doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Better hunting experience?

I�m planning on going back to South Dakota for birds in November but before I do I was just going to ask people if it would be better to go to North Dakota this time around.
For those that have hunted North or South Dakota which is a better hunting experience. Not just the number and variety of the birds but accommodations, ease of and expense of getting an out of state license, accessibility of hunting lands etc. etc.
I hunted South Dakota a few years back and it was a great experience overall, the people there were great but and this is my only complaint, I saw a lot of posted land that limited access.
What are your opinions? Go back to South Dakota or try North Dakota this time?

Treb,
I've not hunted ND, but SD Fish & Game has downloadable maps to put into your GPS that shows all the "state land" which is a mix of state, BLM, and private land that is open to the public to hunt. This cuts all the worry of making sure you're on the right land, etc..

SD licenses are purchaseable online. Very easy way to go. The area around Winner, Chamberlain, etc, is supposed to be the best this year.

The overall numbers of hunters was down in 2009 and 2010 in the Huron area. 2009 was really down, last year was still down a lot, but better than 2009.

I'll be in Huron SD on the openner with a new dog.

Chuck, are you heading there with Mike and Joe??

I hunted several years in the Hettinger area. No problems getting limits. Town folks were super nice. We rented the basement from a widow, she provided us juice, coffee, and rolls before heading out each morning. She was always anxious to see how we faired. I love that area and the people.

I get the feeling a lot of those little prairie towns in the Dakotas might finish drying up and blowing away if it were not for the bird hunters coming through in the autumn, spending money. How accurate is my feeling?

I hunt North Dakota at least three trips every fall and this year will be no different. I also hunted South Dakota for several years and once I discovered North Dakota I haven't been back to SD and I have to drive through SD to get to where I go in ND.

I may be starting to look at SD again in the future simply because of what's happening in ND. There's two factors which are starting to take effect in North Dakota.

One is the loss of hundreds of thousands of acres of CRP & three bad winters in a row. The bird population is on the decline and may have a problem rebounding due to the loss of the CRP.

Two which is probably the more menacing is the gold rush type crazyness with the oil drilling boom going on in the state. Up until now all the drilling has been north of the interstate. But now it is creeping south and is infiltrating the traditional pheasant hotspot region around New England, Regent,& Mott. They are going to start drilling just east of New England in the near future and it is changing the landscape sort of speak for hunters. I've rented houses from the same people for over ten years now. This year the houses aren't avalible because they are all rented to oil patch workers. My friends that own the houses put it pretty simply that is was better to rent them 12 months a year rather than the three or four months of bird season. The motels are booked with oil patch workers as well and the room prices reflect this if you can find one. Here's an example of what's happening. McDonalds in Dickinson is paying $15.00 hr to start and can't find enough help.

I love it up there but I'm also a realist that the hunters are now probably being looked at as more of a side bar and the real money is to be made in farming and in the oil patch somewhere.

I'm not saying don't go to North Dakota, but I am saying to do your home work before you go. Make sure you have room reservations or a place to stay before you get there. On the up side North Dakota has one of the best public access programs going with over a millon acres of private land enrolled in their PLOTS program.

What ever you do "have fun" & good luck!!

Hi all, here's my 2c on this subject. While we may not have the bird numbers like SD, we do have very good to excellent hunting, if you hit the right year and area. This year the numbers are down, but there are some good pockets, but you have to work for them this year however. You won't walk a strip of row crop and limit out in 5 min like in SD, but you won't have to pay an arm and a leg to hunt. There are some farmers in the Mott area that are now starting to charge, like SD has been for years. There are some who harbor some ill will for out of state hunters. I know a few who will refuse them permission. The reason why is attitude. A small minority of out of state "hunters" feel they have the right to hunt any place, because "I bought a license, I traveled far, I buy gas here".... and on and on.

Most folks here are the salt of the earth, just be respectful, polite and ask. It's that simple.

Back on subject here, trying to find a place to stay will be interesting as we now have an oil boom going on and housing is hard to find. Even your mom and pop outfits are full as are some campgrounds out west. It will be easier to find a place east of Bismarck, west from here, good luck. Call ahead first.

As to small farm towns that dry up and blow away, unless it were for the hunters. Not so. It's the famers and ranchers that keep the towns going. I live in a small farm town, here's what we have, a School, a Church and a Bar, that's it. We lost our Post Office. People who stay in these small towns do not provide enough income to keep anything going for a complete year. There are many reasons why some of these towns are dying, out that's a whole new subject to indepth for this right now.

Back to the birds again, it's been a fair year so far for grouse, not like in years past. But as I said, there are pockets of birds, you just have to walk and get lucky. The area you walked today and got nothing will produce tomorrow. Have seen a few pheasants, but as we are hunting grouse, and not hitting any pheasant cover, hard to say. Did see a lot early in the year on the roads, so I think it will be a fair year.

Just remember, the first week of pheasant season, a non-resident can not hunt any State land (PLOTS, WMA etc), but Federal and private is OK.

We do enjoy and love to have folks come see our State, so if you do come out here, welcome, enjoy your stay and good luck! I'm lucky and am blessed to live here, so for me, I can't see living anywhere else.

And speaking of birds, my son (Will) and I went out this afternoon and managed to get a few grouse. I limited out (even managed a double) and Will got two. Here's a couple pics for todays hunt.

All the best to you all!

Greg
Myself with my 12b H.J. Hussey Imperial SLE



Will and his 12ga Fabarm Beta Classis

Greg

Is Will the one who wants to upgrade to a 16ga? If so, he looks like he's ready! Hope you find what you're looking for for him.

Cheers
Marc

Hi Marc, he's the one!!! The 12ga he uses for ducks, but will take it now and then. He does want a 16ga, so...why not!

Thanks!!

Greg

I didn't realize there was an oil boom going on now in ND. That will affect room availability and some prices paid for gas, meals, etc. But as an avid waterfowler, I like ND as there are so many open ponds not posted, and their regs state that if it is not posted you can hunt in season without penalty of trespass.
Wonder how soon it will be in both Dakotas when you have to use steel or non-toxic shot loads for all upland and migratory bird hunting.

Best kept secret (maybe) for great pheasant hunting- the ranches and main rivers with islands in MT- we hunt for elk and muleys on a private family owned since 1885 ranch of 16K acres near the Missouri Breaks- NW of Lewiston- we stay and extra week for the birds and waterfowl- and the locals wonder why we want to shoot so many "birdies" when they can drop a "freezer filler" elk with one 30-06 shell-