Mitchell, SD Pheasant Hunt

Well, we're looking at heading up the 3rd weekend in October. Hunting 2000 private acres. Do you think SD is worth the extra drive time with the drought problems we've had over the past few years? We typically hunt around Great Bend, KS.

Yes.
Made my 1st trip late last season. Have hunted TX Panhandle and Kansas.
It was a great experience. I wish that Texas and Kansas would return to what they were 5-6 years ago, but they won't for some time. So go to SD. You will be glad you did. I was.

It's been pretty poor at best. Looking forward to the trip.

Do some research first, lots of areas have been hit hard this winter.

SD is the place to go
Been there 4 time will be going back.

Lots of birds! I'll be there then also.

We'll be hunting around White Lake. We'll be there Oct 31 - Nov 4.

I've hunted around Presho SD and all I can say is SD is the best pheasant hunting IV ever done.

That is where we hunted the last two year 10 hunters limited out every day the weekend before Thanksgiving
We will be going back this year.

Wish I could join y'all, my buddy owned 140acres just for pheasant hunting.

I made my first trip up there last year and I'm planning on going back again this year. We hunted with Shattuck Hunting in a Gregory SD and had 5 bird limits every day.

Going to SD in October for the first time. Sure do miss hunting in the Texas panhandle. Long drive but am confident it will be worth it.

I thought the limit was 3 wild birds?

Private land is probably worth it, but public land may not be. If you are going to a game ranch with released birds, then is isn't worth the drive. You can do that closer to home.

When hunting a reserve, a 5 bird limit is in place. The kicker is the outfitter must replace the birds taken.
Don't let anyone kid you. Released birds become wild the minute they get released.

I shot quite a few preserve birds in the past. I quickly developed a preference for shooting scratch birds that had been released for a while. A bird just released can sometimes be easy birds that have been out there a week never are. A lot also depends on the strain of bird released some are extremely wary some might as well be chickens.

We will be on live birds in SD this year. We've hunted wild and released birds in Kansas the past few years due to the poor conditions. We also bought about 100 pheasants last year to work the dogs on. Those things were wild as heck! Some hit the ground running never to be seen again. Nothing like watching a $12 bird gaining altitude while leaving the county.

Now, our Johnny House quail are a different story. Once they live in there for a week or two, they lose the flight instinct.

One thing to remember in SD is there is a 65 foot rightaway on all land for hunting small game. just make sure bird takes flight within 65 feet from public road. Just another option a land owner told us about and is confirmed from hunting regs. Yall are making me really want to do another trip up there. Hopefully Im able to.