Need help from the SD and ND riders on here

[Bubba700]

So got talking with my old man and we want to start planning a week long trip to hunt pheasants next fall and got a few ?
1. Which place are we better off going to ND or SD?
2. Is there good quality public wmas to hunt or would we be better off finding a private serviceand spend the cash that goes along with it?
3. When is the best time of the season to plan on hunting?
4. Any info on out of state licenses and costs would help.
Thanks Bubba7

 

[snow_knight]

I personally hunt both sd and nd.. in south dakota i hunt around the miller area.. and nd i hunt around the scranton area... I personally have private places for both locations and in the last 7 years have never left without my possesion limit... as far as which one is better that is a matter of opion.. both offer lots of birds and a great experience.. as far as the public land goes.. both have lots of walk-in.. with quite a few birds.. however they do get hunted pretty hard expecially first 2 weekends of season.. weather is usally better the first couple of weekends.. however the birds get dumber when it gets colder... IMO.. if you have the money do both public and paid.. that way if the public sucks you will still get to do some shootn... Licenses?? what are those??.. haha.. dont know what out of state is for sure like 120.. if i remeber right go to.. www.sdgfp.info/

 

[Barnes]

I live in both ND and SD and IMO SD has more birds, expecially in the eastern half of the state. Because of this, it has become difficult to find good public land or even a local farmer who will let you hunt for free. The big lodges cost an arm and leg (around 2k-4k for a 3 day hunt) but they include everything (lodging, open bar, cleaning the birds, dogs, shells, food, etc). If you go this route, you might be able to shoot more then the daily limit of 3 birds a day, depending on how their preserve is set up.

I would recomend trying to find a farmer/rancher that allows pay hunters but doesn't provide anything. Alot of people now are just charging a couple hundred a day per gun to allow people to hunt. They might take you out and show you what land is theirs and if they have chores done, they might even come out with you.

If you want to put up with a ton of people, come the first or second weekend of the season (normally starts around the 20th of October). If you don't want to put up with the crowds and don't mind the birds being a little wilder, come the first week of November. This will be late enough already that its not too busy and deer season hasn't started yet.

A non resident small game liscense is 110.

 

[PCDOC]

I live in ND and this whole subject gets my blood boiling. I have been hunting for too many years to count and now some a$$hole landowners won't let you hunt unless you pay. What a bunch of BS. I understand posted land and would post my own land (provided I owned hunting land), but just so I knew who was hunting my land.

Have asked for permission before only to be hit up by the owner for some money. I took the high rode and just walked away rather than tell him what I really thought.

 

[Mafesto]

I live in ND and this whole subject gets my blood boiling. I have been hunting for too many years to count and now some a$$hole landowners won't let you hunt unless you pay. What a bunch of BS. I understand posted land and would post my own land (provided I owned hunting land), but just so I knew who was hunting my land.

Have asked for permission before only to be hit up by the owner for some money. I took the high rode and just walked away rather than tell him what I really thought.

Why do you feel the landowner is out of line?

 

[Bubba700]

Thanks for the info, Im leaning more twards SD just because its closer and I have some family in Rapid City if I remeber right. The more I have looked at things I would rather not pay a lodge or preserve. We a have a pretty good dog so we don't need anyone for that, free booze wouldn't be a plus since we don't drink. I think later in the season will prob be when we would go. Most of the things we hunt other than ducks are closed by the first of nov.
On to the pissed off about paying a farmer to hunt their place. I can understand where you are coming from. Why should I have to pay a person to hunt an animal that they don't own. If it is a place that leaves habit on purpose to for better hunting I can see it or they stock pen raised birds, but to have to pay to shoot birds or deer that they don't own I think is a load. Isn't that how they do it in England? Only people with deep pockets that can afford to pay get to hunt?

 

[skidoorulz]

I live in ND and this whole subject gets my blood boiling. I have been hunting for too many years to count and now some a$$hole landowners won't let you hunt unless you pay. What a bunch of BS. I understand posted land and would post my own land (provided I owned hunting land), but just so I knew who was hunting my land.

Have asked for permission before only to be hit up by the owner for some money. I took the high rode and just walked away rather than tell him what I really thought.

I agree with you 100% and have pretty much given up hunting because of it. That and outfitters have bought up a lot of privateland to hunt on so that they can bring in out of state hunters that have more bucks than brains and overcharge them for the privalage to shoot a 4 point buck and convince them they got a trophy. Hunting is quickly going back to what it used to be called, The sport of Kings!

 

[snow_knight]

I agree with you 100% and have pretty much given up hunting because of it. That and outfitters have bought up a lot of privateland to hunt on so that they can bring in out of state hunters that have more bucks than brains and overcharge them for the privalage to shoot a 4 point buck and convince them they got a trophy. Hunting is quickly going back to what it used to be called, The sport of Kings!

Here is SD and also in WY,MT,ND,CO,UT, and others.. you can thank your local cabelas stores for that. In an SCI article it says they bought up over 700,000 acres, and are looking into buying another 500,000 before 08 for their guiding services.. a lot of guides locally are giving there hunting leases to cabelas just so they have higher paying clientel.... can we say wal-mart of the hunting industry........?

 

[Circus Midget]

Something you may want to consider is that in SD all land is closed to public hunting unless you have permission from the landlord. If you can't find any land to hunt you are stuck to hunting public land.

In ND all land is open to public hunting unless it is posted by the land owner. There is LOTS of private land as well as public land available in ND.

I live on the southern edge of the ND border (about 12 miles from the border) and I went to college in SD. I agree that there probably is more birds in SD, but it's soo much easier to find land to hunt in ND. The pheasant population (we had a bad freeze off in the late 90's) in my part of ND has come a long way in the last 5 years making the hunting just as productive as anywhere else. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to take your limit fairly easily.

 

[Circus Midget]

I wanted to throw my two cents in about pay hunting too. My experience while living in SD was that hunting just wasn't the same as around home. It's tough to find private land to hunt.....especially if you are a broke college kid and don't want to pay big cash. Experiencing the difference between ND and SD hunting styles just leaves a sour taste in my mouth (I know I've been spoiled). It seems like most hunters in SD have a different attitude and hunting doesn't feel like a "sport", it's too commercialized and money talks. People want to be successful and they will spend whatever it takes. IMO part of the "commercialization" of the sport is because of regulations that require everyone to get permission before entering any private ground.

Around my place in ND I literally have miles upon miles of land at my finger tips. There is some posted land....but nothing like other areas. I've taken off walking for coyotes and just kept walking until I've made about a 15-20 mile loop. There is not near the competition here between hunters and you can tell by their attitude. I love the options we have in ND and we really are spoiled. It helps being local too cuz I always know where to start looking for the best hunting.

ND is only 1 of like 3 or 4 states that opens private land to public hunting. I hate to say it but the commercialized hunting is slowly working it's way closer and I don't see it getting any better. There is definetely more non locals moving our way to get away from areas that are losing land to outfitters and becoming too competitive. I used to think I'd never have to worry about securing land or paying, but I'm realizing I need to start being pro-active now. I know most everyone in the area and that they don't care if people hunt, but I find myself asking permission just for the sake of developing relationships and to let them know I appreciate it. I'd suggest to any other hunters to do the same so hopefully when the outfitters come wanting to lease their land they will have a decent reason to turn them away.

P.S. This is probably the longest post I have ever written....Sorry

 

[Redneck Farmer]

I live in ND and this whole subject gets my blood boiling. I have been hunting for too many years to count and now some a$$hole landowners won't let you hunt unless you pay. What a bunch of BS. I understand posted land and would post my own land (provided I owned hunting land), but just so I knew who was hunting my land.

Have asked for permission before only to be hit up by the owner for some money. I took the high rode and just walked away rather than tell him what I really thought.

How do you figure that's out of line? We pay to own or rent the land and the taxes on the land, what gives you the right to use it or even say what it should be used for? Think about it.

 

[NDflatlander]

I am wondering why there are individuals that think that others' PRIVATE property should be open for others to hunt? I am personally a landowner and farm with my family. We post all of our land, we hunt it and let others hunt it to, specifically neighbors, employees, and friends and a few others if they ask. I agree that we don't own the animals but we do own the crops that those animals feed on, we drive the roads and take the risk of those animals jumping out in front or into our vehicles, our property taxes pay for the maintenaince of the roads that the non local hunters drive. I like hunting, but I dread hunting season around our area. For one, we are more than likely finishing up harvest and have to deal with the increased traffic on our normally quiet roads, we have to deal with persistent people asking if they can hunt and taking time away from our other harvest activities, and we have to worry about getting shot while doing our job which is dangerous enough in and of itself. In addition to that we are replacing the "posted" signs on our property at least once a hunting season because the don't seem to stop people from driving into the fields and running them over. That may give you a little insight into what landowners are feeling.

 

[StrobsM8]

Bubba,
1- SD definitely does have more birds harvested than ND. About double if you look at the 06 season. That is not to say that ND doesn't have good hunting. I hunt the South Eastern part of the state and in the last 5 years the population has really boomed.
2- Like the one guy said, in SD all the private land is posted and that is not the case in ND. I have permission to hunt a lot of posted land but there is many times there are small areas (or big ones) that are not posted that you can find plenty of birds. Also, in ND they have a PLOTS book that shows private land that is open to hunters (PLOTS land is closed to out of state hunters on the opener). Alot of those areas get hunted pretty hard early in the season but not as much after about a month.
3- I really like the late season hunting. It is alot colder but I enjoy it when there is a little snow on the ground. The dogs get the scent real good and the birds hold tighter. Plus, it is alot easier to pick out the birds when they are in fields and next to sloughs.
4- I think the price is about the same between the two. Roughly $120 for 2 5 day hunts.

I pretty much go hunting every weekend from opener to close. In ND it goes to the first weekend in January.

Good luck to you

 

[Circus Midget]

NDflatlander

I'm a farmer/landowner too. On the land we farm the ROI comes from the crops we grow. Charging hunters to hunt our land isn't going to make or break us. I agree, there are dickweed hunters out there who are a hassle and think you have nothing better to do than discuss where they can and can't hunt.

I don't want you think i'm directing this at you....but your post brought another thought to my mind. There are alot landowners out there that think just cuz they own some land that their $hit don't stink. Their attitude is they own the land and screw everyone else. It's farmers like them that are screwing themselves and driving land prices up. It's non locals that don't like dealing with snobbish land owners that come in and are willing to pay through the roof for a piece of land to hunt on a couple weeks out of the year.

 

[NDflatlander]

Midget,

I do understand what you're saying. We post our land, but it's to keep those troublesome hunters off our land. We also feel like it's good relations to allow the guys that work for us, those who we do work/rent machinery to, to hunt on our land, as well as our neighbors, and our relatives. We also let non-locals hunt our land if they are agreeable people when they ask. We have yet to charge a person to hunt on our land, we are happy to rid ourself of the deer population, but we will save our land for our family and those who have hunted it for many years before we let others get out there. We get gratis license so we hunt only our land. I will not let someone like PCDOC hunt on our land...he is the type of person that leave a bad taste in my mouth. In all honesty, we enjoy the non-local hunters they are appreciative of us allowing them to hunt, they are 100x more courteous than the locals.

I for one know that my $hit stinks, but I do own that property and that gives me the right to leave the land unposted, post it and allow people to hunt, or post it and charge to hunt. That is a benefit of being a land owner.

I do not agree that hunters have driven the price of farm property. I believe that is the larger farms that are in operation now. For instance, we have land that we just took out of CRP this year and were offered twice what we received for our payment for cash rent w/o breaking it up. We are choosing to farm it ourselves. Other land 15 miles south of that land is renting for $90 an acre. It is tough to get farm real estate around our area, I've tried. The land is no longer being bought by hunters, farmers are paying big money for cash rent and to buy land.

Sorry for hijacking this post. I have had this discussion many times and it's something that really gets me going.

 

[Bubba700]

Good to see people can have a civil conv. about their views. I have never had a prob asking for permission to hunt a place. Some times I am granted access sometimes not and when I don't I don't get angry, that just makes the owner that much less likely to allow any one access. Have a few places I have been hunting for 15 years and have great relationships with some farmers Because I showed the respect to ask every time even after years of hunting there. Its the azz hats that don't ask, trespass, tear up fields cause they are to darn lazy to get out of their truck and walk that fowl it up for the rest of us. Leaning more twards southern ND, sounds like it has good birds( I am comparing it to ID, it blows here) better out of state access and prob later when the snow flies. I am a big fan of hunting birds with snow on the ground.

 

[PCDOC]

Midget,

I do understand what you're saying. We post our land, but it's to keep those troublesome hunters off our land. We also feel like it's good relations to allow the guys that work for us, those who we do work/rent machinery to, to hunt on our land, as well as our neighbors, and our relatives. We also let non-locals hunt our land if they are agreeable people when they ask. We have yet to charge a person to hunt on our land, we are happy to rid ourself of the deer population, but we will save our land for our family and those who have hunted it for many years before we let others get out there. We get gratis license so we hunt only our land. I will not let someone like PCDOC hunt on our land...he is the type of person that leave a bad taste in my mouth. In all honesty, we enjoy the non-local hunters they are appreciative of us allowing them to hunt, they are 100x more courteous than the locals.

I for one know that my $hit stinks, but I do own that property and that gives me the right to leave the land unposted, post it and allow people to hunt, or post it and charge to hunt. That is a benefit of being a land owner.

I do not agree that hunters have driven the price of farm property. I believe that is the larger farms that are in operation now. For instance, we have land that we just took out of CRP this year and were offered twice what we received for our payment for cash rent w/o breaking it up. We are choosing to farm it ourselves. Other land 15 miles south of that land is renting for $90 an acre. It is tough to get farm real estate around our area, I've tried. The land is no longer being bought by hunters, farmers are paying big money for cash rent and to buy land.

Sorry for hijacking this post. I have had this discussion many times and it's something that really gets me going.

If that's the way you feel, fine. As I said in your PM I agree with posting and would never hunt posted land, but since I have been hunting in ND for 25 years and now somebody wants me to pay.......... it pisses me off. I would rather give the farmer a hand doing something in return for hunting. It's the whole principle behind paying to hunt that doesn't sit right with me.

 

[PCDOC]

For the record - since my post got a few landowner all riled up. I do not poach, don't drive off established roads, never hunt posted land unless with permission and I do respect landowners. I was born and raised in ND and after so many years of hunting now some owners want money to hunt.......... it just doesn't sit right with me.

Yes, landowner can do whatever they want - doesn't make it right.

 

[Mafesto]

I live in ND and this whole subject gets my blood boiling. I have been hunting for too many years to count and now some a$$hole landowners won't let you hunt unless you pay. What a bunch of BS. I understand posted land and would post my own land (provided I owned hunting land), but just so I knew who was hunting my land.

Have asked for permission before only to be hit up by the owner for some money. I took the high rode and just walked away rather than tell him what I really thought.

Do me a favor, when I turn you away, tell me what you really think. That's when
it will start to get interesting.

 

[PCDOC]

Do me a favor, when I turn you away, tell me what you really think. That's when
it will start to get interesting.

OK toughguy