Here’s what I’ve come to believe about South Dakota pheasant hunting: It’s honestly too easy. The state knows it’s too easy. They make you wait until noon to hunt during the first week. After the first week you have to wait until 10:00. They only let you shoot 3 roosters a day. Many times I’ve had the chance to kill 3 roosters driving to the first field (road hunting is LEGAL).
Despite the easy nature of the hunt, it’s still fun. Farmers manage the ground for birds, and birds are thick. This time we hunted with an operation called American Wingshooting Lodge based out of Platte in the central part of the state. The operation is new but absolutely wonderful. Bill has been arranging day hunts in the area for years and has more land than you could possibly hunt.
Birds are everywhere. After our hunt the second day we returned to the lodge. I fed my dogs and when Riley started getting birdy at the edge of the yard I figured she was smelling one of the many other dogs “gracing” the area. Nope. 8 pheasants, 4 of which were roosters, came out of a small patch of grass at the edge of the yard. I literally could have put my boots on, walked 20 yards to the edge of the yard, killed my 3 birds, and gone back to bed. It wouldn’t have been very fun, but it shows you how many birds the area holds.
They operate a fantastic lodge and provide wonderful meals. Open bar, shells, hot lunch, and transportation included. Great guides. It’s a truly first class operation and without the cattle call feel that some other places have. They shoot for groups of about 10 and a maximum of 15. They don’t combine groups or force you to use their dogs. What’s not to like?
Well, to be fair, their dogs weren’t great. Small criticism since our 9 guys had 8 dogs, some of which are fantastically talented. Honestly, I can’t think of anything else that wasn’t exactly how I would draw it up myself. I’ll let the results speak for themselves.
Day 1:
Day 2:
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