# SD Bird outlook



## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/ ... utlook.htm


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

in south dakota, when the bird surveys are down, the boyz just leave the 
pen door open a little longer........problem solved! :beer:


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## sdgr8wthnter (Oct 4, 2005)

PLEASE you've got to be kidding me with that last comment. The problem with the survey this year was the first nest of the year were washed out. So there weren't many flyers when they did the survey. I've seen quite a few young birds in the last few weeks.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

no, i am not kidding. you would have to be living under a rock not to know that there are 1,000's of commercially pen raised birds, turned loose in SD every year. with most commercial and even Mom and Pop operations, releasing birds to supplement the breeding population or add to the rooster count in October, it is common knowledge that supplementation of the wild bird population is done on a regular basis.
several of the places i hunt on, openly admitted by the owner, that they supplement in some form or another every year, although it may be difficult at times to tell the difference, there are plenty of pen raised birds taken every year by unknowing hunters.


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## msapper (May 2, 2009)

Everyone knows it happens, but so what? Do the released birds have orange and yellow spots that make them look different? On all of the lakes that stock fish, can you tell a stocked fish from a naturally reproduced fish? Pen-raised pheasants get smart in a hurry with lead chasing their behinders. :beer:


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

i agree, i am not complaining, i wish more states would supplement the population too. :beer:


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## Radar21 (Jun 20, 2008)

1st off- pen raised bird DONT get smart in hurry. They get dead in a hurry. hunters predators, etc.

2nd - When I fish, I dont pay a guy $25.00, per fish, for fish that he put out that morning.

Finally, I dont lose my access to hundreds of lakes because the guy that stocks birds has everything leased up for idots, slob clients.

I wish stocking was made illegal- everywhere. If you rid of stocked birds, you would get rid of 90% of the morons that go to South Dakota. Those who actually hunt would have a much better time.

The crazy part is that they are sooo many people that dont realize that SD hunting is largely birds raised in pens and cut loose.

O.K-off my soap box now


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

Radar21 said:


> 1st off- pen raised bird DONT get smart in hurry. They get dead in a hurry. hunters predators, etc.
> 
> 2nd - When I fish, I dont pay a guy $25.00, per fish, for fish that he put out that morning.
> 
> ...


 :beer: :beer:

While I'm not in complete agreement with your view on stocking birds, I share your opinion of the yuppiefest joke that is much of SD pheasant hunting. And yes, I realize much of that goes hand in hand.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Thanks for the info. Survey looks good when you compare to 10 year average!

Glass is half full for this guy. :beer:


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## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

deacon said:


> Thanks for the info. Survey looks good when you compare to 10 year average!
> 
> Glass is half full for this guy. :beer:


Lots of input on the SD site about late hatch and many think survey is low and missed many late hatch birds. Most think it will be as good as last year. They had a little better winter then ND did. How was MN winter for birds ?


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Radar21 said:


> 1st off- pen raised bird DONT get smart in hurry. They get dead in a hurry. hunters predators, etc.
> 
> 2nd - When I fish, I dont pay a guy $25.00, per fish, for fish that he put out that morning.
> 
> ...


If you think that the birds that the people hunt on all the public core land are pen raised well then i have some land in florida to sell you. Most of the pen raised birds are dead after the firsrt few weeks of the season. People need to get a clue as to how much land there is to hunt. Just around the mobridge area there is enought that you can come here for a week and not have to walk the same ground twice and see so many wild birds you would sheet your self. So tell me where have you lost land to hunt here that was becuase of pen raised birds. The majority of the people who release and( i wont say stock because that makes one think that these birds have a snowballs chance in hell of reproducing) are preserves and they are mandated by the gfp at how many birds they have to release because they hunt from sept to march. Most of the guides that dont have preserves dont release birds it does not pay they cost 30 to 35 dollars appiece to start with so the math just does not work out. But yep keep believing that all the birds are released and no fun to hunt just leaves more public land for me to hunt when i am not helping guide.


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

KurtR said:


> If you think that the birds that the people hunt on all the public core land are pen raised well then i have some land in florida to sell you. Most of the pen raised birds are dead after the firsrt few weeks of the season.


Agree lets not get confused here. Pen raised birds are on private land.

SD preserves and outfitters are releasing the birds, although SDG&F demand they release more than they shoot, very few spill over to public land. SD hunting preserves and outfitters release 450K - 600K birds per year. They do not dump them out all at once, but sublement the population as the season goes along and/or put them out the day hunters are walking that field.

Although I do not pay to hunt SD, I do have an issue with supplemental planting of birds - when they claim all wild birds... 

Does SD add this total to their total kill reported at season end?



> Most of the guides that dont have preserves dont release birds it does not pay they *cost 30 to 35 dollars appiece *to start with so the math just does not work out. But yep keep believing that all the birds are released and no fun to hunt just leaves more public land for me to hunt when i am not helping guide.


The birds cost under $8 per bird when purchased in bulk. Hunting preserves in MN charge between $14 and $20 per bird released. With some SHOOTERS visiting SD paying upwards of $500 per day, it does add up ... you want these guys to leave happy and with birds in the styrofoam coolers...

Anyone out there hunting on Outfitter land and seeing more than 50% roosters especially after opening week ...


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## jpallen14 (Nov 28, 2005)

Where do you get the figure that SD releases 450k-600k pheasants each year?


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

I have seen posts on other website by other posters regarding this issue, but have looked into this "issue" myself ...

On licensed preserves (longer season and all day hunting) alone the '07-'08 release total was 439,454.

http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/ ... umbers.htm

Outfitters that release birds, but operate under the current SD regular pheasant season do not have to report birds released.

StarTrib article...



> Trust me; there are no shortages of rancher/entrepreneurs operating pay-to-hunt opportunities throughout the pheasant Mecca triangle. You can pay as "little" as $200 per day for hunting privileges only, or spend into four figures for a weekend complete with accommodations, meals, dogs and guides. Plenty of roosters is a given.
> 
> But how? The place I chose, near the cheap end of the spendy spectrum, had a group of 12 hunters from Utah pounding the same section of land for five days and scoring limits each day. And they were the 10th large group of the season on this ranch. The ranch's website promised big, beautiful, wild pheasants. I'm buying the big and the beautiful. But I can multiply small numbers and the wild promise is a dog that won't hunt for me.
> 
> ...


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## rex (Dec 8, 2007)

You hit the nail on the head but missed the screw. Your statement on "preserves" is correct. That's what "preserve" means = released birds, and they must release birds to retain preserve status (and can hunt extended season and also shoot hens by the way)

But to assume that hunting outfitters in general release birds is false. Granted, my family owns a hunting lodge, but we have never released a bird period. There is no need nor want. On our absolute worst days, more common than not, we hear something to the extent of "that is the most birds I have ever seen." Not because we are that great, but because SD has the bird population.

For people that think thousands of birds are released by most outfitters, I'm not sure but what is the cost of these birds? I have seen ads on various sites ranging from $7-$20 a bird. I just don't see how even "crooked" outfitters could find the economics in that.?

Just my .02


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## sdgoosehunter16 (Sep 22, 2009)

hunter9494 said:


> no, i am not kidding. you would have to be living under a rock not to know that there are 1,000's of commercially pen raised birds, turned loose in SD every year. with most commercial and even Mom and Pop operations, releasing birds to supplement the breeding population or add to the rooster count in October, it is common knowledge that supplementation of the wild bird population is done on a regular basis.
> several of the places i hunt on, openly admitted by the owner, that they supplement in some form or another every year, although it may be difficult at times to tell the difference, there are plenty of pen raised birds taken every year by unknowing hunters.


or just the escapees! i shot a bird with a blinder on it last fall by far one of the coolest things ive seen in awhile!


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

most of what has been mentioned above is what has soured me on south dakota, possibly for life. when i was in college, i dreamed of south dakota. i wanted to live along the missouri river. then i learned the real truth. i even have a relative who extorts $$$ out of hunters. what about the future? i asked him how a young boy who can't afford to take his girlfriend to the movies on friday night could possibly pay $100 (at that time) to walk past the barn with a gun and a dog. he replied that no one would turn the young man away. yet, with all the money coming from wealthy clients, it happens every single day. how do we still wonder why kids don't take up hunting? for those who do get to experience the real hunting that south dakota does offer on public land or on the occasional non "hand out" ranch, i say enjoy the birds. i will continue to hunt north where bird number are lower and people continue to welcome me back each year. i don't mind the extra leg work.


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

How about this:


> Authier Ranch - LOCATED 30 miles South of Pierre near the junction on U.S. 83 and Interstate 90. From Vivian, proceed North ½ mile, then East 2 miles, then South ½ mile.
> 
> We are not a game farm. In addition to our own land, we reserved hunting rights on over 4,000 acres, increasing our total hunting area to nearly 10,000 acres of farm and ranch land.
> 
> We will start the 1st part of September and conclude the season in mid-December. We will also keep the limit at four cocks per day.


Looks like they are lying about being a preserve or operating illegally... which one is it.

Then let's look at HighBrow ThSkLge



> $3,295 per person
> 
> •Season Dates: Thsk Lodge's pheasant hunting season begins in mid-September and runs through early December.
> Custom pheasant hunts are available from mid-December through March. All hunting dates are available on a first come, first serve basis. So book your hunting trip early.
> ...


My GOD $1100/day to shoot 5 penraised roosters.... uke:


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

agreed. idiots paying this kind of cash are why these operations can afford to "buy" thousands of acres of birds out from under the rest of us. :evil: of course, a certain retired guide who was on one of my very old videos, would call the rest of us "moochers". i met him in north dakota a few years back (he is from south dakota) and was excited when he actually wanted me to take HIM hunting. after a day or two, my childhood "hero" was quite a let down. it's amazing what we learn as we go through life.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

well i am going to go out on the public land to shoot all the released pheasants since we only have about 2 wild ones in sd and i think i am going to have to pay about 3 million dollars just to walk on the public land to shoot the pen raised pheasants that we have here. well at least i have to give the pen raised birds a fighting chance they get till noon till i can hunt. wish i was in nd i could just shoot them off the road at sunrise and just be done. Oh what am i thinking all those wild smart birds it would be to hard for me to hunt since all i have ever seen are these pen raised pheasants.


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## fesnthunner (Mar 16, 2009)

The economics are there, it is well worth buying pen raised pheasants and releasing them for pay to hunt outfitters. 30 to 35 dollars a bird, I don't think so. These pen raised birds can be bought in bulk for $7 and up. As far as running out of places to hunt(public), please join a group that is comitted to providing opportunities for the general public to hunt, groups that purchase and reclaim land. Lets put our dollars together to ensure our children have a place to hunt.


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