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Wolfchief
PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:00 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Posts: 782
Location: Indiana

My son and I are returning to Onida, South Dakota (north of Pierre) to hunt that area this November. There were an unbelievable number of birds there last year; has anyone heard how the hatch is progressing? I know it may be a little early to tell, but I wondered how much rain/cold they have gotten this spring and how the hens/chicks might have been affected? Thanks for any info...

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Larry Brown
PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:59 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 743

WC, it's somewhat early to tell. I think SD weather has been fairly similar to what we've seen in Iowa, and my guess at present is that we're in above average shape for chick production this year. May started out cooler than normal, but it was not especially wet. Don't think SD got a lot of rain either. Usually, when you get past about the eastern 1/3 or so of SD, their problem is not too much rain, but rather too little.
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cedar16
PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:04 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 40
Location: Clarkfield, MN

Too little rain is the problem so far. My friends just got back from the Lower Brule, south of Pierre. Pastures were brown and temps in 90's. Warm and dry is good for nesting and hatching, but rain is needed to provide insects for the chicks and grow secure cover. A good rain soon might rescue things as far as brood survival. Another friend who lives 70 miles west of Aberdeen told me last week that their area also is very dry. If this keeps up there might be an emergency cutting of the CRP for hay, as has been done in the past. Spotty rains broke out over the eastern part of the State yesterday, but I didn't get amounts. If you are hunting a commercial operation, most likely they will leave most of their CRP uncut if possible. Read on GF&P website that last year's fall population was 9 million birds and they shot 1.9 million.
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