SoDak ducks

I’ve had the pleasure of hunting private land in South Dakota for pheasants for nearly 20 years. This year, due to a foot and ankle surgery, my dog getting older, etc., I’ve applied for a waterfowl license. I was drawn and am excited to begin the process of researching where to hunt. I’m in the Spink/Beadle county area. Does anyone have any insight for me?

Congrats on drawing the tag!! My duck hunting experience out there is a bit dated, but I suspect it hasn’t changed all that much. Both counties mentioned have lots of good waterfowl hunting. Anything east and north is also good.

Start your research for public land here:
SD Maps

This is also a nice tool:
Interactive Map

Last, there is an app for both Apple and Android I use all the time:
App Links

As wet at the east central part of the state is, the ducks should be everywhere this year.

Thanks, Kooty. I was hoping you’d chime in.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Tips?

I was working in Huron and Aberdeen this past week. Lots and lots of local ducks on the public slews west of Huron.

Great News! It sounds like I might be spending more time waterfowling than pheasant hunting. The annual report isn’t too promising.

Pheasant #s are definitely down. Didn’t spend a ton of time driving around this trip, but I believe the report the state put out.

You’re heading to a great area and you’re duck and pheasant hunting in South Dakota, life is going to be good no matter what!

For more information…..What are your dates and what is your goal? (ducks, geese, greenheads, divers…..ponds, fields?) Success will vary greatly depending on effort and expectations.

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You’re heading to a great area and you’re duck and pheasant hunting in South Dakota, life is going to be good no matter what!

For more information…..What are your dates and what is your goal? (ducks, geese, greenheads, divers…..ponds, fields?) Success will vary greatly depending on effort and expectations.

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We’ll be out there Oct. 26 through Nov. 1. We have some private fields and water to hunt. It has always just been a pheasant trip, but with my recent foot/ankle surgery, an aging dog, and pheasant numbers down, I thought I’d try to get into waterfowling. I haven’t field hunted ducks before. I live on the Mississippi now and grew up in lake country in NW WI. I’d love to harvest a mixed bag. We camp right on the river, but it typically doesn’t hold the ducks that the sleughs and ponds do. I’m excited to give it a go.