Which Bird Hunt For One Week Of Vacation

I have one week of vacation in late October and I'm having a hard time deciding which trip to make for just me and my 7 1/2 year old yellow lab, so I thought I'd get your opinions. I thought about driving out to South Dakota and trying to freelance for pheasants, or go up to northern Wisconsin and try to find some ruffed grouse. For those of you who have done one or the other or both, which did you enjoy most and why?

I am not a hard-core pheasant or grouse hunter, but I have two labs and spend a couple weekends chasing both. Hands down, pheasant hunting has been more enjoyable for me and the dogs. I spend two 4 day trips to SD in the Sisseston and Aberdeen area. However, last year the number of birds were down. I have heard mix reports this year. All the beans and most of the corn has been harvested for weeks and due to the droughts alot of CRP grasses have been cut and bail for feed so the birds may group in the small amount of cover that remains and will take heavy pressure the first three weeks of October.

Hit ND and on your way back slip up to northern MN or WI and grouse hunt for a couple days. I have done both SD and ND and LOVE them both. Late Oct will be good for the lab. The scenery in incredible. Like stated earlier you can pheasant hunt and hit the potholes for waterfowl too. If you decide to do this call NOW because hotels are filling up.

I have gone out west for the last 13 years and love it. The Birds have been amazing all but one or two years. Your dog will love it. I also try and sneak up north for a long weekend or two in mid to late OCt for some scare the poop out of grouse hunting. I love when they take off from right in front of you and you had no idea they were that close. Either way you will be a memorable event for you and the pooch. at 7.5 yo he should have all the silliness gone and be all business. My favorite thing regardless of where Im hunting is having the dog laying at my feet because he is so tired from hunting so hard. Enjoy your decision, FD

If you insist on doing the SD thing, then wait until December. You should have no problems getting your birds and there will be a fewer idiots...especially during the week. But, I'd choose grouse...without question. As a matter of fact, I'm taking 3 weeks off starting October 20th. The leaves will be down and it will be cool/cold. Bring the boat along for some walleye fishing in the evenings.

I take a week every year to hunt pheasant in SD and love it.But my favorite bird hunt is for grouse and woodcock,lots of public land so do not have to beg any one to hunt.Your problem is though that you have to go in late October most woodcock will be gone by then and its also later then I prefer for grouse.Grouse seem to get more skittish after most of the leaves are gone,at least until they relocate.So my vote would be for the pheasant hunt,but then again late October is a great time to hunt Wisconsin weather wise.If it was me I would try to get up to northern Wisconsin for a week end in mid October then take the week for SD pheasants.

I do both and it would be a tough choice. I hunt grouse about 15 days out of the year, and pheasant out west between 4-7 days per year. A full week grouse hunting like I do, you and the dog will be completly shot, but it would be fun. I think you will have a tough time freelancing in SD for a week at the end of Oct. That is prime time for pheasants and all land will be lock up with the exception of walk-in land, and you will be fighting all others for that as well. If it is just you and your dog, I would hit the northwoods.

I love hunting pheasants but I would go grouse hunting every day if I could. They are absolutely my favorite birds to hunt. The cover and the challenge make it for me.

I did ND that way a few years back. Hunted waterfowl, pheasants, sharptails and huns with a couple sandhills thrown in. Best bird hunting of my life! It did take lots of homework, scouting and just a bit of luck though. Thinking about doing the same thing again this fall......

SD. 2012 makes 17 years in a row.