How to book a hunt

By staff reports

Tips on how to book a successful hunt.

Every year, thousands of hunters flock to South Dakota to experience some of the finest pheasant hunting in the world.

In addition to bagging your limit, it’s important to consider lodging, meals and other furnishings before you visit South Dakota.

Hunting with an outfitter or guide can save you time and trouble as well as help ensure the hunt of a lifetime. If you plan to stay at a lodge, it’s best to do a little homework and schedule your trip well in advance.

Don Meidinger, private land operator at Pheasant Lake Rooster & Bucks, just west of Ellendale, N.D., said the earlier you book a trip - the better. He suggests contacting people who have stayed at the lodge you’re considering in order to learn about the overall experience.

“That would probably be about the best way for accommodations and for the hunting itself,” he said.

Pheasantcountry.com is pleased to provide links to the following outfitters and guides.

»View Outfitters

Here are some other tips to consider for the pheasant hunting season.

Plan for unpredictable weather

“Not a lot of people know that they can come out in October and it can either be 80 degrees or it’s going to be snowing,” said Buddy Seiner, outdoor media and public relations representative with the South Dakota Office of Tourism.

“So they just have to prepare themselves - bring a lot of warm clothing – they have to prepare their dogs - make sure they have water out in the field for their dogs. Because that’s something we see quite often, the dogs getting dehydrated and overheating.”

Emphasize safety

“In our lodge, at the first evening dinner, the lodge manager gets up and gives a long safety speech,” said Dan Schierman, a product manager at Gage Outdoor Expeditions in Minneapolis.

Gage Outdoor provides hunting and fishing trips and accommodations at various lodges, including the Thunderstik Lodge near Chamberlain. He said their safety review includes what to watch for in the field, how to properly hold a gun and other topics.

Make sure you're aware of local hunting regulations

“Right in our area here, especially if you’re an out-of-state hunter, we have a lot of plots and open public land, but you can’t hunt it opening weekend,” Meidinger said. “So you need to know the regulations in the area that you’re going to.”

Regulations are available from a state’s Game and Fish department.

Consider waiting until after opening weekend

Chuck Schlueter, communications program administrator with the Game, Fish and Parks Division of Wildlife, said up to 60 percent of nonresident pheasant hunters visit South Dakota within the first 5 to 10 days of the season opener.

He said the pheasant opener is a great tradition, but it won’t hurt to wait a week or two - and consider hunting during the week.

“In South Dakota, you can really get a whole new perspective of what wide-open spaces are, because there aren’t a lot of people out hunting then. There’s lots of birds, and there’s some great hunting."

The first snowfall doesn't mean an end to the season

According to Schlueter, an early November snow often leads to the perception that the hunting season has ended.

“People say ‘Oh, it snowed, that’s the end of pheasant hunting,’ but a lot of times that’s just the beginning,” he said.

Schlueter said 40 to 50-degree temperatures aren’t uncommon after an early snow, and if snow is on the ground, it can result in some excellent pheasant hunting.

“The pheasants kind of bunch up in the really good cover, and so if you get on the birds then you’re liable to have a whole tassel of them come flying out of the marsh or wherever you are hunting at.”

Make sure your dogs are up to date on their vaccinations

Schlueter said the South Dakota Animal Industry Board requires a certificate of health when dogs are brought into the state.

“Basically that certificate of health is from their veterinarian showing that the dogs are up to date on all their shots and are in good health,” he said.

For more information, call the Animal Industry Board at 605-773-3321.