# South dakota



## fishingbum24 (Apr 18, 2020)

Has anyone ever went to South Dakota for pheasant and waterfowl before I have a week long trip planned in October it will be my first time super excited 

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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Ive been to North Dakota pheasant hunting...its a freaking blast! There is nothing like slinging lead at wild birds.

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## fishingbum24 (Apr 18, 2020)

Yeah I definitely can't wait im going with a few buddys one has been there before it will be a first time for me 

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## Bprice1031 (Mar 13, 2016)

Like Misdirection I've been to North Dakota. It is a blast out there. You may want to check into getting a crane stamp while you're there and give that a try. Enjoy it!


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

A couple of observations as I was the only non-local in our group (my friend is from up there but lives near me right now). 

They use what i would call a goose gun with long barrels. They tell you to let the bird get out there a bit before shooting it, let it get some elevation. Its too flat to shot at em when they first go up. I took my Browning O/U with 28" barrels, mod over full and I was fine.

We also used what i would call turkey loads. 3" #4 shot. Those wild birds are tough to shoot. Take lots of shells.

You have to leave proof that it was a rooster when you clean them. My friends parents (whose farm we stayed on) kept their half gallon milk cartons for us. We cleaned the birds, left a leg with a spur on, froze them in water in the half gallon jug with that leg and spur sticking out. Thats how we got them home.

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## hageman.2 (Jan 8, 2008)

fishingbum24 said:


> Has anyone ever went to South Dakota for pheasant and waterfowl before I have a week long trip planned in October it will be my first time super excited
> 
> I went for many years to mainly hunt pheasants. The waterfowl licenses at that time (maybe still) had to be applied for in the summer. Once there, I found that nobody cared if you shot ducks off their sloughs, but many leased out their land for pheasant hunters and saved them from other hunters. Many of the isolated public lakes had lots of ducks with little pressure. The NE part of the state is more targeted for waterfowl by non-res hunters, mainly from MN.
> 
> ...


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## sliprig (Apr 6, 2004)

Been to SD three times, have a friend that gone for over 25 years. He has friends in Sioux Falls and he gets the low down on the birds, usually late October for waterfowl. First time I went I was amazed at the long shots the locals made. They pass shoot alot and called it "ditch pigging" because they shot the road ditches (legal). Windy day were the best, kept the birds low fighting the wind. I prefer to decoy them myself. The amount of birds are mind boggling, it will spoil you for life.
Slip


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

I have hunted pheasants in South Dakota for about 10 seasons. Think the last was about 2012. Thus check to see if regulations changed from my experience.

Do not take a gun that you love the finish of the stock as you will be walking standing corn fields and other crops and it is very abusive to the stock finish. No shell limit in your gun so remove the plug. The shooting is very fast AS SOON as that bird rises you better bust it as if you let it fly out, you will never find it IF you manage to drop it. public land requires the use of steel shot for pheasants. my favorite setup was 12-gauge 11/87 semiauto with plug removed to hold all rounds, 3" mag shells lead 6-shot if they are rising close and lead 4-shot if they are rising far away (we only hunted private land with wild birds). we started with same shot in 2 3/4 shells but were losing too many birds as a good hit at distance then they will still glide a half mile - you need to knock them down... choke - take them all as you may need to change during the day depending on bird behavior - i would usually start with modified and then go up/down as needed. do not bother with a loop style shell holder as it will slow you down. just use the pocket of your jacket or vest as you will have to reload quickly as the walking line should always keep moving forward. if you stop pushing, the birds will run out the side of the field or circle between shooters and get behind you. your vest will need a game bag as you will pickup birds (yours and others) that drop in your walking path and will have to carry them out of the 1/2 mile or so field length walking. They farm in "squares" out there, as in square miles between county roads. for clothing, get the upland pants with the canvas front to handle the thorns and rough stuff you will walk through. jackets and shirts should also be able to take a beating. i always got the seasons orange arm upland game shirt at cabelas in Mitchell SD as the corn would season the shirt sleeves appropriately (roughs them up) but it will protect your arms. Then you have an authentic hunted shirt to wear to the skeet range at home. prepare for anything from 80F to 15F temps - rain - snow - dry, i have hunted that range in one week out there - always 2nd week of season too. boots - something that you are comfortable walking in ALL day... I wore a pair of snake boots both as i never wanted to worry about what walking among (never saw any...) and they provided added protection to my lower legs when busting through the corn and milo. oh, watch out for the jack rabbits and their holes. i stepped in one and one leg went all the way in and i went to the ground... we were told to shoot the jack rabbits - first one i saw in the field was enormous and was white/black like pet rabbits - so i did not shoot - thinking it was someones pet as we were near the farm out buildings. wear safety glasses - sun glasses or clear - as you will get hit with shot from others. there will be posters at the end of the field you are walking toward and you will be shooting toward each other at times. wear either ear plugs or one of the noise canceling head sets as you will be shooting more in a day than anything but perhaps skeet or trap... i like the noise canceling headsets but for one issue that when breaking corn stalks my headset will cut out for a few seconds as it does for a shot. I would bring an empty soft side cooler that was withing carry on plane size to take birds home with me. pheasants is big business up there so you can find dry ice at local grocery stores to keep birds cold on way home. you will have to "carry on" this when flying as dry ice can't go in the luggage area when there are animals (dogs) and there will be dogs on all flights in luggage that time of year. WATCH you gun barrel and that of others around you as when walking in line, a right handed person will typically hold the gun pointing to the left. get use to carrying the gun pointing up and under all circumstances including when you trip an fall - hold that gun and control that barrel always...

ok, that got rather long... hope you find a few gems in there that help you on your first trip. have a great time!


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

Good info Privateer!


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