice is shit and I hope no one dies this weekend during the tournament. Rain all day and never got below freezing for 2 days it looks like spring ice
 


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Kurt. Non resident here from ND. Is there plenty of public land with decent opportunity to get onto birds? Interested in coming down. Have a 11 month old GSP. Thanks for any info.
 

Kurtr

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Kurt. Non resident here from ND. Is there plenty of public land with decent opportunity to get onto birds? Interested in coming down. Have a 11 month old GSP. Thanks for any info.

ya with fields out there are a lot of places to go. Gfp website is pretty good at showing it. Going to be a nice next few weeks almost to nice. Wish I wasn’t stuck ice fishing today would rather be chasing roosters with dog and kid.
 

Traxion

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Hunted yesterday, the wet and weird weather had the birds scattered here and there. Had a good hunt but lots of miles put on. Incredible weather for January....can't think that you can experience days like that too often that month in this country. The January opportunity is nice but I could go without it. Lots to do this time of year, especially if we have ice. Ice was sketchy even on the small lakes, hope nobody went swimming at Mobridge or anywhere else!
 

Kurtr

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Hunted yesterday, the wet and weird weather had the birds scattered here and there. Had a good hunt but lots of miles put on. Incredible weather for January....can't think that you can experience days like that too often that month in this country. The January opportunity is nice but I could go without it. Lots to do this time of year, especially if we have ice. Ice was sketchy even on the small lakes, hope nobody went swimming at Mobridge or anywhere else!


no one went through surprisingly. 21 pounds won some good fish caught. Ice came up in chunks the ice anchors just pulled out of ice on their own yesterday. I would have rather been pheasant hunting. The older I get the less I care to even ice fish. I will take warm no snow winters every year. Some snow in April that melts right away to fill up sloughs I would be good with.

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I saw about six different people went in this weekend between the ponset and Watertown area this weekend no one died which is good
 

zoops

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no one went through surprisingly. 21 pounds won some good fish caught. Ice came up in chunks the ice anchors just pulled out of ice on their own yesterday. I would have rather been pheasant hunting. The older I get the less I care to even ice fish. I will take warm no snow winters every year. Some snow in April that melts right away to fill up sloughs I would be good with.

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I saw about six different people went in this weekend between the ponset and Watertown area this weekend no one died which is good

Aren't you the guy who also wishes for winter when it's warm in July?
 


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