The Snake Den

Great endings to a great year

2012-01-04T11:20:00.000-06:00

So maybe the family hunt wasn't as spectacular as it has been in the past, but we still managed to have plenty of opportunity and have a great time. Over the course of three days we averaged 16 guns and nearly killed a limit each day with Friday being the best. We claimed our limit that day with a few birds left in the end of the food plot for next year. A good time was had by all with some great shots, some great misses, and plenty of "razzing" for everybody.

After a great pheasant hunt on Friday a few of us slipped out to try calling coyotes. John Wayne got a new call for Christmas (thanks Santa), and couldn't wait to try it out. We had time for two calls, and after coming up empty on the first call, we connected on a double as the sun set. Dalton caught a glimpse of the pair as they disappeared about 200 hundred yards out. We had time to resituate just before they reappeared at one hundred yards. We decided to try for both, so on the count of three we squeezed. I may have anticipated a little too much, but we both scored as you can see in the picture above. That conclued another great day at the Snake Den. One big male accompanied by a female, with several 'yotes howling in the background.

The New Years party was a little quieter than normal, but with more kids and the rest of us getting older that should be expected. It was a great way to end the year, and we're left with plenty to look forward to in 2012.

A New Tradition??

2011-12-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

We don't get in on many waterfowl hunts, and most of them are usually field goose hunts, so when we had the opportunity to get in a pit and shoot ducks over decoys in a flooded cornfield, we jumped at it. We were invited by Brandon and his dad, Brad through a connection from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. The Tribe had been working on their setup for a couple years, and when the pit came open Thanksgiving morning we hopped in.

We had a blast, and got plenty of shooting, without freezing our butts off. That was part of the problem that it was too nice, but we managed to shoot 27 total ducks in a couple hours. Mostly greenheads, with a few redheads, and green-winged teal mixed in.

Brandon made quick work of his share of the birds, along with his wife's and dad's. The jerky didn't last long when he brought it to the lodge, and I'm thinking he can work his magic on mine and Cordie's also. I've been contemplating what to do with them, but the jerky was pretty good, so hopefully I can convince him to make another batch.

Heck of a year for the whitetail deer

2011-12-05T18:20:00.000-06:00

The boys at the Snake Den had a great year for deer. Brandon, Cordie, John Wayne, and myself all did well filling our tags for the 2011 West River deer season. We had been seeing a lot of good deer around, but an EHD die-off had us a little worried that some of them weren't going to make it to the season. Our worries were put to rest and there are still plenty of good bucks around for next years crop.

Brandon scored first on opening morning, within an hour of legal shooting time. With a little "insider trading" he managed to secure an unknown hot-spot and made good use of it. A well planned stalk on a bedded deer, and one well-placed shot at 80 yards, bagged him a nice, heavy 4x4.

Cordie filled his tag just a couple days later after watching several deer since the opening day. His heavy, symmetrical 5x5 will be a nice addition to the lodge walls. Cordie said there were bigger deer in the area, but he couldn't pass the opportunity up that this buck presented. We'll look forward to seeing the ones he left out there next year, hopefully.

I filled my tag on Sunday of the second weekend. After nearly giving up on the buck because I didn't get to a spot in time to cut him off, the buck headed right back to me after a brief encounter with another buck. He obviously had something else on his mind since he made a fatal error of standing in an opening only 100 yards away. He's no monster, and he won't win any beauty contests, but he's a mature buck with a big body.

John Wayne filled his tag last while hunting out west with his dad before Thanksgiving. Both of them killed deer in the same draw within an hour of one another. John's deer is very unique and his heavy-horned head will make a great addition to the lodge decor.

All the bucks were one-shot kills ranging from 80 to 380 yards, and all coming from land owned or leased by the Snake Den, with the exception of John's. It was a great deer season, and we look forward to putting a little more meat in the freezer when we fill some leftover anterless tags. There's plenty of deer left, so barring any unforeseen disasters, 2012 should have great potential.

Opening Week

2011-10-24T08:13:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Ben Weseman

It's been a good week at the Snake Den, in fact, it's been the best week we've ever had. All that talk about the bird numbers being down has proved to be mostly untrue, at least in this area. Overall, I would say that things are less spectacular than they have been the last couple of years, but still very good. Most areas are excellent, and the rest still beat what you'll find anywhere else in the nation. There are still a number of fields of row crops that have yet to be harvested, but that also is moving along fine.

The old dogs are still performing, and the young dogs are coming along nicely. It's like most things experience generally outweighs youth, but for the most part we're all pleased with where are pups are headed. The weather has been beautiful, a little warm for me and the dogs, but everybody else is happy.

We're looking forward to the rest of the season, and we hope those that haven't been here yet are also.

Battling Mother Nature

2011-06-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

As I stated in a previous post, there has been unprecedented water levels and releases up and down the Missouri River. From Montana to Missouri, communities along the River have been affected by these levels. The picture above was taken at the Oahe Dam Stilling Basin when they were releasing somewhere around 55,000 cubic feet per second. On June 7th, the Corps began releasing 150,000 cfs out of the dam powerhouse and stilling basin. Over the weekend the Corps increased those releases to 160,000 cfs due to rain that was falling in the area. The releases are meant to keep the water from spilling over the emergency spillway, which would cause even more disastrous flooding to the cities of Pierre and Ft. Pierre. The water level has been within inches of the top of the spillway, but the Corps is determined to keep water from going over the spillway or opening the gates for increased flows. The maximum output of Oahe Dam is supposed to be somewhere around 165,000 cfs. The Corps was originally hoping that they would not have to go above the 150K. Levees were built to protect the cities at a projected elevation with flows at that level. So far, the levees are holding, but releases are expected to stay at this level into August.

All four of the dams in South Dakota along the Missouri River are releasing at 150,000 cfs. That's over 1 million gallons per second. It's hard to gain a perspective on that, but there are tons of videos and pictures of the flooding and releases online. They still don't do it justice. Brandon, works for the Corps, at Big Bend Dam in Fort Thompson, and has been busy monitoring water levels and the damage that the flows are causing to surrounding landscapes. Fishing and other recreation has been affected, but the long-term affects will not be know for several months, and maybe not until next year and beyond.

The last time we even came close to an event like this was in the late 1990's when releases neared 80,000 cfs. On lake Oahe, above Pierre, prey fish populations were decimated and walleye and other predatory game fish began to basically starve to death. Time will only tell, but where access is possible the fishing has been pretty good so far.

I've noticed that although we're fighting flooding in this area, others are praying for rain all along the south to fight off drought and fires. Along with all the other tornadoes and other weather events it's been a busy spring that has affected many of you. Wishing everyone well, and we look forward to hearing from and seeing all of you this fall.

How about an update?

2011-06-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally getting around to getting you all up to date on what's been going on. Rain, working around the rain, more work, and more rain. That's about it. I know that many of you across the U.S. have been dealing with different types of weather events, and we hope here at the Snake Den that all of you are fairing well while battling Mother Nature.

It's been a busy summer/spring with lots of concrete work getting done in a short amount of time. We're nearly done with the spring bins that need to be ready by harvest in mid-July. We've completed the task with only one full week of work since the beginning of May. Rain has shortened our work week almost every week since we got started, but we've managed to keep chugging along. We've also managed to get about 75 % of our food plots in. They should do well once it dries out and the sun warms things up. Once it dries out we'll get the remaining ones in which should take off with all the moisture.

We really haven't been out enough to get a good handle on how the pheasants are doing, but I'm sure they're ready for some dry weather also. Cool and wet is better than hot and dry, and with the birds that we had left over things should be very good come fall. We've come across several nests that have hatched out, but have yet to see any number of chicks. By the first of July things should really start to turn around and we'll get a better handle on how the new crop of chicks is coming. It will most likely be a late and drawn out nesting period with the cool, wet spring that we've had. The normal peak for hatching is around the middle of June, but like last year it will most likely last well into July.

We have managed to get a little fishing in, along with some test-netting to check on our ponds that we have stocked. Cordie and Marlys fought the rain yesterday while fishing with Brandon's dad, Brad, and managed to pull in their limit of walleye up by Fort Thompson. The fishing has also been affected with the unprecedented water levels that we are seeing on the Missouri River. Brandon has been busy on flood watch as his dam has been one that has surpassed record levels and releases. I'll post more on that later. The bass are doing well in in the stocked pond, and the bluegills and perch look like they may need a supplemental stocking to boost their numbers. Below is a picture of the net catch I got in our bass/bluegill pond. The bluegills are slightly outnumbered, but that has to happen for a good sized population. Kellen snagged a pretty good bass out of Brakke Dam the other day, and we managed to bag a few walleyes shore fishing near Chamberlain. That pretty much wraps up the fishing excursions, but it's early in the summer so there will certainly be more.

The golf course is in good shape, but we've managed to only get a few rounds in there also. It should look good well into fall, so for those of you that have preserve hunts booked in September and early October, you may have another activity to fill the hours between hunting pheasants. Before we know it September will be here. Looking forward to it.

South Dakota a top destination for sportsmen...duh?

2011-04-22T10:00:00.006-05:00

I know that many of you that read this blog are already aware of the above statement, but a recent article in Outdoor Life, named the top 200 towns to live in as a sportsman. South Dakota managed to snag four of the top 21, and had several others scattered throughout the top 200. Rapid City snagged the top spot coming in at number three (#1 in 2010), but Presho did not make the list, but we're not exactly heartbroken about the declaration. In fact, anybody knows that most that live here are aware of the infinite opportunities in the outdoor world, and enjoy them on a frequent basis without much competition. With access to big game, waterfowl, upland and small game, SD has one of the most diverse wildlife landscapes available along with the endless opportunities for fishermen. Not nearly a day goes by that you can't find something to hunt or fish in SD. That's obviously a great asset, but sometimes causes a conflict in which activity to choose. Do I shoot a limit of pheasants, or grouse, or catch a limit of walleye? Well, thankfully in many parts this can be done all in the span of a day. Not to mention all the other opportunities for big game, including deer (mule and whitetail), elk, antelope, turkey, and even mountain lion, and very rarely bighorn sheep and mountain goat. Every section of the state has something to offer from sage grouse and partridge to a plethora of diving and puddle ducks. It's all here in SD, and although the Snake Den specializes in pheasants, we enjoy them all.

Obviously, we've got some drawbacks too, especially if you've been keeping track of the weather lately, but it's nothing we can't handle, and the benefits definitely outweigh the costs. It's not for the weak, and fair-weather minded, but we'll take it as it comes. Not that I'm trying to talk you out of living here, but we certainly enjoy having visitors, so keep on coming back.

Puppy Update!!

2011-04-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd drop a quick note on the status of the puppies available. The chocolate pups from Jack and Lilly are all gone. The last two were taken Wednesday, and headed for Illinois. The other litter from Rocky were ready to head out Wednesday, and several are spoken for already. 13 puppies all together with mostly black (11) and two chocolate. John Wayne is picking one this afternoon, a future star hopefully. They look good, and should work well in the field with both parents coming from good hunting stock. We're all looking forward to fall already to see how they turn out.

Kellen thought we should take another one home, but I convinced him (for a while) that we'll be fine for another year or two.

Chomping at the bit

2011-03-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

Well, Spring is officially here, but after several days of average temperatures and sunny skies, the wintry weather has returned. It looks as though it could stay this way through the weekend. We're only battling a little moisture, cool temps, and wind, which is a lot better than what the NE part of the State is having to put up with. Another several inches of new snow to go with what hasn't melted yet. Not to mention the flooding that has already begun.

We've got plenty of work lined up, but until the weather straightens out, we'll be stuck preparing for the onslaught of jobs to be done. It's time to start putting up the hunting equipment and pulling out the concrete tools. Although we still have a few days to bag a few birds off the preserve.

Speaking of the birds, they seemed to winter well. They are definitely spread out, and looking to set up their crowing territories for the ensuing spring fling. The rest of the wildlife seems to be fairing well also, although I'm not sure that the fox above still has a den after the creek flooded. We now have two pairs of bald eagles nesting in two different pieces of property. They are both sitting on the nest as I write this. I'll try to get some good photos if the sloppy ground will allow it. I hope everyone else has wintered well, and are looking forward to spring, summer, and of course...fall. We'll see you then.

Chocolate Gifts

2011-02-18T13:35:00.001-06:00

I know that Valentines Day has passed, but we still have plenty of Chocolates left. In fact, these ones can't be taken home until March 10, 2011. Ten little balls of fur were born to "Lilly", who would be an offspring of "Blu" and "Misty". The father of this bunch would be "Jack", who's father was "Buck". Did you keep all of that straight? In other words these pups come from a couple of lines that have spent many a day flushing and retrieving birds for us here at the Snake Den. There are five males and five females that will be ready to go home with you on March 10. I know that a couple of them are spoken for, but still plenty left.

If you're lucky enough to snag one, they could be ready to retrieve their first bird by this fall. They could have a number of retrieves under their belt before their first birthday. I'm sure that some of them will, at least the ones that stay in house.

70 in February??

2011-02-16T16:43:00.000-06:00

So what's a guy to do on a February afternoon when the temp hits nearly 70 degrees? Well, this guy took the opportunity to shoot his first rooster over his new pup, Trigger. It wasn't pretty, or perfect, but he got the job done, and most important of all, hardly batted an eye at the sound of the shotgun. I hesitated somewhat as we sauntered across the soggy ground and the rooster flushed from my right crossing to my left. I had previously wondered how I would shoot a bird without doing it directly over Trigger's head. As soon as Trigger seemed thoroughly intrigued by the bird I laid down the hammer. The bird crumpled and plopped in the snow melt. Trigger paused briefly and gave me a glance, and then proceeded to run to the bird and investigate. He hesitated a little since he's only been tossed dead birds in the parking lot, but soon caught scent and sight of the kicking bird. He wasn't entirely sure about picking up the moving bird, but soon enough it held still and he fought for a hold, and brought it to hand. With plenty of birds left, and some of the cover being uncovered, we should get to do this more before the preserve season closes at the end of March.

We, along with the pheasants and other wildlife, have been blessed this week with temps in the 50's and 60's. This afternoon my pickup showed 70 degrees as I headed to the country. The snow is disappearing fast, but winter is certainly not over. We shouldn't expect that until sometime after March. This warm up definitely helps ease the pain of winter's grasp. The creek is running full, which I don't think I've ever seen in February. It will make the spring transition a little easier when it finally rolls around, but harder to go back to more normal temps which are forecasted for this weekend, along with the inevitable snow which will fall sometime before we are done.

A quick update on the SD mountain lion season. As of Wednesday afternoon, two cats are needed to reach the harvest quota of 45 lions. Brandon and I gave it our best last week as we spent two days tracking one down. The tracks were fresh, but what seemed to be a male marking his territory was intent on covering some ground. If it weren't for the warm weather the season would have most likely ended this past weekend. Even with the poor conditions it would be a surprise to see it last through another weekend. So far, 25 females and 18 males have been harvested, with the largest being a 177 pound male.

There's lions in them thar' hills...

2011-01-17T15:22:00.000-06:00

...but we couldn't manage to find one this trip. We headed for the Hills on Friday, and after an afternoon of scouting and an evening of serious planning, we hit the trail in hopes of coming across the elusive mountain lion. The weather conditions were horrible at best, but we headed out anyway. With no fresh snow, and temperatures near 40 degrees, our chances were decreased incredibly. After two days, we cut the trip short with another day of forecasted rain and no snow.

All of us found sign on our walk-abouts, but none of it fresh. Just a couple of inches of fresh snow would have helped considerably, but no such luck this time. We'll wait for better conditions and hope that the four of us (Cordie, John Wayne, Brandon, and Casey) can get back in the woods. As of this morning, 22 cats had been harvested. The quota is set at 45 cats or 30 females whichever comes first. It looks like at this point that either one could happen with 13 of the cats taken being female.

The pictures posted are a couple that I took while resting on a rock outcropping during one of our journeys into the wilderness. Some pretty country, and pretty rugged at times also. We'll tackle it again though if given the chance. Stay tuned.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-12-22T17:04:00.000-06:00

...the end of the pheasant season. The birds are bunched up in the good cover and wary as heck. They've been given the week off, at least from us. We'll celebrate Christmas in the Black Hills over the weekend, and then next weekend give'em heck when the family arrives. Here is a few pictures that I managed to snap this morning while out and about. I had no problems finding pheasants, and a few other wildlife, but couldn't manage to get any good pics of much other than the pheasants.

A rooster takes refuge in a tangle of frosted trees.

A roadside ringneck.

Two roosters pick'in and grin'in.

The flock leaves it's winter sanctuary.

A little snow is scheduled to fall over the next several days, but it doesn't sound like it's going to amount to much. We'll have a white Christmas either way. Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year. Best wishes in 2011.

Coming out of retirement

2010-12-07T15:44:00.000-06:00

We managed to talk her into dusting off the old boots and shouldering the gun again for the first time in about four or five years. Jamie helped Bob and Jahn of PA corner a few ringnecks for a fun afternoon hunt. She managed to bag one solo bird and miss a few others, but what can you expect. All the girls used to hunt, but lately it's been only Abby the last several family hunts. Jamie hung her hat up once Kellen was born, but we drug her along the weekend after Thanksgiving. Stacie was "citified" or something shortly after she left for college. Not sure there's a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon in November than shooting a few roosters, especially when the temps get into the 50s. It hasn't been the same since, but nothing to really complain about either. It is December for crying out loud. It looks like we'll get into the 40s once again, and then a chance of snow for the weekend. Two more weeks jammed packed with hunters, and then things start to slow down. In less than a month the season will be over. Didn't we just get started?

It's been good, and it looks like things will be good through the end. Who knows what "Old Man Winter" will bring, but so far so good. Keep your fingers crossed.

Cordie failed to pull the trigger on a buck this year, so it's tag soup until we shoot some does for camp meat in the extended anterless season. Plenty of them around so it should be a good, fun hunt.

Plethora of Puppies

2010-11-18T14:00:00.003-06:00

They're here. Brandon, John Wayne, and I made the trip to pick out our new pups. Not much choice in my case since there was only one male in the litter. I was plenty happy though. John Wayne was actually picking for Frank, and Brandon didn't take much time latching onto a cute little female that picked him. We're still working on names, but my family has pretty much decided that ours will be called "Trigger", and I can't seem to come up with anything better, so it will most likely stick. Brandon was also undecided, but probably got some help once he got home. A few weeks of whining and potty training, and then we can move on to the more serious stuff. Before we know it we'll have them in the field next year retrieving their first rooster.

Kellen and Claire latched on quickly as most kids do. I'm sure when he starts knocking them down and chewing on their ears they'll have a little different perspective on that cute little ball of fur. All the pups seemed to be in great shape, so we'll do our best not to mess them up and bring them up right. That's all we can do along with getting them in the pheasant fields for tons of fun. Lots of things to look forward to.

Venison Victory!!

2010-11-17T13:40:00.000-06:00

Sure I didn't have to fill my tag on the opening day of rifle season, but I saw an opportunity and took it. Besides that who knew if I'd get another one. Not a great buck, but definitely respectable and a mature deer. He attempted to fool me and other hunters by bedding down in some waist-high CRP, but I got lucky and happened to walk right up on him after failing to find him in the binocs. He took off running leaving me with one shot. Not one I usually take, but it was my only choice in this case. I was lucky once again and rolled him with one shot. Kellen held a leg while I field dressed him, and asked when we could eat him. I sent him to the locker plant for summer sausage because of time constraints, but more tags will be filled, and soon we will have fresh backstrap on the grill.

There's a lot of good deer in the country and Cordie, John Wayne, and Brandon have tags to fill yet, along with an archery tag for me. A couple more does with either the bow or rifle and the freezer should be full. The rut is in full swing, and the weather is turning more winter like which should provide for a good setting on bagging a big one. We'll keep you posted.

What have you done lately?

2010-11-10T12:37:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. It's been a long time coming and finally after 28 days of the regular season, I'm sitting down to update the blog. It's been busy and that's good. The bird numbers have been great. Not sure if better than the last couple of years, but close enough to not be able to tell the difference. The weather has been great too. A little warm a few days and only two days of rain, with a day of blowing snow mixed in. Other than that it's been a perfect season. If the next 40 days are as good as the first part of the season, we'll be blessed. Today is one of those rain days, but everybody is in the lodge already where it is warm and dry. A preserve hunt may be in order, since that is what most have been doing to fill the time. It looks as though some more seasonal weather is upon us, but we're ready for it, and so are the dogs.

Speaking of the dogs, they're all down to their fighting weight, except for maybe Copper who seems to be holding on to a few extra pounds. Maybe he's just big boned. Some new pups are on their way, and Brandon, Frank, and myself are set to get them around Thanksgiving. I'll do my best to keep everyone updated, but I can't promise anything.

Deer season is just around the corner, so hopefully we'll have some big buck pictures after this weekend to post. Thanks for keeping up with us, and we look forward to seeing those of you who are set to come in yet. A big thanks to those of you who have been here already to make this a great year.

On the Road Again

2010-09-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Snake Den crew has been busy the last couple of weeks preparing for the upcoming barrage of guests, but we have managed to slip in a little fun here and there. Last weekend, Cordie and Marlys traveled with Brandon, Abby and Jack to the Twin Cities to visit Johnny and Stacie. While there they took in a Twins game on Saturday, which they won, and then watched the Vikings lose on Sunday before they headed for home.

This past weekend I was able to travel to Lincoln, NE with some friends and watch the Huskers take on our very own SDSU Jackrabbits. We were fortunate enough to be traveling with a former Husker player and were given a tour of the football and athletic facilities by former coach Tom Osbourne. We were also traveling with a former Jackrabbit, but he did us no good in the sea of red.

When I returned home on Sunday, Cordie, Marlys, Kellen, and I headed west to Rapid City. Monday morning we were up bright and early headed for Custer State Park and the annual Buffalo Roundup. It was quite the experience from the off-the-beaten-path route that I took, to waiting in line for a couple of hours just to park, to watching the herd crest the hill headed for the corrals. A cool experience overall. I encourage you to do a quick search and watch one of the many videos out there that capture the sights and sounds of the Roundup.

Tuesday we made a trip to gather supplies, and the rest of the week will be spent preparing for hunters that will arrive on Friday. We're looking forward to getting in the field again. There should be even more birds that will be identifiable, and the weather looks pretty good for a pheasant hunt. It's also opening weekend of the antelope season, so we'll see if we can slip out and put a little meat in the freezer.

Snake Den Firsts

2010-09-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

Last week at the Snake Den we encountered several things that had never happened before. On September 1st, the opener of the Preserve season we were in the field with the first group of the year. It felt good to get out early in the morning, and have that first rooster flush underfoot and fall to the sounds of autumn. There were actually a lot of roosters that flushed and flew away unscathed because they were still too young to identify. Eventually, we found enough older birds that we had a dozen or so in the bag, and it was time to head in for lunch. That concluded the first day of the season with many more to look forward to. The boys headed to the River to meet Brandon for an afternoon of fishing. Six walleyes in the bag, and 30 mph winds switched the plans to the next days hunt

The second day began like no other had as we headed to the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation for a buffalo hunt. Jared was looking for a young bull, and it didn't take long to find one. Jared's guide picked a young bull out of the herd and got Jared into position for a shot. One shot from the rifle and bison dropped to the ground. Jared was unsure of his shooting abilities with a borrowed rifle and the adrenaline rush that he was experiencing. One buffalo down, a couple bites of liver (Dances with Wolves style), and a dozen pheasants to go, so off we went.

It was a little breezy the second afternoon, so the shooting was a bit of a challenge, but we managed to bag our birds and head in for the day. The third morning was similar to the first, and before we knew it the first group of the season was in the books, and headed down the road. Definitely a great way to start the season.

Shipping and Handling

2010-09-10T12:58:00.000-05:00

A few changes to discuss for the upcoming season at the Snake Den. First we'll discuss shipping of firearms. The information on the website will be updated soon, but until then here is the procedure to follow.

The Snake Den does have a Federal Firearms License now, so we can receive firearms from hunters prior to them arriving. Firearms can be shipped via FedEx. The box/case should be addressed as such:

"Firearm Owner"
c/o Snake Den Lodge
110 E. Medicine Creek Dr.
Presho, SD 57568

The FedEx carrier must be informed that you are shipping a firearm, but the box should not be labeled as such. The gun must be unloaded and shells can not be shipped. When you are done hunting you will ship the firearm back to yourself.

Another change we will be looking at is how we clean and ship/transport birds. The State has changed the rules regarding what must be left on a bird for identification. As a wildlife processing facility we are able to remove all plumage, legs, head, and wings for storage and transportation. Hunters may take home just the breast and legs if they desire. The Snake Den is recommending that if hunters wish to have their birds cleaned this way that they should bring with them a collapsible cooler which would easily hold nine to 15 birds and be allowed as a carry-on bag for air travel. This will be something new for everyone, so it may take some time to get the kinks out, but it should make it easier to get the birds home and in the frying pan. We're looking forward to seeing everyone for another great pheasant season.

And the survey says....

2010-08-31T16:56:00.000-05:00

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks released their brood route survey over the weekend, and as expected things look pretty good for the upcoming year. You can read the full report here.

Overall, the state showed a modest increase of 3%, but local trends increased 22% depending on which region you want to look at. We have two routes in Lyman County that are considered part of three different regions. The Pierre region saw a 22% increase, while Chamberlain and Winner showed 12 and 26 % decreases. The number of broods counted and brood size did increase which will have the biggest impact on our season. This correlates pretty well to what we have been seeing in the field.

After a little harder winter we are happy with what we are seeing, which will be very similar if not better than the last two years. The number of birds/mile in one route across the county nearly doubled, while the other decreased slightly. We're looking forward to getting out there and kicking around. We take out the first group tomorrow for the opening of the Preserve season which will be a good tune-up before the regular season. Fall is here, and although we can't put up the concrete tools completely this is a step in the right direction.

Big bangs come early

2010-07-07T15:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned that we've been battling Mother Nature, but for the most part we've been fairly lucky in Presho. Even after the storm went through on Saturday evening and all of the damage was taken in, we still have to say it could have been worse. It's been worse in other parts of the state and other states also, but we take it in stride and clean up and move on. Not the best way to spend the 4th of July holiday, but we can't control everything. The pictures tell the story. With grain bins emptied in anticipation of harvest the straight-line winds made quick work of the sheet metal.

This office may have saved ours.

Rural grain bins laid to rest in some of the near harvest wheat.

A true lumberjack couldn't have placed it any better.

Future perch spawning habitat.

As I write this the rain continues to fall, but once again we've missed out on the hail and tornadic activity. We'll continue to do our best to live right and count our blessings.

You and me against the world

2010-07-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

So far so good. We finished mowing trees last week and planting food plots. Mother Nature has tested us this year, but so far things are looking good. Kellen and I had no problem finding a pheasant chick to take a quick picture with. While mowing there were plenty among the trees causing us to stop often while they scurried in and out of cover. We even found hens that were still nesting, so that means more to come.

We've been seeing broods of all sizes ranging from a few per hen , to as many as 16. In about a month the SD GF&P will begin brood counts, but it looks as though we could be in for some high numbers.

Speaking of high numbers, the State released their survey numbers for the 2009 pheasant season. Lyman County was second in pheasants harvested with over 90,000 roosters taken. Over 1.6 million birds were harvested throughout the state. If things continue down this path it should be even more in 2010.

They sure do grow up fast...

2010-06-26T08:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone has heard this especially if you raised kids of your own, but no where is it more true than in nature. I happened to bump into the set of whitetail twins that I found nearly a month ago. Quite a difference between those first days when it was difficult for them to even get up and keep their legs under them, but now they're up and running covering 40 yards quicker than even the fastest athletes. What a difference thirty days can make. They still know their best defense is to lay motionless and stay close to where their mother leaves them. Mother does know best. Not even a deerfly bite in the eye can make them flinch.

The pheasants seem to be growing just as fast also, but we'll be running into quite the variety. I've seen a couple broods that have grown nearly as big as a partridge, and some have not even hatched yet. No pictures yet, but I'll try to roust up a few and capture them as they develop into that long-tailed cackling rooster.

Who gives a hoot?

2010-06-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

We do. With all the rain that we've received lately it's been a little tough to plant food plots, but we did manage to find some time and some land that was dry enough on Fathers Day. The majority of the planting is done although we've still got plenty to do. With another shower on Sunday night the new plantings got a good soaking (not that they needed it), but the rest of the planting will be pushed back a few more days.

While Cordie planted away I managed to slip out and look for some photo-ops, and found this young great-horned owl in the pond on "Old 16-North" as we like to call it. It's sibling was sitting nearby on another downed, and drowning tree, but was hidden by the grass. As I snuck closer for a better shot they quickly took to the air and a drier and safer spot in one of the still standing Cottonwood trees. One of the parents perched nearby and with more of my annoying movements they all soon took to a different area.

If I don't blink, you can't see me.

Stripes and Spots are in this Spring!!

2010-06-08T12:00:00.045-05:00

I'm no fashion expert, but from what I gathered while mowing trees last week was, that if you're a baby animal born in the month of May or June you better be wearing stripes or spots. They all look pretty cute right now, and we seen everything from pheasants to ducks to whitetail deer, and even some rabbits. We were lucky enough to catch a pheasant nest hatching out, and although I kind of muffed the pictures you get the idea. I may have another chance since we marked about 25 nests. This weekend Cordie counted and we still had 14 hens sitting on anything from about 6 to 20 eggs. I counted three different broods that were already hatched while I was mowing between the trees at K&M, and saw at least six chicks in one and eight in another.

The ducks should have a good year also. This small mallard brood followed its mother everywhere she went. We've got two other duck nests marked- a pintail, and blue-winged teal. They should be hatching any day also if they haven't already. June is the primetime when nests can pop at any minute.

This whitetail fawn lay motionless as I snuck close to take a picture with my phone. After going by it the several times with the tractor and mower it had had enough and moved to a more peaceful place. It's twin sibling lay only a few trees away down the same row, but didn't have the nerves of steel to let the tractor pass by. It too scurried away on shaky newborn legs for another shady spot under a tree. Momma wasn't too far off and had rounded the two up within a couple of hours of me leaving the area. I spotted a third fawn in a different tree row that also found a more peaceful hiding spot. All in all things are looking good for the fall.

It needs to dry out a little before we can start planting food plots, but the chance of rain everyday this week, may not help us there. There's still time, and everything else is top notch so we're not worried. Once we do get them in the ground they should come up quick and thick with all the moisture. Plenty of things to look forward to.

First Fish...

2010-06-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

...of this year, of course. Kellen and I got to spend a little time fishing and checking out the ponds while we mowed around the trees at K&M. It was a successful outing with a couple of bass being caught along with one bluegill. The fish seem to be in good shape, and it looks like the bass had a good spawn last year after we placed them in the pond. Lots of little LMB were spotted in the shallows. I spotted several bluegills setting up their beds to spawn so they seem to be getting along fine also. Not sure about the perch pond, but their is definitely life. We haven't managed to catch anything yet, but their is plenty of food in the form of the minnows that we put in there last year. We had a few bites, but nothing officially hooked and landed.

I've been thinking about adding a thing or two to the ponds, but as of now they seem to be in pretty good shape. We'll continue to check on them as often as we can and keep everyone updated on any exciting finds. I guess when it comes to fish patience is the key. Don't forget to take a kid fishing.

Turkeys Win!!

2010-05-25T11:19:00.002-05:00

As close as he would come.

It's been a while, but we did manage to get one day of turkey hunting in. Armed with our bows this nice gobbler was not giving us a chance, but some others did although we managed to let those opportunities slip through our fingers. Since the season closed Sunday we'll have to wait until next spring, or at least until this fall.

You lookin' at me?

Maybe it was the intimidating jake that kept them away, but I think it had more to do with the cool, wet spring, and that the turkeys were mostly bunched up. Any attempts at calling were met with some pretty aggressive calls from the boss hen in any group that came close enough to check us out. The one single gobbler that came in to kick this jake's butt hesitated slightly, but eventually faced him and was met with an arrow from my bow, but the hit was not fatal and I failed to recover him.

A dancing duo.

This pair of toms also visited our setup in late afternoon, but after several minutes of cat and mouse they managed to pass on the backside of our blind. Due to some errors in decoy and blind placement we were never offered a shot. I did manage to snap a few pictures, but not exactly what I had in mind. It was a good time, but with no more opportunities both Cordie and I will be eating tag soup. Dalton, John's son, did manage to kill a bird with his bow, so we were not completely skunked.

I also managed to slip south into Nebraska, but things didn't go much better there. We encountered many of the same problems with bunched up birds and gobblers not interested in coming to a call. We did manage to scratch out two birds between six hunters, so a poor percentage for turkey hunting fools.

By the way...

2010-05-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

I recently changed the settings on the blog to make it easier for readers to comment. I was not aware that this was possible, and I had several people tell me that they would comment if it wasn't such a pain in the butt. I finally figured it out, so I hope everyone can feel free to leave a comment now and then. We're currently on the road pouring concrete, but with the weather forecast it looks like we might get some farming done when we get back home. Hope all is well.

The Roundup

2010-05-14T10:14:00.002-05:00

Cowboys roundup the herd at Custer State Park. photo courtesy of www.travelsd.com

If you're looking for a way to enhance an already great South Dakota pheasant hunt, how about watching the roundup of 1500 wild bison. Every year the the roundup occurs at Custer State Park as a management practice to control the herd size. Nearly 1500 bison, or buffalo are gathered to be sorted, vaccinated, and a certain number auctioned off. It's another great opportunity in SD to view nature in an up-close and personal capacity.

This year the roundup will occur on Monday, September 27, 2010. The roundup caps a three day festival celebrating western and Native American culture. At the Snake Den we view this as a great way to either end or begin a pheasant hunt at the Lodge. For those interested, transportation can be provided for the event.

The hunt would be conducted on the preserve which consists of nearly 800 acres of land intensely managed for the best pheasant hunting found anywhere. With over 70 acres of food plots, 50 acres of trees, and over 200 acres of grassland and upland habitat, the ringneck pheasant reigns supreme. The property also boasts two ponds filled with bass, bluegill, and perch. Additional opportunities are available for sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens, as the grouse season opens September 18, 2010.

Email (schlomer@kennebectelephone.com) or call (605-895-2452) Cordie to book your Snake Den adventure.

Spring Chickens II

2010-05-11T10:10:00.003-05:00

Here it is, about a minute of video taken from about 20 minutes of video which could have been over two hours long. It was a great experience that the video doesn't do justice, but at least you get the idea. The blind was located on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands, and this particular blind happened to be donated by the Audubon Society. Reservations can be made through the Forest Service Ranger Station in Ft. Pierre. There are three blinds located on the grasslands, and the birds should continue to display through May. The peak is nearly over though, as most females should be nesting shortly.

Spring Chickens

2010-05-09T21:32:00.004-05:00

A male prairie chicken displays to attract a willing female.

I spent Saturday in a grouse viewing blind, watching one of the best spectacles in nature that South Dakota has to offer. Although the temperature was below freezing it didn't seem to have much of an affect on the grouse, or more specifically the prairie chickens, in this case.

Which will she choose?

I entered the blind an hour before sunrise, which happened to be about 5:20 AM. It wasn't long and I was inundated with several "booming" males getting a jump on the sun and setting up their territories. It was something else to here all the chatter, but not be able to see a bird. It wasn't long and their bright orange air-sacs could be seen through the early morning light.

You wanna fight about it?

Males dance and "boom" to attract a mate, or two.

The "booming" ground is called a lek, which about a dozen males showed up to this weekend. Only three females came in to check them out, but I was too busy trying to watch everything that I missed any actual matings. Generations of these chickens have most likely been coming back to this site for years. It was a great opportunity and I encourage everyone to make an attempt to sit in on this spectacle if they ever get the chance.

I also took video of the morning events, but have not figured out how to put it up. As soon as I figure it out you can find it here.

Hit'em high, hit'em low

2010-05-06T10:52:00.006-05:00

One of the projects we have completed so far this spring is the concrete work and construction of a high house and low house for the new skeet range, which was overlaid at the existing trap range. It is a nice addition to the area and we look forward to using it once the weather straightens out. It will also give the guys here in the fall something to do for a few hours if they feel so inclined.

We just returned from our first grain bin pour near Wall on the edge of the Badlands. We got to drive through the park in the morning and afternoons going to and from the job site. Where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play as the song says. We also got to see the grouse do their dance, along with prairie dogs, coyotes and other wildlife. Many of you have taken the Loop so you know what I'm talking about. We even tried to convince Robert that the yearling buffalo would be nice, but he wouldn't quite go for it. A little less work, and another SLAP or two and he might have went for it. We completed the project just in time for it to receive some rain and even possibly some snow.

We also managed to get another 2500 trees replanted, and some of the food plots worked. It looks like it could be a while before we're in the field again. Looking to get a chance at checking on our fish also, but the weather needs to straighten out for that to. It will all get done in time, and soon enough we'll be talking about how hot and dry it is, and that we can't wait for fall/winter.

Cordie and Marlys have also moved into their new house. Nearly everything is complete with a few minor things here and there. Some time this summer we will get the deck attached, but for now I believe they're happy to be situated. The additional rooms will also be finished this summer when we get some time.

Jack's First Hunt

2010-05-06T10:43:00.003-05:00

Some people might say we start them a little young, but I'd like to think that's not possible. Jack and Brandon shared their first hunt together as Brandon took out a couple pesky rabbits and a beaver. Oh sure it's not pheasants, but that will be soon enough. Abby is sure there will be plenty more to come. We'll look forward to sharing those memories with you also.

Other than that things have been cool and wet for the most part. It's raining as I put this together and they're predicting nearly six inches of snow for the NW part of the state. We're looking forward to a little warmer drier weather, but we're still getting some things done, so we can't complain too much.

To Jack!!

2010-03-31T10:38:00.003-05:00

A tidbit of great news from Brandon and Abby. Congrats!!

Jack Bradley was born on Thursday, March 25th at 6:01 pm. Abby tried waiting patiently for Jack to arrive, but when he was four days late, she decided to get the ball rolling. Jack weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 ½ inches long, which was actually much smaller than they told us he was going to be!

We have already had a bunch of visitors over in Reliance, including his cousins Kellen (3 years) and Claire (7 months). We have decided that Jack could be the luckiest little grandbaby around because he has two sets of wonderful grandparents to spoil him… hopefully not too much ;)

Brandon

They're Back!!

2010-03-16T16:35:00.003-05:00

After a couple month leave of absence, the turkeys have returned. We're not sure where they've been, but we're happy to have them back. We noticed a couple of months ago that the bunch of turkeys that always hung around were gone, all but one of them anyway. Pretty soon there were none. Recently though three birds returned, two toms and one jake, and then the other morning I found these seven. Four more hens showed up, and the boys were puttin' on a show near the lodge. The jake was keeping his distance but was doing his best to shake what he was given. I'm hoping that I can see the two big boys throw down some day, but I'm not sure it will happen. I'm a little afraid that this group is abstinent and they're just a bunch of pretenders. Time will only tell.
Cordie and I were unsuccessful in drawing our Lyman County spring turkey tags, but we can pick up an archery tag, which is what we hunt anyway. The season opens April 10, and it looks like it could be cool and soggy. These birds will most likely remain safe unless we get real desperate.

Golf Anyone?

2010-03-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

Pictured is Hole 4 at the Medicine Creek Golf Course. For those of you who are familiar with the Course will notice that the creek is much wider than normal. The teebox is in the foreground where you must hit over the creek. Usually the creek is not much to worry about since most golfers shank it right out of bounds over th road. It might be a little bit more of a distraction now, but the course probably won't be open for a few more weeks. The slightly warmer temperatures are finally causing some snow to melt and the rain that we received last week are dumping quite a little runoff. The creek has risen quite a lot causing local flooding, but many areas of the state are getting it much worse. The White River, which is Lyman county's southern border has had several large ice jams and is flooding many area farms and ranches, homes, roads and bridges.

Cordie: John, you sneak through the culvert and hide behind the dam grade until we come around from the South.

John: Sneak through the culvert? Under the Interstate? Hide behind what?

How many of you have heard that before? Pictured is the culvert that runs beneath the Interstate that many of you gun-toting pheasant hunters have traversed before. If you plan on doing it now, I hope you brought your kayak. I'm assuming that most of the pheasants that are normally in this little honey-hole have found higher ground, but they will return once the water recedes and the cattails provide them cover once again. We'll hope the culvert dries out for the next lucky hunter who gets put in the sweet spot.

All the runoff is also causing Brakke Dam to run over its' spillway. I haven't checked for a few days, but Cordie reported that even more was spilling over a couple days after this picture was taken. There's still a little snow to melt and we've got a chance at some more precipitation on Thursday and Friday. Once things calm down and begin to warm up the pheasants will be ready to start their yearly breeding and nesting. With all the moisture the cover will be good for raising lots of little chicks. Things are looking good.

And the Winner is...

2010-02-24T13:39:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Hank Lind of Las Vegas, NV. He is our 2010 "Free Hunt" winner. We usually get this announcement out with our end of the year letter, but we forgot to mention it there. We did send Hank a notice that his hunt would be on us this year.

It seems as though there should be plenty of birds around when Hank arrives in the fall. Although it's been cold the weather has let up a little and Spring is just around the corner. We'll keep hoping for the best and doing whatever it is we can do to keep them healthy until next fall. We'll see you then.

Are we done yet??

2010-02-24T13:14:00.002-06:00

The outside is complete on the new house/lodge. There's still a few things that need to be done, but a little thaw is on order before we can do any of those. On the inside it's a little different story. The electrical and the plumbing is done, and next week the insulation will be done. It's coming along nicely, and we're shooting to be mostly completed by the end of March. We should be close, but Marlys is docking pay for any day after the first of April. Who are we to say, she's the one writing the checks.

Fishes and Loaves... and pheasants

2010-02-16T09:38:00.034-06:00

We need a way to turn a little pheasant feed into a lot. It's been one of the more harsh winters we've had in quite a few years. Here's a few pictures that we snapped while out and about. They say more than I ever could. Keep in touch and think warm weather.

Still a Few Out There

2010-02-09T15:26:00.003-06:00

Are you kidding me!! It's been more than a month since I posted and I see there are still people checking back every so often to see how we're doing and what's been going on. I apologize for being out of the loop for so long. We have been busy getting a lot of stuff done, but the list never seems to get any shorter. There's a lot left to do and before you know it the Preserve season will be closed and we'll be pouring concrete.

A lot has been going on, just not much in the way of hunting and other fun stuff. The outside of the new house/lodge is nearly complete with only a couple of special windows and a small siding job left. Plumbing, electrical, and heating are being completed on the inside, and then we move onto the fun stuff. The moving van dance has been attempted several times with Cordie and Marlys' stuff being moved out, moved into whichever nook and cranny it will fit, and Jamie and I are still shuffling our stuff around as we try to get settled in the new/old house. To top it off, it's been great weather for moving. Snow, wind, rain, who said it wasn't fun to move in SD in January and February.

The birds have been putting up with it also, and hopefully holding up well. We haven't had a whole lot of time to keep track of them, but so far so good. I'm sure they are looking forward to Spring as much as we are. I'm sure when the weather straightens out we'll give'em a run for their money just to see how their holding out. Anyone interested in joining us can give us shout.

I hope everyone received their Holiday cards. I know that I have received a few of them back with wrong addresses and what not so I will do my best to keep them updated. Thanks for checking in.

Feast or Famine?

2010-01-05T08:55:00.004-06:00

There was plenty of one and none of the other. Three nights of overindulgence and four days of amazing pheasant hunting. There was actually more if you include the days at the beginning of the week with "Geno", and the great meals he prepared. The food and drink was fantastic along with the final hunts of the regular season. Everyone made it safely here and back home, no accidents in the field, and lots of birds in the air. Who could ask for more? Well, there were maybe a few that were asking for a little warmer weather, but we made due and didn't have to spend a lot of time in the cold, and once the shooting started everyone forgot about their frozen fingers. A few pairs of snowshoes paid off too, although most got by without them. It's sad to say that it's over, but there's always next year, not to mention the preserve season will fill the void in the cold winter months whenever the dogs need to get a hunt in.

Dig, Dug...dogs?

2009-12-29T07:25:00.006-06:00

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

2009-12-18T16:18:00.004-06:00

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...

2009-12-18T15:59:00.006-06:00

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!!!

2009-12-03T15:55:00.006-06:00

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??

2009-11-25T14:01:00.002-06:00

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....

2009-11-19T07:35:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-12T08:07:00.002-06:00

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??

2009-11-11T08:35:00.003-06:00

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

2009-11-06T08:11:00.002-06:00

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

2009-10-30T15:24:00.007-05:00

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

2009-10-29T16:12:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-28T16:59:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-20T07:32:00.008-05:00

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

2009-10-20T07:09:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-04T16:58:00.005-05:00

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

2009-09-21T18:31:00.006-05:00

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

2009-09-21T18:08:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-09-18T07:13:00.004-05:00

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

2009-09-09T11:01:00.005-05:00

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

2009-09-09T10:55:00.007-05:00

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

2009-09-09T10:24:00.006-05:00

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

2009-09-09T09:37:00.005-05:00

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)

2009-09-09T09:12:00.006-05:00

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

2009-08-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-07T08:27:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-07-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

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

2009-06-16T07:33:00.001-05:00

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 !

2009-06-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

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"

2009-05-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

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

2009-05-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

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

2009-05-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

"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

2009-05-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-30T08:53:00.001-05:00

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"

2009-04-13T12:02:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-03T11:20:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-31T16:19:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

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

2009-03-30T12:22:00.000-05:00

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.