SD Weather and Game

[Nulle]

Western SD is burning up with no snow or rain and now we have a Forest Fire "already" and I was on that till 2am . This dry conditions will effect turkey and grouse nesting in the West for sure.
Eastern part of South Dakota has again seen pretty good moisture and should have another very good pheasant hatch if it continues.

[gspsonny03]

I hear you there Nulle. I think Wyoming is in for another dry one too. Hardly any snow pack this past winter and they keep predicting rain, but we never get any. Looking bad already.
How bad was the fire? I heard bits and pieces on the radio, but never heard how big it was. You be safe out there.

[Nulle]

On the fire the last I heard was little under 1,000 acres but things look better this AM as we are getting a "little" light rain.

[M.T. Pockets]

I'm in Western MN near the SD border and the pheasant populations are good here, great in SD. Very mild winter and some good rains last week. I'm not sure how far west into the South Dakota the moisture goes but I think East River should have a good hatch.

[Nulle]

Well I am in Aberdeen today and from what I have heard we got 2" at least in western SD while I was gone. Things look good here and pheasants all over the place.
It was a good convention and walked out of there with the South Dakota State Animal COntrol Officer of 04 award lol.

[BILLY D.]

HEY PARDNER

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARD.

AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW IT'S DRIER THAN POPCORN FLATULENCE HERE IN NO. DAK. HAD A MILD WINTER. HARDLY ANY BELOW ZERO TEMPS. VERY UNUSUAL I'M NOT A RAIN FAN BUT EVEN I KNOW WE NEED IT. LAKES ARE SEMBLENCES OF THEIR FORMER SELVES. I HAVE NO IDEA WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE FISHERIES. PECK. OAHE AND SAKAKAWEA ARE IN DIRE STRAITS. BUT WE GOT BARGE TRAFFIC IN MISSOURI.GRRRR. KIND OF A SORE POINT IN THESE PARTS.

WELL HAVE A GOOD ONE. ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATS.

[Nulle]

I hear you on the river water and we have the same problem down here with "their" regulating of it.
We have a new critter moving into the Eastern part of the State, Posssums.? I guess they are all over the place and I saw a dead one on the road South of Aberdeen on the way up. You getting any of these in North Dakota. From what the Eastern ACOs tell me they do not handle the winters well with frost bit ears ect.

[BILLY D.]

HI

HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT 'POSSUMS. THATS INTERESTING THOUGH. NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT I DON'T EVER REMEMBER SEEING ONE HERE AT ALL.

ONE THING I DO NOTICE IS THE LACK OF JACK RABBITS. THERE USED TO BE HERDS OF THEM, NOW YOU ARE LUCKY TO SEE ONE IN A DAY OF FIELD ACTIVITIES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS CAUSED THEIR DECLINE, COYOTES, INDISCRIMINATE SHOOTING OR WHAT. I DON'T THINK AGRICULURAL PRACTICES HAVE HAD MUCH TO DO WITH IT.

WELL, HAVE A GOOD ONE BUD. PRAY FOR RAIN!!!!!!!

[Nulle]

Rabbit populations run on a curve and you may be at the bottom of it.
Another aspect of this as in our area, we saw very few rabbits and then the fox got the mange and guess what we have a ton of rabbits now.

[justwannano]

Got more possums Than anyone could want here in SE Iowa. Get your order in early for the best selection. :D

They're slooowww moving critters so your jackrabbit population isn't going to be in danger :D

[gspsonny03]

Congrats on the award Nulle, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. We got almost 2" out of this last snow we got. It drizzled for one day and then we got between 18 to 20 inches of snow the next. Most of it melted the following day, so it really helped out. Now if we can get some more moisture for the rest of the spring maybe we can get the grass to green up. Again congrats bud.

[Nulle]

Thanks
The Wildland Fire folks are scared now that is was enough moisture to get the grass high and then if we don't get anymore it drys out and really goes up.
No pleasing anybody now days lol - I am just happy we got some now.

[Nulle]

I have been in Aberdeen two days and the reports I am getting is it is dry and rain has been missing them. Looks good compared to my Western area but spring moisture is very important to spring pheasant chicks so this is something to keep in mind for the Fall hunt in this area .

[Andy L]

Justwannano,
Where you at in SE Iowa?

Andy

[Nulle]

Iowaaaaaaaaaaaa ? lmao

[wrenchman]

well i thought we were going to have a real dry spring but we had snow for 3 days and now we are going to 53 deg today

[justwannano]

Originally posted by Andy L
Justwannano,
Where you at in SE Iowa?

Andy

Mt Pleasant

60 miles N of Missouri line and 30 miles E of Mississippi

Nulle

I had a friend who told folks he was studing to be a tree surgeon in North Dakota :D

[Nulle]

05-11 : Well we got 1" of rain over the weekend, half inch yesterday and snow forcast for today so the weather has been interesting to say the least.

just: Yup they got a tree college in that state up on the Canadian line.

[popplecop]

Congrats on the award. Finally getting some rasin today. Had a 3900 acre fire in my home county last week. Took 13 permenant homes, no lose of life or limb tho. Don't miss the days I fought forrest fires.

[Nulle]

Thanks popplecop and I still fight those things but not in the ditch digging stuff lol
Am looking out my window now and the ground is white and snowing like crazy .

[BILLY D.]

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT; TREES IN NORTH DAKOTA?
OUR STATE TREE IS THE TELEPHONE POLE.

AND YES WE DO HAVE A FORESTRY SCHOOL IN BOTTINEAU. :eek:

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF WHICH IS TO PRODUCE A HYBRID OF PINE TREE THAT ARE REALLY TALL TO PRODUCE MORE PHONE POLES.:D

[gspsonny03]

Nulle: How much snow did you get out of this last storm? I've got a good twelve inches of snow standing on the flat in my yard and man is it wet, couldn't hardly lift the snow shovel when I was trying to scoop it off the driveway. That may not help the bird hatches. I guess we will have to see. I heard Rapid City was really catching it.


Billy: Are those new hybrid pines suppose to have just the one set of limbs or do they have to trim off a branch or two? Also do they plant them in a line like that or do they have to transplant them to get them to look that way? J/K my freind. have a good one. :D

[Nulle]

We got about the same amount and my guage shows a little under a inch of moisture.
Rapid was about on the edge of the snow with anything North and East getting rain with averages of 3" in the Faith area ect.
Should be ok for the birds unless some nests get flooded out which in that case it is early and they will set again.
Temps are rebounding fast and most of our snow has melted with the Sturgis area must have been cooler as they still have quite a bit.

[Nulle]

05-31-05 We got another inch of rain today and has been a wet month. This should get us through the nesting/hatching time and has been just great for upland hatches. Nights are cool with moisture on the grasses in the AM for the chicks.

[gspsonny03]

We ended up with 2.38 inch of moisture for the month and the grass is really looking good here. I know that don't seem like a lot for most of you wetter states, but after the last four years that's a bunch for us and we are really grateful. The kdi was in Sheridan, Wy over the weekend staying with me nephew and he said there were Roosters playing tag with one another in an empty lot across the street, right in town. Hopefully this moisture will continue for the rest of the summer and we should be in fine shape for fall, although we are still in a down cycle for grouse, this should still help the ones that we do have. Continue to keep us posted Nulle.