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Dream Dakota Pheasant Hunt Doesn’t Bust the Bank
By Greg Bayer, Quail Point Kennels
Judging by a hunt earlier in the week, we knew the “home quarter” of our South Dakotan
host's home was a honey hole, if not the honey hole. With this virtual guarantee of
pheasants, I put four pointing dogs on the ground, along with five dogs owned by two fellow
members of the party. The dogs were run down by several days of hard hunting, but we hoped
fresh bird scent would invigorate them. It always had before.
“Invigorate” does not even come close to describing what we witnessed. Within seconds of
36 paws hitting the ground, we had a full-fledged “fire drill” on our hands. We should have
known better … but it was our last day in Badger, South Dakota, and we wanted to get as
many dogs into pheasants as possible. Plus, they needed to stretch out prior to riding 20
hours back to Georgia. “Stretch out” is a huge understatement!
The birds were there, alright. Within a few minutes I connected on a 35-yard passing shot—
a rooster that was bumped by someone’s bird-crazy setter or Brittany, but certainly not
mine because they’d never commit such a gaffe (just don’t attempt to confirm this with my
hunting buddies). Moments later, another rooster rocketed out of the sorghum between my
partner and me, and jetted behind us prior to dropping like a load of bricks into a small
pond. And so the action continued for the next 75 minutes, although the dogs did gather
their wits and begin pointing roosters, allowing us to take the last few birds of our nine-
rooster limit over some stunning points and honors. Just an hour and a quarter to shoot a
limit! A spectacular finale to a five-day hunt for which any hunter worth his salt would
willingly fork over two or three thousand dollars, with a smile. But our grins were even
wider, because we each paid less than a grand for the entire hunt, including license, lodging,
transportation, food and incidentals!
Too often, a quality private-land pheasant hunt in South Dakota costs you $200 to $450 per
day for hunting rights alone. And all told, a five-day hunt could run $2,000 to $3,500. So
how’d we manage such an excellent hunt on the cheap? Enter Wade Jensen.
The year before, our group of five Georgian and Kansan bird hunters made camp in a Sioux
Falls hotel, and mainly hunted public walk-in, game-production and waterfowl-production
areas for ringnecks. We experienced fair success despite the unseasonably hot weather, but
over breakfast one morning we noticed an advertisement in the Argus Leader touting
excellent private-land hunts near the town of Badger, in Kingsbury County. The price tag
was reasonable, so we treated ourselves on our last day in South Dakota. Wade, his
excellent bird cover, and most importantly his bird numbers, left such an impression on us
that the Jensen farm immediately came to mind when planning our 2004 trip.
Wade’s farm, along with leased lands, consists of vast acres of prime pheasant habitat. It’s
a working corn and soybean farm—which you know draws birds—but Wade goes the extra mile
by planting food plots and allowing native grasses to flourish in strategic locations. The
topography also features ample ponds, creeks and cattail sloughs that act as bird magnets.
Our party of eight hunters didn’t bag limits each of the five days we hunted Wade’s farm,
but we did manage two limits, and had the opportunity to earn limits each of the other three
days. Limits were foiled by poor shooting, but certainly not the bird population! We bagged
90 roosters by hunt’s end.
Did I mention all the birds were wild? This was no game-farm hunt featuring naïve birds you
must boot out of cover while you stand over them. You’ll work hard for birds, but that’s
what hunting is all about, and what makes the beer or bourbon taste delicious back at the
Jensen farm.
Wade’s hunts are affordable because he doesn’t offer the extravagant amenities (bird
cleaning, fancy meals, lodging, mowed strips through the cover, etc.) found at resort-type
outfits. But he does offer a warm spot to clean birds, plenty of freezer space, and a comfy
lodge where you can relive your friend's poor shooting and/or shoddy dog work (make sure
he's a good friend) over the beverage of your choice. He also offers a spot to park your
camper, and transportation to and from the airport. Wade’s hospitality is unmatched, and
he'll do everything in his power to assure your success. You can bet we’ll again make the 20-
hour drive to Badger, South Dakota, next season!
In addition to Wade’s more-than-fair rates, we kept expenses in check by staying at the
reasonably priced Lake Preston Motel, in the town of Lake Preston, just a short drive from
the farm. We fixed our own meals with groceries purchased at Chuck’s Grocery on Main
Street, or ate great food on the cheap at the J&M Café.
An out-of-state small-game hunting license, good for two five-day periods, costs $100 and
can be purchased via the Internet (http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Hunting/Index.htm).
Regarding equipment, we suggest carrying a 12-gauge loaded with #4 or #6 high brass shells.
For more information about hunting Wade Jensen’s farm, please call Wade at 605-530-4640
or email wadejensen@starband.net. Please let him know you read about his hunts on
Quailpointkennels.com.
from 2005 and 2006 Hunts
following:
Taylorsville, GA
Canton, GA
info@Quailpointkennels.com
Chris Kahlan 770-378-2407
Greg Bayer 678-773-5667