Choppy Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 My son and I are heading up at the end of the month pheasant hunting. Yankton area. It's my understanding that you can't hunt pheasants before noon in S.D. Is this correct? If so I'd like to find a local guide service and go out one or two mornings and hunt some honkers or mallards. Any suggestions appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 By that time you can hunt at 10 am. The first week is the only time we have a noon start. There are a lot of theories as to why, but I think it is genius. All these hunters get away from their wives and spend time at the bars and strip joints add more money to the state economy because they get to sleep in. Pure genius. By the end of the month, there will be some local ducks in the Yankton area, but no honkers, maybe a few locals but they will be pretty decoy shy by then. I am in Bismark for work right now and the migration hasn't even started here, so it will be middle of Nov until the populations are large enough to warrant an out of state waterfowl license. I can ask around if you still want to give it a shot. I have some friends in the area. How long are you there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choppy Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 By that time you can hunt at 10 am. The first week is the only time we have a noon start. There are a lot of theories as to why, but I think it is genius. All these hunters get away from their wives and spend time at the bars and strip joints add more money to the state economy because they get to sleep in. Pure genius.By the end of the month, there will be some local ducks in the Yankton area, but no honkers, maybe a few locals but they will be pretty decoy shy by then. I am in Bismark for work right now and the migration hasn't even started here, so it will be middle of Nov until the populations are large enough to warrant an out of state waterfowl license. I can ask around if you still want to give it a shot. I have some friends in the area. How long are you there? Arriving Thurs. the 29th. Hunting Fri. and Sat. Will head home Sat. evening or Sun. morning. Thanks for the info. I'm surprised that waterfowling isn't better by then. Is that normal or is this an odd year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 In the Pierre area we don't shoot our first geese until the middle of November and that is early usually I don't even get excited until Dec 1. The Missouri River flyway is a late flight. We also get to hunt until the middle of February. If we get into a real cold snap, which we are having today, there may be some snow and blue geese in the area, but they don't stick around like mallards and honkers. I don't see it remaining this cold, but I will keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choppy Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Thanks again for the info. We'll probably just skip the waterfowling this time and try to come up later in the year next time if we want to combine upland with waterfowl. Interesting that your goose hunting is that late. By mid November here in central KS we usually have upwards of 500,000 geese in the area between the 2 nearby refuges( Cheyenne Botoms and Quivira). All snows, lessers, and specks though. Hard as hell to decoy and I hate pass shooting. We rarely see honkers anymore. Some say they just don't go much south of Grand Island and the Platte river basin anymore. I don't know but I sure miss shootin honkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yeah the snows and blues really just blow through here for about a week or two they don't stick around. The lesser Canadians or hutchies are tough to decoy. I have been told to set up as many decoys as you have in a big circle so tight you can hardly walk thru them and they will at least come into range. Them and the snows all get pounded from Canada in early Sept until you get them in Nov or Dec, I would be decoy shy as well. As long as the river stays open in Pierre, and Oahe Reservoir just north, as well as Capital Lake (winters 6000 geese itself) most of the big geese stay north. I have a buddy from NW Nebraska and they hunt geese on the Niobrara all winter as well. So I guess you can blame it on global warming. Are you hunt public or private ground? Are you willing to come a little further north next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choppy Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Pretty sure we're on private ground. This is a hunt sponsored by one of my suppliers and I don't have much more info than the date so far. I'm a little skeptical about the whole deal as I imagine it will be a large group and I just don't prefer hunting in large groups of people, especially when I don't know any of them or how much they know about hunting or firearms safety. But I've always wanted to pheasant S. Dakota so I took them up on their offer. I'll just keep my son by my side and get out on the end of the line. Would definitely consider going farther north next year if it would get us into some bigger geese. Sounds like it would have to be later in the year though so it would depend on my sons basketball schedule. Might have to be on short notice if we can make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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