The cool weather we have been having has gotten me excited about heading out to South Dakota for my annual hunting trip.  This year it will be just me and my two boys (12&9).  We usually get to see quite a few tractors and watch portions of the harvest.  Does anyone know how the crops are fairing in southern MN and eastern SD?

So what are you hunting for?

Tractors

Had a deer and fawn in the orchard this morning as I drove out.  But we see deer around our place just about every day.  Brother-in-law got a nice forked horn in the orchard last year.  We have a spike that hangs around all the time and he'll be shot next year if he's still around.  The big buck in this area is pretty cautious and you very rarely ever see him.

I'm hunting for pheasants, although I do find quite a few tractors.  Originally I hoped to see different tractors than I have at home, but most of the "good" tractors are gone.  I have brought home two or three in the past eight years.

We have deer and turkeys all over home, it's kind of fun to see them, but this year they just hang out in the front yard.  I guess they are so used to me they watch me as much as I watch them.  I have shot more deer standing on my front walk than I have from my deer blind

A friend and I are leaving here (Northern Nevada) in a Cessna 210 and heading up into the northern Idaho wilderness area. There are quite a few dirt landing strips there, but no roads leading into or out of that area. We generally stay at one of the lodges along the middle fork of the Salmon river. I don't have a tag this year so I'm going along for the ride and the scenery.

That sound great Dave.  Are you hunting something or fishing?  I need to do another big game hunt and have aways wanted to go after antelope, elk, or moose.  I turn 40 this year, so hopefully I still have time to persue some more critters.

A friend and I are leaving here (Northern Nevada) in a Cessna 210 and heading up into the northern Idaho wilderness area. There are quite a few dirt landing strips there, but no roads leading into or out of that area. We generally stay at one of the lodges along the middle fork of the Salmon river. I don't have a tag this year so I'm going along for the ride and the scenery.

Dave.
I have always thought I would like to visit some of the back country airstrips in Idaho and Wyoming. I have the ideal airplane with my Maule m5 210. Just never got the time or resources to do that. I would definitely need some local training to do this.

Gene

We are going scouting for elk, but the main reason is we are going to Thomas Creek, where it meets the middle fork of the Salmon river. Way back when I was going to the university in Reno I had a part time job working at Harrahs auto collection as a mechanic. Wasn't long before they found out about my agricultural background. Harrah owned 160 acres there, built a retreat and resort for himself and his entertainment friends. He had a twin otter and all supplies were flown in, including farm equipment, piece by piece. For 4 years I was up there alot doing equipment maintenance and repairs. I managed to get an invite for a day visit.
I can go on and on about that place, but what really comes to mind is when I took the otter up there, totally dismantled a jeep cj 5, made two trips to the Boise airport where I met the truck that hauled it back to Reno. Then I put it back together and they painted and sold it.  I should have bought it.
Ever haul 200 gallons of gasoline in a bladder? We did that all the time in the otter, loading in Challis Idaho.
Enuf,
Dave

I head west in two days, there is nothing better than chasing those little funny colored birds.  Hopefully the weather will hold out for me and the boys.  I just found out there is going to be a decent Oliver auction when I'm in ND, maybe I should bring the trailer after all...

Aren't there pheasants in Michigan to hunt :confused:

Seems that North Dakota is a bit far to go to shoot some birds :rolleyes:

Of course you may have family there and have other reasons for going that far.

I think I may only see one or two pheasants a year near our place.  While we have quail around our place all the time.  Can hardly go outside without seeing some or hearing them in the brush.

How old are your boys?  Are they hunting too or just going along?

My grandson is 10 now and won a pheasant hunting trip at a sportsman show last fall.  He'd never shot a shotgun, so this spring I borrowed a 20 guage and we shot a few clay pigeons out in our field.  Only took him a couple shots to decide he wasn't ready for a shotgun.  He'd asked if he could use his BB gun instead.  I think he's still a bit too small to handle even a 20 guage, maybe in another year or two.

Anyway have a good trip with your boys!

George

George
Here in Ohio, we had the worst blizzard in January, 1978 ever recorded in Ohio. This storm killed all the pheasants and quails. Since then, any effort to reintroduce quail from released stock has been thwarted by the hawks and foxes. The raised stock is too tame to recognize the threat.
We do have a few pheasants, but very few. I don't permit hunting pheasants on my farm, but do permit hunting for deer and raccoons... Gene

Gene,

You can never go too far to shoot pheasants, as far as I'm comcerned, it's one of the most fun & relaxing activities you can do.  My boys are 12 and 9, the oldest one can legally hunt in SD this year (he has been able to hunt in Michigan since he was 10).  They are both very small framed kids so I have a small 20 guage that the older one uses, the younger one goes along for moral support (and to skip school for the week).

Yes, there are pheasants in Michigan, but nothing like the Dakotas.  I have been heading out there to hunt for the past nine years, I started going out west because I never found the time to hunt in Michigan, alway something else to do. Now when I'm in the Dakotas, I only have one thing to worry about and it's a yearly pilgrimage that I hope will last for many, many, more years.  I usually spend on week in SD and one week in ND, it's the only vacation I take from February to December.  Just typing about it is getting me all excited