Dakota Hotspots, South Dakota Reviewed by UltimatePheasantHunting.com
We headed out across the heart of South Dakota, towards the middle of the state, we were greeted with cooler temps, higher winds, and vast sunshine. Our destination was just north of Kennebec, SD to the hunting lodge of Marc Bogue called Dakota Hotspots. Dakota Hotspots is a hunting mecca that has had its land managed to support abundant amounts of wildlife, including pheasants and deer. We arrived at the lodge, and were greeted warmly by Marc Bogue's mother and father, who invited us to sit and enjoy a hearty warm breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and pancakes. We were able to join a group of hunters on their annual father/son hunt, and we got to meet most of them after breakfast.
When all were ready, we were led outdoors to begin our safety check prior to departing the fields in search of the wily ringneck pheasant. We loaded up on the converted school bus, got the dogs stowed away in their crates, and headed out. When we got to the first field, a long stretch with a mix of CRP, food plots and shelter belts next to a lake, we gathered around and discussed strategy. Those walking loaded their guns, the guides got the dogs ready, and the rest of us got back on the bus to post at the end. I went with the posting party to wait for the hunters. I was armed with my digital camera, and was hoping for some fantastic action shots. Joe Kratzke, Ryan Trask were walking with the hunters and John Gosselin (Publisher for The Upland Almanac) was posting next to me.
As the hunters drew near, the birds began to flush. At first, they were flying with the wind out over the lake. But as the bend in the lake started to pinch off their escape route, they started flushing into the wind directly towards us. We were hunkered down behind a small shelter belt consisting of blue spruce, and they literally flushed directly over us. Soon, hundreds of birds were flying everywhere, and guns were blazing. John managed to nail his limit of three in a matter of two minutes, and took the time to film the rest of this field. When the hunters got to the end of the field, we gathered up the birds and had the dogs retrieve the cripples, counted them and loaded up for the next field. The next field was CRP that was bordered by some natural wetlands, complete with thousands of cattails. These cattails came to play as birds first flushed into, then out of. Birds that were shot dropped into them, and the people that went into them came out fuzzy. Anyone who has walked cat's before knows what I mean!
We then loaded up for the next field, a large CRP field that required many people to walk. The line of hunters walked up hill into the wind. This tactic allowed them to get closer to the birds before they could hear them and allow the dogs to work into the wind for scent. Half way up the hill, droves of pheasants started busting out and filling the skies. There were so many at times I could see the younger hunters trying to figure out where to shoot first, and in doing so more birds were escaping than were being shot at. After the field was walked, we made our way back to the lodge for a hot home cooked lunch. The lodge was built in 2002, and can sleep up to 20 hunters comfortably. It has a game room complete with pool table and TV's, and is extremely warm and inviting.
We said our good-bye's to the father's and their son's and wished them luck and safety on the rest of their hunt. As we loaded up and on the drive back, the discussion was on the enormous volume of wild roosters, the awesome layout of the land, and the warm and friendly hospitality we received. I hope that I can make the trip again someday to Dakota Hotspots!
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2007 Ultimate Pheasant Hunts |
