# Eastern SD Flooding/ Road conditions



## sd5.0. (Mar 13, 2008)

With the Snows quickly approaching eastern SD I just wanted to start a thread cautioning everyone about the road closures and conditions. In beadle County SD (Huron area) multiple gravel and county oil roads have been closed due to the extreme flooding conditions. Many culverts and a few bridges have been washed out due to the snow melt and rainfall. the James river is well over it's banks and is continuing to rise. Vast amounts of sheet water cover most fields and it continues to rain. The county oil road just south and east of Lake Byron is closed with water running across it on the Glanzer WPA. Anyone comming to hunt the area please use common sense when traveling the gravel roads as many are covered in water.

Also be prepared to hump the deeks in. I doubt even an ATV could navigate most fields without getting stuck. Might be a very interesting season with all the sheet water and birds not roosting on traditional areas. Good luck and dont drop your truck into a washed out culvert.


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Good report.Ditto up here on the Coteau in the NE.Some roads closed and more will be closed.After about 10 days of drizzle/rain it may be hard to believe but we still have a few MM and township roads blocked by snow.The worst is coming.A mess.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

its a mess out there. saw probably 50 spots yesterday that had water over the road, some culverts are blown out, still 4 ft snow drifts blocking a few roads as well.


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## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

I would also caution that tearing up gravel and dirt roads isn't a wise decision, either. Farmers do not like bouncing over roads that have been rutted up when they should have been avoided.


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## sd5.0. (Mar 13, 2008)

Almost forgot.....

F.Y.I. to nonresidents and residents alike....

Driving around or through a road block is a Class 1 Misdemeanor. Which is a mandatory court appearance. Same as D.U.I. or Possession of Marijuana. If you dont believe me look up 32-33-13 in SDCL. And Yes a ROAD CLOSED sign in the middle of the road or on one side of the road is considered a road block.

It is so amazing how someone will drive around a road closed sign with a patrol car sitting 30 ft behind the sign. I could go on and on but just wanted everyone to be aware of it.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Good reminder


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## snownado chaser (Apr 21, 2009)

This may sound like a stupid question but not familiar with the laws....you should be able to walk down that road if you wanted to right?


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes,if its still there.


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

what ive noticed in the dakotas lots of time they don't even pull the road closed signs even after the flooding is over an the roads are cleared of water an etc. should ya still turn around?


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

drakespanker12 said:


> what ive noticed in the dakotas lots of time they don't even pull the road closed signs even after the flooding is over an the roads are cleared of water an etc. should ya still turn around?


a lot of times they will leave the signs up to prevent more damage to the road after the water has receded. i.e. soft shoulders, frost boils, rough exposed road bed where gravel washed away, ruts, etc. and yes you should still turn around.


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## TrevorB (Dec 21, 2008)

Be very careful out there, ran across some of these..watch your speeds and dont go fast down the roads you dont know especially..


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## TheAnimalSlayer (Feb 2, 2010)

hey for some reason i got that same pic of you sent to my phone.....way to destroy that road Trevor haha


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## Firehunter (Feb 3, 2010)

WOW looks like tough hunting conditions. Thats how we started our duck season too. Good luck and be safe no goose is worth damaging a truck or getting hurt.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

TrevorB said:


> ..watch your speeds and dont go fast down the roads you dont know especially..


Exactly, I recall this picture/thread from last year:










viewtopic.php?f=6&t=69089


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

16 pages of bad news photos.
http://www.keloland.com/photogallery/Ph ... egoryId=42


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## T0MCHANDLER (Mar 5, 2009)

is it too muddy for atv's? (In the fields) I'm heading to Lake Thompson area this weakend and if I won't be able to use the Ranger I'll cut back on the decoys and leave the trailer behind.


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## sd5.0. (Mar 13, 2008)

T0MCHANDLER said:


> is it too muddy for atv's? (In the fields) I'm heading to Lake Thompson area this weakend and if I won't be able to use the Ranger I'll cut back on the decoys and leave the trailer behind.


Hunted around there yesterday and we used an atv to take the spread out. Left some big ruts but we had permission from the farmer to drive out there. Make sure you ask if you can drive an atv out before you do because your going to leave ruts. Shot 5 birds in the afternoon. Lots of smart adults.


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## Andy Weber (Nov 18, 2009)

And if you do something stupid and do get stuck, don' t plan on calling a farmer to pull you out. I know my boss told me that if an out of stater stops in the farm to ask to get pulled out say no. Plain and simple you don't need to be out on the roads and the farmers know that more than anyone. I would recommend bringing a ATV and doing some dirt road scouting on those. I pulled my spread down 4 miles of dirt and into the field because I didn't want to make the farmer mad by driving down the road with my trailer. It is just the right thing to do. ALL of the townships are broke or have little money to spend on the roads.


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

haha i think im used to it by now, its been the same kind of hunting since last spring. and last fall it didnt change, just be smart


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## Andy Weber (Nov 18, 2009)

Just an update: Almost 75% of gravel county and township roads in NE SD have been closed. Like said before if is a decent slap on the wrist if you get caught on closed roads, and believe me there are people watching. Even though a lot of the roads that are closed are passable, they do not want any NRs out there in there big trucks tearing up the roads like they have a tendency to do. There are birds using fields that you can't get to at all. And they are not moving. Some farmers have actually DUG some roads out to stop people from traveling them and to let water flow. It is next to impossible to travel anywhere up here.


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## snownado chaser (Apr 21, 2009)

Thanks for the update but not gonna scare us from giving it a shot. As long as 1 road is open, we will be there. The birds will eventually move from the fields not able to get at.


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## 9manfan (Oct 22, 2008)

Andy Weber said:


> Just an update: they do not want any NRs out there in there big trucks tearing up the roads like they have a tendency to do.


and the local people have never done this???????


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## Andy Weber (Nov 18, 2009)

9manfan said:


> Andy Weber said:
> 
> 
> > Just an update: they do not want any NRs out there in there big trucks tearing up the roads like they have a tendency to do.
> ...


Not saying local people do not but, they do it WAY LESS. And this year no one has been traveling any roads even if they are open just out of common curtisy. Then NRs come in their big trucks and we know how that goes. I am not starting anything here. Nor am I saying its not worth a shot, but I am just saying if the road is questionable, please do not try it. I know that goes against all of you off roaders, but blacktop roads have been crushed with one simple pass of a large decoy trailer. That sounds hard to believe but they are all soft and can not handle any weight.
Don't take that wrong.


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## 9manfan (Oct 22, 2008)

Andy Weber said:


> 9manfan said:
> 
> 
> > Andy Weber said:
> ...


I wasn't trying to start a resident vs. non resident issue, it's just that whatever state the hunter is from, alittle common sense goes a long ways,,,,,


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

time to close this.


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