My father-in-law hunts SD every year and this year has invited me to go along. Any suggestions for clothing items that someone new should have? I have an orange vest, I am buying rubber boots, and upland hunting pants. Any other suggestions for Items a new person might want to look into? We are going the end of October so I am preparing for it to be cold.
Thanks in advance.
Make sure the boots are broken in and COMFORTABLE. I wear a hunting fanny pack (yeah, yeah, yeah). Can hold any medical supplies, snacks, water etc.
I personally would not wear rubber boots, there is a lot walking everyday. Go get yourself a good pair of waterproof upland boots, your feet will thank you. I would also look into a pair or two of chaps.
I personally would not wear rubber boots, there is a lot walking everyday. Go get yourself a good pair of waterproof upland boots, your feet will thank you.
This, unless the “rubber boots” you purchased are Mucks or something similar. I bought a pair of Mucks 3 years ago and they are very comfortable. I was sick and tired of having wet feet because constantly finding water that went over the top of my field boots.
Same as above. Your feet are the priority. Wet feet in comfortable boots are better than dry feet in uncomfortable boots. Then protect your legs. I use cordura covered jeans. Dress for the temp. Plenty of orange and a hunting vest/jacket with game bag to carry your birds.
Agreed on the boots. They need to be comfortable and I have high arches so I use inserts. With the amount of walking you will likely do, this is directly correlated to your stamina.
My general rule of thumb when pheasant hunting is that you should feel cool/chilly right as you start the hunt. You will warm up quickly as you get walking. Otherwise be sure to dress in layers so you can take clothes off if you get too warm.
Always be prepared for that notorious South Dakota wind. Bring numerous layers.
I echo the comments on boots. For sure bring a boot dryer. I always bring 2 pairs of boots too.
Have been hunting SD for over 30 years. We pack for three seasons because you never know what temps and conditions will be. Have hunted in T shirts with temps to 80 and other years had early snow and freezing temps. I buy the lightest weight mid height top quality hunting/hiking waterproof boots I can find. This year there will be a lot of water out there so I’ll take a good pair of taller rubber boots for the wetter areas. Gore Tex is your best friend. Layering like others have said is the way to go. Be aware that as you bulk up it changes effective pull length of your gun. I can go to a thinner butt pad on my Beneli to compensate.
Always be prepared for that notorious South Dakota wind.
X2.
I’ve seen some pheasants bank in high wind where I may as well have been shooting at a fighter jet. Or… by the time you’ve shouldered the gun they’re 40+ yds down range. I’ve also seen where two people open vehicle doors at the same time and anything not tied down in the cab is now tumbling down the road.
BTW… Where I grouse hunt in MN rubber boots are a staple but I’ve never noticed the need for them in SD. We always hunted ditches and if conditions were wet the cover types generally became too sparse to hold a number of birds so we looked for better cover.
I personally would not wear rubber boots, there is a lot walking everyday. Go get yourself a good pair of waterproof upland boots, your feet will thank you. I would also look into a pair or two of chaps.
Word of advice for anybody coming out here to SD this fall. Bring muck/bogs/rubber boots. Throw a pair of insoles in them, and plan on wearing them a lot. It’s really really wet out here, and the pheasants are absolutely in the wet stuff right now. I duck hunted 320 acres of CRP a week ago on land owned by a commercial pheasant lodge; over half of the grass was flooded knee to waist deep and the other half had tons of areas with soggy soil and ankle deep water. The roosters were thick in that soggy stuff. They were cackling and flying back and forth anytime we’d shoot at ducks. Saw tons of roosters in muddy fallow fields as well. Hopefully we get some sun and wind to dry some more areas out, but it’s looking like a cold wet fall.
Thanks for all the help. I ran to fleet farm and found a pair of Muck boots that could double for ice fishing. Don’t think my feet will be cold. Then found some nice browning upland pants on sale at Gander outdoors. Plan on wearing layers as many have said.
Based on how under water everything is out here right now. I would definitely bring knee high rubber boots as well as in all seriousness a pair of waders. All the majority of the birds are in the waterlogged sloughs when we were looking for then recently for the youth hunts. Bring a boot dryer no matter how wet or dry the year is also even if just for the sweat.
A moisture wicking base layer and a windproof light jacket is my must have items because you have to work so hard in the thick nasty wet stuff to get them out.
Thanks for all the help. I ran to fleet farm and found a pair of Muck boots that could double for ice fishing.
Good choice! You will really enjoy them for ice fishing as well. I wear mine all the time ice fishing.
I make multiple SD pheasant hunting trips a year, a long with lots of local MN hunting. Definitely prepare for all seasons, but being late October you will probably see temps somewhere between 30-60. 60 and sun is too warm. 30 and wind and rain could be cold. 45 and sunny with a slight breeze is really nice when walking all day.
I would bring a few pairs of boots. Muck or rubber boots, and plan on wearing them the most. A pair of waterproof upland/hunting/hiking boots, and only wear those when you are in an area that is higher elevation grassland and you are 100% sure you won’t be coming into water. A boot dryer is certainly nice to have to get the sweat out of your boot before the next days hunt. Moisture wicking socks. I wouldn’t worry too much about the warmness of the boot. Unless it is below 0, you will warm up very quickly from the amount of walking you will do. You can always add a layer of socks if need be, but wet/sweaty feet is not fun.
I think a pair or two of upland pants is very important, however you can certainly make use of your old pair of blue jeans. Upland pants just do a tremendous job of blocking all the brush, wicking away the early morning dew, stopping burs, etc.
Vest – If you are just starting out, any vest with a few pockets for shells and an area to hold birds will do. If you get into the sport, then certainly upgrade if you’d like.
Other: Hat, stocking cap, lightweight and heavyweight gloves, sunglasses, shooting glasses, water bottle, pocket knife.
Gun & Shells: When traveling that far, I always like having a backup gun with me just in case. Know the rules on shells – if you are public and needing steel shot.
Layers: A lot of people make the mistake of dressing for the 30 degrees it is at 10am and not the 50 degrees it is at noon after walking. I usually am just fine in a hooded sweatshirt and t-shirt almost no matter the weather. I don’t like bulk, so I may add a baselayer underneath that if needed, or a lightweight windbreaker type jacket over it.
Depending on the type of trip you are on (remote backroads public land hunting) I always carry a shovel with me. You never know when you’ll get stuck in snow or mud, and how long it may take someone to get to you. Leave each day with a full tank of gas. More water than you think you’ll need. Snacks. Ice. Coolers. First Aid kid for humans and dogs. Zip lock bags for birds. Knives.
A note on leg layers. When necessary for early season I use a very thin set of silk long Johns. They are just warm enough to get by in the 30’s yet not too hot if it slips into the 40’s or so in the afternoon. They take up little space in your pants so you wont feel restricted. I know there are many different kinds of underwear and everybody has their favorites. I recently converted to merino wool. Different weights for different temps. But silk still has a place in my wardrobe.
I could have done without reading about Suzuki’s silk undies. 
I could have done without reading about Suzuki’s silk undies.
I didnt mention the most important part. They feel niiiiiice.
Seriously, silk is awesome in that it doest bind with your pants. I could go on but Ryan (Ralph) has me scared…..
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