Hello all, since I didn’t post anything for most of the 2021 season, I thought I would give you a little update. The first pair of hunters were able to limit out for the entire 10 days they were here, but boy did they have to walk! Some days they walked over ten miles to get their birds. I had a couple groups of hunters after them who had the same walking experience, however, getting a limit of birds was pretty tough and it didn’t always happen. The birds were very skittish and would blow out very early. The drought was also tough on them. We had some nice food plots and still had some decent cover in spite of the drought, but the birds were tough. I have a theory that due to the drought, we lost most of the young birds with hatches likely having a hard time finding water. This left us with only the veteran birds who knew how to avoid getting shot. In addition to the first pair of hunters, we had another early group that got a lot of shooting and could have their limits but…you know how that goes. Fromm there on, it was hit and miss with a few hunters doing well, and others having a hard time pinning them down. On the up side, we did see a good number of birds throughout the year, especially hens, roosters too, but they just stayed out of range. The hunters who limited out were those with good, slow working dogs, who were also willing to put some miles on each day. Even though the hunting was tougher than usual, everyone seemed to have a great experience and spoke highly of their visit. We did have to cancel a couple hunts as I didn’t want to see hunters travel and have a hunt that didn’t meet their expectations. I want people to have good experiences and some of the hunts last year were big on walking and not so much on shooting. Again, everyone seemed to enjoy their visit even if they didn't leave with full limits. The ranch owners, the meals they cooked, and the fun evening discussions are an experience of their own. Also, there were a lot of grouse (Prairie Chickens) who filled in for the wiley roosters.
This year is still a little up on the air. We haven't seen a lot of young birds and I fear the early hatch may have been hailed out (like some of the crops) but they still have a chance to show up. Rain has been better (except when it hails), still not out of the drought yet, but better so far. Hopefully there will l be a little less walking needed this year. All this is part of a normal cycle for a pure wild bird ranch so we are not surprised. We will ensure, like we did last year, to only allow the right amount of pressure based on the bird numbers. We are planting some late millet and others crops to ensure they have plenty of food and cover so we will see.
For anyone interested in a true wild bird hunt, give me a call later this summer and I’ll give you an update (605-786-4502). I’ll also give a late summer update here.
Stay safe, Bob.
Pheasant hunting in South Dakota at its finest. All WILD birds, thousands of acres and great habitat.
Buzzard Creek Ranch is located in Central South Dakota, north of the small town of Philip SD, the county seat of Haakon County. The town was named after James “Scotty” Philip who is remembered as the “man who saved the buffalo” due to his role in helping to preserve the American Bison from extinction.
The ranch is a fifth generation working cattle ranch homesteaded in 1906. A number of crops are also raised on the fertile land, likely the reason pheasants are so abundant. The owners are great stewards of the land and have planted tree belts, enhanced water resources, and preserved portions of the ranch as wildlife habitat.
Hunting on the ranch is limited by the South Dakota pheasant season as there are no “stocked” birds and the ranch is not designated as a preserve. All South Dakota Game laws apply and are adhered to. All hunting is for pure wild birds (which does make it a little more challenging than a preserve) with limited numbers of hunters accepted each year. A South Dakota pheasant (small game) license is required. There are non-resident license options available for limited time frames.
If you are interested in a great pheasant hunting experience please call, text or email. (see contact page)
