# Return from the Dakota's



## bnatt (Sep 17, 2007)

We just got back from our second trip to the prairies and enjoyed similar success but different hunting conditions. I would have posted pic's from our first hunt but my wife "misplaced" my memory card so I decided I needed had back and take a few more. We arrived a day and half after the blizzard hit and everything was covered in snow. The temps on two of the days never reached higher than 18 degrees outside and each morning started off in the single digits. Ditches that I hunted on my last outing were completely filled with snow. The same fields that held birds before were completely covered and not huntable. The birds were bunched like I've never seen before. They didn't hold at all and seemed to start running the minute they saw you. We hunted mostly private land with a few walk-in areas. I'm sure the storm killed a good percentage of birds. We found a lot of dead ones out walking and also seen quite a few just of the roads, but there are still quite a few out there. Over all we had a great time and enjoyed great hunting.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

How would it be if Utah could turn around what's happened to Utah pheasants and have at least half as many as South Dakota has. It could honestly be done in some areas in Utah but I don't know that even if they closed the hunt for up to 5 years the pheasants would be in any better shape than they are now I think populations have just gotten to low to actually make a come back and soon I am very afraid it seems they may not make it in Utah at all. Anyways great pics and looks like the funnest pheasant hunt I've ever seen.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

>


The really sad thing is that this photo shows Utah's entire pheasant population in one photo.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Holy geez. What an out of state permit cost there? Is there much public land?


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## seniorsetterguy (Sep 22, 2007)

Where we went in ND, an out of state permit for $100 gets you two weeks of upland hunting...and it's worth it! Plenty of public access locations. Look for good cover near grain crops. I've been up there three times and each time, on the way home, we're planning our next trip and wishing it was tomorrow!


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

What's the limit on birds up there?


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## bnatt (Sep 17, 2007)

The issue with Utah Pheasant hunting, and it goes for pheasant hunting anywhere, is habitat, habitat, habitat. In my opinion the 2 key issues for pheasant populations to thrive is winter cover and nesting habitat. A lot of people in Utah think predators are the number one issue. While I agree it plays its role in the over all population, if pheasants have good cover to survive the winter and good nesting cover in the spring for hens then their populations will grow. The problem in Utah is fence row to fence row farming and urban sprawl. Irrigation practices have drastically changed in Utah and our pheasant population has suffered as a result. Its hard to believe but they need to thin out some of the roosters out there. A male can breed up to 10 females in the spring and they also compete for food with the hens throughout the winter so you have a starvation issue. Some of the areas we hunted seemed to have anywhere from a 1:1 to a 1:3 rooster to hen ratio, which is way to high.


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## Lycan (Sep 22, 2008)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> >
> 
> 
> The really sad thing is that this photo shows Utah's entire pheasant population in one photo.


...and that was preseason.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

It looks like you had a awesome trip one of these days I need to head down there its sad but true that is all of utah's phesants in one picture.


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## Travis R. Bullock (Jul 25, 2008)

Nice job guys, great pics!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

AWESOME PIC man there a crap load of ring necks over there.


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