Waterfowl in South Dakota

[baddarryl]

Hi all. I just got my lottery slot for this coming season. I will be traveling out there from NC with a seasoned hunter that has family and roots out there who has been hunting it for decades. I guess in short that means I will have my own guide to some degree. At least for travel, flights, accommodations etc.

My question is what to expect there in early November? I have never been there so I need to gear up for the weather etc. Any tips at all would be helpful as winters in coastal NC are quite mild. I'll be taking my Browning BPS in 12ga and a Winchester 120 in 20ga for back up. Any other tips such as neat things or stuff you wouldn't normally think of would be cool too. What are your experiences? Thank you!

 

[Mobuck]

"At least for travel, flights, accommodations "

I don't/won't/wouldn't fly anywhere especially with firearms/ammo.
I'm not so sure taking a 20 ga "backup" is even worth the trouble but you might look at having some lower recoil ammo available if your shoulder gets beat up early in the trip.

 

[T. O'Heir]

November isn't winter in South Dakota. Might seem like it to you(pardon me. Ya'll) though. snicker
Gettin' close though, so you need clothing for cold and wet, mid 50's F to about freezing according to forecasts at the Weather Channel.
Have a look here.
http://climate.sdstate.edu/climatesummary/
Do not scrimp on boots either.
And think in terms of the best duck hunting being in the crappiest wet weather.
Like Mobuck says, flying with firearms, even domestically, might give you no end of grief. Dunno myself.

 

[baddarryl]

People fly with firearms all the time. If proper no big deal. As far as a back up my only other option is my dad's old Sears 21 that
at has a 2 3/4 chamber. At least the 20ga has 3 inch. Which would you choose?

 

[Lucas McCain]

S.D iOS a hunting state

A good pair of insulated chest waders are a
Must, a good quality hunting coat, gore text and those with removable liners. Turtle neck tee shirts, long john underwear, gore text insulated gloves. A good pair of insulated rubber gloves for picking and wrapping up decoys. Your hands get damn cold in that water.
At that time of year, deer season is going, pheasant is open along with ducks. Weather can be similar to the outer banks or a blizzard, be prepared for all of it. Duck hunting is good if you get the first blizzard. You won't want to sit that out.
On a closing note I have seen ammo and hunting appeal sold in S.D airports. They are hunter friendly.
Good Luck, you are embarking on a fun adventure.

 

[wild willy]

It could be 80 and calm or it could be -10 and so windy you can't stand straight and depending on what part of South Dakota if it rains you will find out what real gumbo is.

 

[artsmom]

A 20 gauge is fine, although a 12 gauge would be better. The "experts" used to tell Bing Crosby's hunting buddy, Phil Harris, not to show up in South Dakota to shoot those tough old rooster pheasants with a 28 guage, but he left them slackjawed. I would recommend using hevi-shot or Federal Heavyweight shot in the 20 gauge instead of steel.

Prepare for extreme cold. One can always take clothes off if it gets too warm, but if you don't have it and you are freezing? In the Great Plains, the wind (and resultant wind chills) can make a 20 degree day deadly if one isn't dressed for the occasion.

Take an extra pair of gloves and an extra pair of socks and put them in a Zip-loc bag. Those seem to get wet on a regular basis and a dry change keeps away a miserable day.

 

[Blindstitch]

I second the who knows as for weather. I was in the Black Hills 2 years ago and september 13th it snowed. The motorcyclist across camp wasn't happy as he rented a Uhaul to get out of it. I fished the rest of the day at 30 degrees in the most unprepared trip I ever had. 5 days later it was 105 in the bad lands.

Over dress. Sweat is easier to deal with than shivering.

 

[Blindstitch]

Oh I forgot to mention there are companies that sell heated vests and jacket liners that run on a rechargeable 7 volt battery. Get one that fits snug and you will be very happy.