Dig, Dug...dogs?

After four days of crummy weather we finally managed to dig our way out. I think we were actually spared some. Reports of 20 inches of snow fell in Murdo and Mitchell, but we're pretty sure we did not get that much. Our best guess puts us somewhere around 10-12 inches, but the wind blew 30-40 mph, with gusts nearing 50 and 60 mph, so it left us with some good drifts. We took the snow removal a day at a time and pretty much finished up yesterday. It put a dent in every one's Christmas plans, but we survived and managed to gorge ourselves on the prime rib, turkey, ham, and anything else that got in our way.

The pheasants managed to do alright also. Cordie and I managed to get out the last couple of days and check it out. Lots of drifting snow, with lots of pheasants scratching to get to the food underneath it. We found two dead roosters and 2000 live ones, so I think we came out of this one OK. We'll know more by the end of the week, with our friend from PA to shoot all week and the family hunt beginning Thursday that should give us a better idea of how we really did. The biggest problem that we've found so far is getting around. We've been working on our winter driving skills- Cordie driving, me shoveling. I hope we get that ironed out soon also.

Happy Holidays to everyone. Be safe.

Raisin' the Roof

The boys have been hard at it putting the house together. That is until they run out of supplies, then they stick to cleaning birds and other daily chores around the lodge. Yes, that's Jamie, our resident carpenter/bird cleaner/concrete finisher. All right, I guess he's our "Jack of all trades". The plan was to have it all sheeted and tinned before it snows again, but there's been a few delays, so we're not sure it will happen. They're getting more done than we planned, so when the hunting is done Cordie and I will have the pleasure of working mostly indoors. Like Cordie says, "plan your work,and work your plan".

Went huntin' with Dad and all I got was this lousy Jackrabbit...

Not to be confused with the "big hoppin' coyote with lots of ears".

We weren't really hunting for anything other than the jumpin' jacks, but we could have shot our limit of pheasants, which we've been doing plenty of. We tried to put a dent in the rabbit numbers, but success was low. We'll continue working on them for the next couple of months and try to save as many trees as possible.

We're winding down on the regular season with a few small hunts planned along with the family hunt, and there are a lot of birds left , as is apparent in the photo below (click on it to see a larger image). We'll continue plugging along, and when the regular season closes we'll work on the preserve and knock as many out there as we can. Lots left there, too, not sure what we're trying to save other than the pheasants from themselves.

Not Since 1959!!!

The SD Game, Fish & Parks attempted to raise the daily limit of rooster pheasants to 5 for the remainder of the season; something that hasn't been done in 50 years. The Department explained that because of the abundance of roosters and the lack of harvest of fall row-crops, which inhibited the harvest early in the season, this years population could easily sustain the extra harvest. The Commission vote did not receive enough aye votes for the emergency rule to pass. If the rule would have passed we would have been allowed to take 5 roosters a day from Saturday, December 5 until the end of the season. We could have taken on the additional harvest, but I guess we'll just do it three birds at a time, and carry over what's left. Right now that's looking like plenty, but with a month left in the season we'll do our best to put a dent in it. Anybody interested in helping can check the dates at the Inn with the boss.

Who's Having Tag Soup??

Not Cordie. He filled his tag this morning down on South South, as we like to call it. Some of you may know it as that big circle food plot. We let this nice 6x6 mulie buck walk yesterday because we were not sure how good he was, but Cordie wouldn't let it happen two days in a row. I've also received word that John Wayne and Paul filled their tags, but no proof yet. I guess that leaves me with tag in hand. I'll be eating good tonight on fresh backstrap, but not sure how much more Cordie will share. I've got until Sunday to get some of my own. I'm sure there's going to be another doe or two to fill the freezer, but not so sure we can find another good buck. I'll keep you posted. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Always something to be thankful for.

One Down....

Big John was the first to strike and fill his coveted Grasslands tag out of the Jund hunting party. He took this nice 5x5 mule deer on Tuesday evening. John Wayne, Paul, and Dalton still have tags, and several good bucks in their sights. They've spent quite a few hours scouting, planning, and watching, not too mention a few attempts with the bow. A few of the good bucks have fallen into other hunters hands, but that's what happens on public land. They've got a week and a half left, and when not at work they'll be at play. Good luck boys, and to the rest of you with deer tag in hand. Feel free to send your pictures to the Snake Den and a story of the successful hunt. Cordie and I are still trying to find a good one. I got word that Brandon shot a decent one on the Reservation, a 5x5 whitetail, but no picture to post.

Great Shots

Spent the last weekend with the Hunter/Schneider clan out of NC (and a few from SC). A young man by the name of Ben gave me all the pictures that he took while he was here. A great collection of some really good shots. I'm sure he missed some shots with his shotgun, but his comrades were nice to enough to pick up the slack. I posted a couple of them, but there's many more of the dogs, birds, and hunters. Some great action shots. I know he had to make some good shots with his shotgun too, but these are the ones we'll remember. Good job Ben, and I hope you had fun shooting with both.

Are you sure??

IT'S A BOY!! Abby and Brandon found out recently that they are due to have a boy in March. The newest addition to the Snake Den, another hunter I'm sure, which never hurts. A future guide in the making to tag along with Kellen. His name, unknown at this time, and I'm told is a secret. Nothing wrong with that, gotta keep some things to yourself. Good Luck to the Bacon's, and that sizzlin' ham in the oven.

What a Difference a Year Makes

The picture above was taken last year at this time (thanks to Stoney Denny), and for those of you who have been here lately know we're far from snow. We were beginning to wonder what kind of winter it was going to be when we had a skiff of snow during the opening week, but lately we've been having what they call an "Indian Summer". The temps are forecasted to be above 70 degrees today, and we've been dry for a whole week now. We've got a long ways to go before spring, but so far so good.

The combines have been busy lately taking out as much fall crop as fast as they can. It will definitely change the hunting for the better, and we can't complain much about the temps being too warm. We've had a "Carolinas Invasion" with the last couple of groups, and they're certainly not complaining. Between the two there are over 30 hunters from North and South Carolina, with the majority being from the North. Is one better than the other? What's the difference, and where the heck is Hilton Head?

Also pictured above is Cordie's brother, Delvin, who is scheduled to make an appearance some time this weekend. We'll see how long we can get him to hang around.

You're my boy Blu

Blu Berry Fujan JH

03/21/1997-10/21/2009

Blu came to the Snake Den in the fall of 1998, and for those of you who were privileged enough to work behind him, you know what made him so special. Blu had a great nose, was very methodical, and made some of the longest retrieves I have ever seen. He loved people and had no problem cuddling in the goose blind, and was famous for his death roll when you would collar him up to go hunting. He sired around 35 pups, some of which have already made a career working for the Snake Den. Blu was retired in 2006, but his bloodline will most likely be carried forever at the Snake Den.

We Cater to All Kinds

I helped out the last day with the Beimdick boys from MO, all 18 of them. We had a good hunt and many roosters found their final resting place. I believe it was Danny Ross who made the comment that Cordie's sign looks like an entrance to a cemetery, I added that it is- for roosters. A good time was had by all, and I believe all 18 shooters got their fill of a lot of things. They put on a good show while they were here, and it's been that way for ten years.

The weather held out for them, but I can't say it's gonna be that good for the next couple of groups. We've gotten about 3/4 of an inch of rain so far today, and it looks like it could change to snow overnight. Tomorrow looks to be some of the same, but the weekend should be nice. Can't wait.

Welcome back

I had the pleasure of spending the last four days with the Struever and Harn group. The two have been hunting together since 1947. I'm pretty certain that makes them the pair that has hunted together the longest among those appearing at the Snake Den. After a couple year hiatus, and missing their usual opening weekend spot they brought along first time bird hunter Jim who is 75 years young, and TG who has been coming with since 2002. I think I remembered all the dates correctly, but a lot were thrown at me. We had a good time, and the boys come to hunt, so when they shot their limit by 1:00 PM one day, they took a run at a few grouse and succeeded by knocking down five. It was a good time and the weather was about as good as you could ask for. We can't ask for much more than that here at the Snake Den.

By the Numbers

Number of Groups: 5

Number of Hunters: 41

Number of Guides: 9

States Represented: 13

Roosters Harvested: 369

Accidents: O


That's what can happen on the famous pheasant fields of South Dakota in a full three days experience with the Snake Den. In addition, one sharptail grouse, one prairie chicken, and four turkeys were harvested. Of course some guys can't leave after three days, and more will come in. The weather ranged from 60 to 78 degrees, a little warm but we'll take it. It was dry and that's all that really mattered, which has not been the case for the last couple of days. A good time was had by all, and that is priceless.

Opening Weekend

Nearly seventy people converged on the Snake Den for the big party before the big hunt. Lots of food and beverages kept everyone happy. Nearly two antelope and 40 pheasants were consumed. Marlys dished up some excellent pheasant chili and fajitas, and topped it off with pounds of antelope chislic. Friends from different groups were able to catch up and make even more acquaintances, along with several father/son combos, including the Severud pair below. This is what it's all about. Another great beginning to pheasant season at the Snake Den.

Thanks to Johnny and Stacie for creating the great invitation for the event.

Young Bucks Hunting Young Birds

Three young hunters joined us at the Snake Den this weekend for the Youth Pheasant Opener. Micah, Noah, and Austin have been having a good time chasing roosters across the countryside. Their dog, Snickers, might be the oldest one in the bunch, but she had a little help from newcomer, Misty, a Visla, which Lloyd kept control of. Under the guidance of Lloyd and Leroy, Cordie's cousins, they scratched out a limit on Sunday, and came up one short on Saturday. They're looking forward to another day of it tomorrow, and hope the rain will hold off until they're done. Don't forget to do your best to take a kid hunting.

The Louthian group is also here this weekend from South Carolina. The guys hunted in the rain yesterday, and took advantage of the beautiful day today and knocked out two hunts in one day. The forecast is calling for rain tomorrow, so they're planning on spending their last day doing a little sight seeing out west through the Badlands and then Mount Rushmore.

When 30 seemed so old

Article by Marileen Tilberg, Editor of The Onida Watchman (and good friend of Casey and Jamie!)

Husband Darell and I were among over 100 guests at a surprise birthday party for Casey Griffith, former Sully County Conservation Officer. His wife Jamie definitely surprised him with a party three weeks after his 30th birthday. Guests were hiding at their lodge in Presho before Casey arrived. They included former college roommates, people who he had worked with, friends and relatives. His actual birthday came a couple of days before their baby daughter Claire was born, so there was no time for a party then. Congratulations on a little sister for Kellen, for surviving college, your GFP career, marriage, a family, and your many hunting trips in 30 short years! Way to pull off a surprise Jamie!

Bonus Birds

Like I said, it has begun, and the last couple of days have been good. The Clarke Trio showed up yesterday and teamed up with our resident Clarke and with the Boone's on their final day to have a heck of a hunt. Six shooters limited out in one strip with plenty of birds to spare. A good hunt for a closing shoot and a beginning shoot. That was just a warm-up though. We headed west this morning and put the boys on some Sharptail Grouse and Prairie Chickens. We saw hundreds of birds, but they also saw us, and the wind and cloudy weather didn't help. After paying our dues the boys finally broke up a big covey and then began to pick'em apart one-by-one. Chris "manslaughter" Manny had a career day, and says he feels bad for having to help the boys out a little. John "jackrabbit" Pearson could have cared less after he bagged his four-legged friend.

They weren't done yet. After a quick lunch, we hit the preserve for a limit of birds. Not quite as quick as the first day, but fun, none the less. We skipped the golf game today, but we're looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow. Good start for the first day of Fall. Who says the good 'ol days are gone.

It has begun...

Kellen's ready, how about you? We got out yesterday with our first clients, the Boone's, a father/son combo from Missouri. I don't think they were disappointed and either were we. Lots of birds, and more to come with so many that you can't tell what they are. The boys shot decent, but wished they would have done better. Don't we all? It only took a few walks and they had their limit. It's always a little tough with only two guys because you know lots of birds are running around you, but we managed to get it done.

Marlys and Jamie headed to Sioux Falls and put a dent in the future supply run. Just the basics for now to get us by, until we make the big run. They also managed to do a little extra shopping for Kellen, Claire, and themselves. As you can see Kellen wasted no time in trying out his new duds. I've got a feeling that it won't be long and I'll have a full-time assistant. He's already got it figured out that I'm hunting about everyday from here on out. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as he and I.

Velvet Mulies

We came across these mule deer the other night while driving around. They happen to be on a piece we rent for hunting, and Cordie and I do have our deer tags. Not sure we'll find time once the season rolls around in November, but good to see a decent buck in the area. Hopefully he makes it a few more years to grow a little more. Along with the deer tags we've got turkey and antelope too. Those should be harvested by the time Opening Weekend rolls around. All part of the feast for the big celebration. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Lodge Update

Work continues on the new Lodge/House. We have the walls up on the garage, and plan to put the rafters up soon. Once we get the garage enclosed that will give us something to work out of this winter when the weather may not be so nice. We'll see how much we get done, but it's getting down to crunch time with less than a week left before hunters start showing up. Lots of things to do yet to get completely ready for the hunt. Cordie has been busy mowing things up and counting the birds. Hard to believe the overall count is down when you see all the birds around. The countdown has begun, lots to look forward to.

State Pheasant Count

The State says the overall pheasant numbers have declined this year by 26%, yet are still 13% higher than the 10-year average. The 2009 count was still the fourth highest count in the last 45 years. In Lyman County the numbers are up with this areas brood surveys increasing by 8%, with an even larger increase in the area where we hunt the most. We are included in the Chamberlain, Winner, and Pierre area counts, which boast the most pheasants per mile during the annual brood surveys. In the past four years hunters have harvested nearly 2 million birds per year, and this year should be no different. At the Snake Den our harvest has increased along with the number of hunters hosted and this year looks to be no different.

There's also been a changing of the guard as far as Game Wardens go. Bob Karlen our local warden for nearly 20 years resigned this summer, and there's a new kid town. Dan Altman was recently placed in Presho, and will be working Lyman County for many years to come, we hope. We were sad to see Bob leave because he's been so good to us over the years. Dan was a CO intern prior to me leaving the Game and Fish, so I did get to spend a few days in the boat with him. Nice guy, we look forward to working with him, and hopefully he won't have to make too many "work" trips to the lodge. You can read an article on him in the Lyman County Herald by clicking the "Presho News" link.

And then there were three

I attended the annual dove hunt, hosted by good friend Bob Karlen, and the shooting was as good as usual. Normally, there are about 10 of us that get together for an evening shoot, and then a lot of food and a few beverages. Jason and Bob said this is the 13th year that they've done the hunt together. I believe it was the 6th year for me. It took on a little different tone this year, but we still had a good time, and the food and drinks weren't bad either. I did manage to bag the "golden dove", which I hope has nothing to do with killing the goose that laid the golden egg. In fact, I didn't realize there was anything different about the dove until Sully brought it back to me. Not sure if this one laid any golden eggs, but it too was no different on the inside, but it sure ate like a million bucks, along with the rest of them. There are still a few doves around, but it looks like the weather is going to get cool and wet towards the weekend, which generally sends the birds south. Here's to good friends and the beginning of fall.

New Arrival(s)

I know that I'm way behind, and many of you have been waiting to see pictures of our new baby Claire, among other things, but I promise if you stay tuned in the next couple of weeks, I'll have a lot to post about. Due to computer errors and everything else, I have not been very prompt about updating everyone about what's been going on, but that's about to change.

Claire Judith was born on Monday, August 24th at 3:07 PM. The Dr. had predicted a couple of weeks earlier that the baby could come at any minute, but no minute was soon enough for Jamie, so between her and the Dr. they decided that she would be induced that Monday morning. The labor was fairly uneventful, and mom felt much better after a dose of the good stuff. Soon after, Claire was born. Weighing in at 8lbs 15oz., and 19.5 inches long, there really could not have been much more room for growth.

We found out this past Friday at her 2-week appt. that they may not have stretched her quite enough because she is now measuring over 21.5 inches long. Her weight is doing just fine also at 9lbs and 7oz. Everyone is doing fine at home including big brother Kellen. He likes holding, kissing, and talking to her, but we'll see how long that lasts.

Not to be outdone, somebody else has finally gotten in the grandbaby race. Abby and Brandon are due to have their first in March. Everything is going well so far, and everyone is excited for the next baby to enter the Snake Den gang. I'm sure Grandpa and Grandma would be completely happy if we all kept rolling one out every six months or so. Only one team left to join the race???

5-Year Plan

I know it's been nearly a month since I've posted anything, but I promise we've been busy. I even have a few pictures to prove it. Not only has work begun on the new lodge "addition", but we managed to make one of our biggest pours to date. We managed to dump about 121 yards one morning for Sioux Nation in Ft. Pierre. The pour went well, and tested everyone's balance as we catwalked across the rebar. An 18-inch slab takes a lot of rebar. Several other projects have been done and our plate is plenty full with only a couple weeks until the hunting begins.

Below are several pictures of the new addition to the lodge. Nothing will be complete for this year, but the construction has begun on Cordie's new house and additional rooms for hunters. All the concrete will be done, and floor joists on, but the rest of construction will have to wait until the hunting is complete. Needless to say we should have plenty to do in the winter months. We've come across a few surprises along the way, but nothing Cordie didn't kind of suspect. Several large chunks of concrete were removed from an old dump pile that will now support the house and garage, along with a large sheet of metal. We just never know what we'll get into when we start these projects. As Cordie says," I must not have put that in my 5-year plan".

Everything else is going well. The pheasants are looking great along with everything else. The rain keeps coming so things are much greener around here than they usually are in August. It's definitely shaping up to be a great year. Can't wait to see everyone here this fall.

The backhoe digs the footings as Cordie and Kellen supervise

Kellen helps finish the footings

The walls go up

Jamie puts the finishing touches on the walls

Midsummer Getaway

We took Kellen to St. Paul last weekend to hang out with Johnny and Stacie. While there we visited the MN Zoo, where Kellen got to feed this giraffe. A good time was had by all. We also spent time at the Mall of America, or "America" as Kellen called it. He enjoyed all the rides, especially the bumper cars he got to drive all by himself. We also got to check out the huge Cirque Du Soleil tent outside of Johnny and Stacie's apartment. Check out a video of it going up here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7OXPYXZnPU.

Not much else happening. Harvest has begun, and John Urban has most of his wheat in the bin, but others are struggling to get things done with wet weather and late ripening wheat. Everything looks good though, especially the pheasants. It's hard to believe that we could actually start hunting the things in less than six weeks. I hope everybody else is as excited as we are. Can't wait to see everybody in a couple of months.

Fishing on the Fourth... or Fifth

We took the last day of the holiday weekend and jumped at the invitation to get in the Bacon's boat and do a little fishing. Brad invited us to join him, Brandon, and Abby, so Kellen, Cordie and I spent just a few hours hauling in nearly 100 fish. We managed to catch our limit (24) in just 2 hours. I promised not to give away the secret spot, but boy was it hot. Most of our fish measured in right around 15 inches, but Cordie hauled in the big fish of the day-- a 22 incher. He had my lucky pole, which also contributed to him hauling in the most fish, with Brandon in a close second. Thanks to the Bacon's for a great experience both Saturday and Sunday.

...Fish in a barrel

Okay, it wasn't quite that easy, but we did manage to catch the first fish out of the pond at K&M. The Clarke's were here to visit last weekend and Kellen and Joe got in a little fishing, as did Robert and I. We managed to catch a couple of bass and Kellen managed to get in this bluegill. The fish look like they're putting on some weight and growing like weeds. I think it's going to be a fairly productive pond. We've still got some tweaking to do, but I'm sure there will always be that.

We also managed to get in some pretty competitive golf games with the older generation coming out on top. Robert and I managed to win the first game against Cordie and John Lyell, but they got their revenge the next morning, and then topped it off by winning the "rubber match" by adding their ringer, Marlys. It was close, but their short game held us off.

Joe and Kellen had a good time all weekend especially when it started with Grandpa encouraging them to run through the ditches that were flowing with a fresh one-inch downpour. Kellen can't walk by a puddle now without charging through it, no matter where we are. All in fun right.

Ducks on a pond...

We've been busy the last couple of weeks with all kinds of work, and we've gotten plenty done with some timely rains in between. I was able to snap this picture of a couple sets of ducklings down on "south-south", where the big circle food plot is. I know some of you have gotten in on that hunt where we come in from three different directions, and usually have a heck of a shoot at the end. Cordie was planting that food plot, so I had some time to go exploring and get some pictures in the sunrise light. The ducks should be doing fine with the moisture that we've gotten- an inch and a half last Friday, and an inch and a quarter last night. That's plenty for a while, especially if you ask the wheat farmers. It's a good start to our food plots though which are all in the ground and coming up. The trees are mowed up again, and boy did we see a lot of pheasant chicks. I had plenty of photo opportunities, but no camera of course when the time was right. The concrete work is coming along fine also, with more to come. Other than that all we can do is let Mother Nature do her thing, and hope for the best. Things are looking good.

It's a little tough to tell, but can anybody identify the two hens in the picture?

Lady Luck and a fistful of 'eyes

We made the most of an uneventful week and headed to the "Fort" on Friday for a little shore fishing for walleyes. We even got to spend a little time visiting with Brandon our in-house Ranger during and after business hours. Fishing was pretty good, but my wife, the pregnant one, took the prize for most fish caught. As you can see in the picture she even bagged two fish at a time, twice. Everybody got in on the action, but Grandpa finally had to retire Kellen's Pirates of the Carribean pole because he couldn't keep up any more. Unfortunately, most of the fish we caught, probably close to 50, were too small to meet the minimum length limit-- 15 inches. We did come home with 5 keepers though and they made a heck of a meal with the other filets, beef that is. I did test the waters too, after my line snagged just feet from shore with a walleye on the end of the line. It was quite chilly and the fish managed to spit the hook just prior to me grabbing it. Isn't that how it always works?

This week involves more concrete work, and if the weather cooperates spraying and finishing planting food plots, which I'm on my way to do right now. Jamie finished mowing trees yesterday, so mark another chore off the list. Have a good one.

bluegills, bass, and perch... oh my !

I know it's been a while since my last post, but we have got a lot accomplished. Not only a couple hundred yards of concrete poured, but we finally got some bass in the bluegill pond. In addition, we planted several big trees and lilacs around the west side of the pond, and also threw in some old dead trees for habitat. Cordie created a "beach", so the pond is really shaping up to be a nice getaway. We were expecting a family of geese to call it home, but shortly after hatching out, they moved to a different location and are nowhere to be found. Soon baby pheasants should be making their way to the pond to get a drink and snack on the bugs that hang out there. A line was also dug to the perch pond from the well to maintain the water level.

Kellen also managed to celebrate his 3rd birthday on May 23rd. A good time was had by all-- especially Kellen. He enjoys spending countless hours in his new sandbox built by grandpa and the personal touches added by grandma.

It's currently raining, and it's starting to add up, which isn't all bad. We've gotten about two inches since Saturday, which was needed in preparation for planting food plots. Some of the food plots have been planted and are up, while others are in the ground, but the majority have yet to be planted.

Jamie managed to school Cordie and Marlys one afternoon on the golf course, but for the most part we're probably behind on the team tour. I'm sure there are more face-offs in the future, I'll try to keep you posted. Until next time...

A little run and gun with "bullsnake"

After another rain day on Friday, we made the most of Saturday, with several events for the whole family. We spent the morning stocking the ponds on the Preserve with bluegill and perch. The plan is to add some largemouth bass in the future, if the weather and work schedule cooperate. One way or another they will be added, but the way things are going I can't guarantee it will be me placing them in the pond, or getting in on the fun of catching the transfer fish.

We grabbed a bite to eat, and then made a split-second decision to try and fill our turkey tags. There was some talk about a round of golf with the ladies, but we knew if we used our time wisely we could get both hunting and golf in during the afternoon. We left the lodge about noon, and made a triumphant return about 3 PM with our remaining three turkey tags filled. After a couple of quick planning sessions we spotted the turkeys. Delvin (Cordie's brother) and I positioned ourselves to ambush the turkeys if Cordie spooked them. Well, Cordie certainly spooked them. After a quick stalk two turkeys fell with one shot. Delvin and I were unsure of what happened, and after a few minutes came out from our hiding spot. We quickly found another group of turkeys after conferring with Cordie and Robert. I quickly made my way down the creek to cut them off, but was too slow. I did manage though to catch up quickly and take a shot to put another gobbler down. He certainly wasn't the biggest of the bunch, but he was the closest and most suspicious.

On the way back to town Robert managed to get his new nickname after Cordie wrangled a four-foot bullsnake. Robert was quite hesitant, but Cordie eventually convinced him to hold the writhing snake. After nearly popping its' head off, Robert held on long enough to let the snake wrap up his arm and then he pitched it to the ditch to live another day. Rob "bullsnake" Clarke is still unsure what convinced him to hold that snake.

The day ended with a cool and windy, slightly wet round of golf. It wasn't pretty but the "Pros" (Cordie, Marlys, Delvin, Joann) beat the "Joes" (Jamie, Abby, Robert, Casey), but failed to capitalize on the ever important ninth (beer) hole. Back to the lodge we hurried for the feast which consisted of NY strips, wild turkey, wild rice, morels, and buffalo ribs. Add a little wine from Hogue winery and a fire in the pit, and you've got the perfect ending to a great day.

SD Maydays

I was privileged enough to take Rob, and meet my friend "Bob" at an undisclosed location for a day of bowfishing and morel mushroom hunting. Any "shroomer" knows that it's often tough to get other "shroomers" to give up their favorite picking spots, and this was no exception. After spending a couple of hours shooting Bigmouth Buffalo with our bows, "Bob" swore us to secrecy and blindfolded us before entering one if his areas for the coveted morels. I've had morels before, but had never hunted for them, and Rob being a Chicago boy, and not much of a mushroom eater, we were both unsure of what to expect. "Bob" found the first morel several minutes into our hunt and called us over to make sure we knew what we were looking for. After our brief lesson and another lecture on secrecy we blazed a trail filling our bags with the tasty morsels. After about an hour or two of picking we decided to head out happy with our catch of the day. "Bob" said the mushrooms are just beginning to take off, and the next couple of weeks should be pretty good.

What about the fish you say? Those bigmouth buffalo are a hoot to shoot, and "Bob" was nice enough to take the hard part of cleaning. Buffalo ribs like you've never had them before. I have had them before, and they're not bad, even though I'm not much of a fish eater. The biggest one tops out at 40 lbs, and the others range from 27 to 36 lbs. There were many others that didn't make the picture, and there were definitely more misses than hits especially from a couple of rookies like Rob and myself. Lots of fun and another thing you can add to the list of things to do in May. So much to do, and so little time, but I look forward to the morels and any dish that we decide to pair them with. I think it will be steak tomorrow night, and after that maybe some wild turkey, and then maybe some buffalo ribs, the possibilities are endless.

People sometimes ponder why anyone would live in SD, but it doesn't take long to figure out if you've experienced some of the things we have in the past couple of weeks. Sure the weather is sometimes a little nasty, but it can also be some of the best weather anywhere. May is only one month out of the year, and between turkey hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, and golf, there's hardly time for anything else especially when you throw work into the mix, and there's plenty of that to go around.

Happy hunting for whatever your quarry may be.

Sunday Service

"And on the seventh day he rested", well actually we worked food plots, and it went pretty well for once. Cordie, Rob, our little helper Kellen, and I got some of the nearly 600 acres broke up. It's been slow going, and later than usual, but what can you do when it rains every other day. Cordie worked some more last night at K&M, but today we shut the crusher down after another .5 inch of rain. We also managed to get some more concrete poured this week between the rain and the food plots.

The pheasants seem to be doing well, but maybe a little behind on their nesting because of the cool wet spring, but the ducks sure do like it. I can't say if the goose enjoys it much at K&M, but she has yet to abandon her nest. We'll see the fruit of her labor here in a couple of weeks if everything works out alright. I'll try to get a few pictures and put them up when the magic happens.

Turkey Soup

I finally managed to get out and hunt some of our SD Merriams. Rob Clarke accompanied me as I harvested this nice tom, since Cordie was busy trying to work food plots. We set up in our usual spot, but the turkeys had a different plan that morning. At about 10:00 AM we stepped out the blind to find them and sure enough they were making their usual loop, backwards. We had a close encounter with six hens, and then a few gobblers came nearly within range, but became a little suspicious. We crept back to the blind, and about 2:00 PM seven jakes and gobblers showed up and slowly made their way to our setup. This was intended to be an archery hunt, but when I failed to connect with the bow, I closed the deal with the shotgun. Not necessarily pretty, but I got the job done. Cordie, Brandon, and John Wayne still have their tags to fill, so hopefully we'll get a few more birds for the table and the hunting archive. Can't wait for another turkey breast hot off the grill. Hopefully, if things go right today I'll have a few fresh morel mushrooms to go with it.

Trees, mud and more mud

It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. We finally got out and got some work done, but it's been a mad scramble between pouring concrete, and running back and forth planting trees and getting food plots worked. Cordie hasn't touched a food plot yet, but it looks like the weather may cooperate and he should get a chance tomorrow through the weekend. We finished our tree planting for the year, and got in 3000 Rocky Mountain Junipers last week. Robert and I finished it off yesterday by trying a few Cottonwoods up to the Dam. We also planted a few willows near one of the dugouts on the preserve for a test plot. We'll see how they do, and if it works out we may plant more in the future.

The weather has definitely affected the work we're getting done. Last week it was nearly 90 degrees on Thursday and on Friday night it snowed about 2 inches. We woke up to a snow covered landscape on Saturday, but it didn't take long for things to melt, and more rain came Sunday.

We have managed to get several grain bin slabs poured with more on the schedule, but farming will be the priority for the next several days. If I'm lucky the work will include a fish transfer or two, and I may even be able to slip out and try to fill a turkey tag.

"The Dam Eagles"

After spending a couple of hours Saturday morning in the bush trying to get some good pictures of the abundant spring wildlife populations it only affirmed my concerns of upgrading to a good telephoto lens. I took the above picture at "the dam" of the nesting eagles, and it appears that they were successful again. Cordie and I spotted at least two eaglets in the nest, only after I disturbed the adults and they left the nest for a short minute or two. I was trying to get in for a closer look, and figure out a way to get a good picture. It didn't take long for the female to begin chirping and soon out of nowhere it seemed the male appeared to protect the nest from an apparent intruder. I was trying not to disturb them too much, but I apparently wore out my welcome and quickly returned to the pickup to let them be.

I believe Cordie said this is the sixth year that they have nested here, and this pair of eaglets will bring the total young raised to 12 or 13. They've weathered some pretty good storms incubating their eggs since early March. By the looks of the eaglets they can't be much more than a few days old. Their fuzzy white heads barely peak out over the nest.

We also got some decent pics of the pheasants at the home quarter along with several pairs of ducks including mallards, pintails, green-winged teal, and ring-necked ducks. Once again the upgraded lens would have come in handy here. After belly crawling through the frosty, duck-poo covered grass, I thought I was in perfect position, but the 12-gauge would have been a better tool to take the shot with. It was still fun and exciting and nothing to clean afterwards, definitely a perk.

We spent the afternoon touring Lake Oahe, north of Pierre. The water levels have returned to near normal after several years of drought after being at record lows nearly 30 feet below where they are now. This should create some excellent fishing for future years and make access a lot easier.

About that lens...anybody with any recommendations to pair with my Canon Rebel XS would be greatly appreciated. Anybody??

Fire and Ice

We burned the old junk pile at the home quarter yesterday. A couple of old sheds and a lot of other junk that tends to accumulate on old farmsteads went up in flames with a little diesel fuel coercion from our in-house arson, Jamie. The temperatures (20 F) and a foot of snow on top of everything slowed the process a little, but as you can see in the picture, once it got going things warmed up in a hurry. There was plenty of stuff left when it was all said and done, so we'll sort and continue to pile and do it all over again someday. The plan is to eventually get it all cleaned up and rid the area of places to harbor skunks, rabbits, and lose the occasional downed pheasant.

It looks like the weather is going to change again. We're supposed to get a wintry mix of rain/snow starting tonight through tomorrow. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-12 inches is in the forecast.

On another note, there was a proposal to the Commission of the SD Game, Fish and Parks to lengthen the regular pheasant season by a week. The season generally ends the first Sunday in January, but this would have extended it to the next Sunday. The Commission voted against the proposal, which is the same they have done with the last several proposals. The season is steeped in tradition and tough to change even in the slightest. This really does not affect us since we have the preserve which allows us to hunt until the end of March.

March Madness

That blizzard I talked about in the last post arrived yesterday afternoon. It's finally thinking about letting up now. It's hard to tell how much actual snow fell since most if it was blown into four foot drifts with 35 mph winds. The forecast was for 6-10 inches, and my best guess is somewhere in there. As you can see in the picture, the lodge turkeys made it through just fine, although I'm sure roosting in that tree last night could not have been that much fun. They showed up for their usual meal this morning. Just in case some of you were worried (Mr. Hildebrand) that the turkeys you saw in the newsletter were the lodge turkeys, here's proof that they're still alive. With the Spring Turkey season opening in only a few weeks, I can't promise that they will still be around come fall. The pheasants should have been alright also, since they were pretty fat and happy going into the storm, and that seasoned closed today so I guess they're safe until fall (at least from us). In a few days most of the snow will be melted off, but it looks like we have another chance for moisture over the weekend, and this time of year you never know how it will fall.

Season Finale

The Clarke family passed through this weekend on their way to Bozeman, MT. John Lyle, Kathy, Robert, and Joseph "aka, the little russian" got in one last hunt before the preserve season closes on March 31. It was Joseph's first trip to the Snake Den, and first SD rigneck. There were nine shooters all together, including the Bacon's (Brandon, Abby, and Brad), Hayes' (Steve and Nick) and Cordie and Casey. The birds were plentiful and we attempted to thin out the rooster population a bit. We could have used 10 more shooters, but that will have to do for this year. Cordie and son-in-law Johnny slipped out on Sunday to take out a few more, but the windy conditions made it a little tough for the two lonely wingshooters. Plenty of birds left over for next year, and although we're looking at another spring blizzard approaching, the winter has been fairly friendly for the birds. Should be another plethora of birds for Fall 2009.

Snakeden Blog

We have an official Snakeden Lodge blog to keep everyone updated on the happenings in and around Presho, the pheasants, and any other fun adventures that the Snakeden crew has. This is a shot of Casey, Kellen, and his antelope from the Fall. We will have some more current pics soon. Feel free to comment and let us know your thoughts. We're about to get a nice little South Dakota spring snow storm.