My friend Dean, his excellent Vizsla Reuben, my GSP Bruno, and I enjoyed six days of fabulous pheasant and sharptailed grouse hunting in north-central/north-western SD. During our stay we encountered diverse weather conditions that ranged from sunny, sixty-degree days to snowy, bitter cold (temps in teens, sub-zero wind chills), windy (45-55 mph) conditions that created hip-deep snow drifts along the fence and hedge rows. Not surprisingly, the best hunting we experienced occurred on days that had the harshest weather conditions. Both Reuben and Bruno made remarkable 200+ yard long retrieves on roosters that were flying dead and fell football fields away. In all, we shot our limit of roosters and sharpies nearly every day up to our permitted possession limit. One of the roosters I shot was a true trophy that had over 30-inch- long tail feathers and wild-turkey-sized spurs. Needless to say, that bird is presently being mounted by a SD taxidermist. This was my first pheasant-hunting trip to SD, and I must say that the pheasant and sharpie numbers, the hunting conditions, and the hospitality of the South Dakotans surpassed all of my pre-trip high expectations. In the coming years, Bruno and I plan to return to SD to experience their spectacular pheasant and sharptail hunting. Seeing 200+ birds/day with many within shot range is a mind-boggling experience for this Northern Michigan bird hunter. Looking very much forward to going again in 2011!
To view my entire photo album of this hunt (several of the photos were taken by my friend Dean), click on the following link:
To view my entire photo album of this hunt (several of the photos were taken by my friend Dean), click on the following link:
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