mathewsconquest

I will be going on my first South Dakota pheasant hunt. I would like to know if anyone has a list of items that I would need for this trip?
I have hunted wild and pen raised birds in Wisconsin but really would appreciate any and all information that I can get.
I will be bringing a semi-auto (should I get a shot extender?) and a pump for back up. I will also be taking my lab (very well trained pheasant dog). What do I need for him?

Thanks,
Mathewsconquest

Bill(WI)

Hello:

You picked a great year to head to South Dakota, the birds are abundant. As far as your first time going, make sure you bring a very comfortable pair of walking boots, water proof if possible. And make sure you have good brush pants. Other than that, make sure that you bring both warm and cold weather clothing with you. I have been out there in great weather, and weather so cold and blustery that you wish you get warm. As far as your shotguns go, you probably wont need a shot extender if you are a good shot, and bringing a backup gun is a great Idea. I don' t know what kind of hunting you are planning to do, but if you are bringing your dog, I suggest a 5 gallon jug of water so you can have it all day to give you dog the water he needs.
Where are you hunting, and what week are you heading out. Just curious.
I am from Wisconsin as well, and I can promise if you do your research or go with an experienced group, you will get birds.
Have a great hunt.

Bill (Wi)

mathewsconquest

Bill,
I have been through Montello many times on highway 23, very nice area. I actually moved to Plymouth in mid June from around Port Washington. I have a good pair of Irish Setter upland boots that are comfortable and light. I have brush pants and vest.

what about those dog boots, I heard the terain is tough on there pads?

I' m going for the opener , just outside of Mitchell.

What type of shells do you use out there? I' ve been using 12 gauge 2 3/4 to 3" number 5' s or 6' s with a modified choke for the few wild birds here.
How many boxes?

Thanks for your any and all help.

Mathewsconquest

Bill(WI)

Hello:

You are correct that the terrain can be rough on the dogs pads. Its been dry out there this summer, and the farmers have been bailing the ditchlines so it might be a good idea to bring some along if you see that it becomes a problem. Last year a fellow hunter had his springer get its belly pretty ripped up running thru some of the dry grass.
As far as shells go, you can go wrong with those #5s and #6s aren' t bad either. I shoot Remington Nitro mag 3 in # 5s and they serve me well, but people in my group use everything under the sun and are successful. I hunt with a guy that uses a Remington 1100 with a fixed modified shooting 23/4s all day and he has no problems putting more birds in the truck then I do. Depending how many days you are going to be hunting, and what type of hunting you are going to do, I would bring 4 boxes of lead, and if you are going to be hunting waterfowl protection areas, don' t forget to bring some steel as it is required in those areas. Being that close to Mitchell, you will have a Cabela' s sitting right there if you need more shells.
I will be out there the first week as well, and the hunting should be outstanding. We have a small hunting camp that we bought a couple of years ago, and I have been out there about 5 times thru the spring and summer, and have seen so many Pheasants. I think the hunting will be great. Let me know if you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them. I have been hunting South Dakota for several years now, and have always been productive in getting birds. And the nice thing about it is that We hunt very little private, and get plenty of birds in the public hunting areas.

Good Luck hunting.

Bill(WI)

nickelsmith

From all reports this will be a great year. One source is saying " best in 40 years" . This will be my 7th year to hunt in the Winner area.