Dakota Feathers

Dakota Feathers runs guided pheasant hunts across nearly 2,000 acres of prime South Dakota hunting ground near Turton and Doland. This is a family operation—Chad Fischer has been guiding since 1998, and his wife Shawn, along with their three kids, run the day-to-day. It's the kind of setup where you get real hospitality, not a corporate outfit.

The farm sits in some of the best pheasant habitat in the country. You're hunting through:

• •Cattail sloughs
• •CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land
• •Food plots sized specifically for roosters
• •Natural habitat managed for bird production

Four generations of farming means Chad and his family know exactly how to manage land for pheasants. The birds are never far away, and they stock the property to give you the best chance at bagging your limit of 3 roosters per day.

Groups run 6 to 14 hunters maximum—Dakota Feathers only books 4-5 groups each fall, so you're not dealing with crowded fields. All hunts are fully guided; no self-hunts offered.

Daily schedule: - Meet at the farm 30 minutes before start time - First week of season: noon start - Second weekend onward: 10 a.m. start - Transportation provided between fields - Lunch and refreshments in the field - Birds cleaned and packaged after the hunt - No alcohol until the hunt is done for the day

Primarily German Shorthair Pointers, occasionally a lab depending on your guide. Your own well-behaved dog is welcome to hunt with you—once you hunt over a good dog, you don't hunt without one again. If you're in the market for a pup, Chad can point you toward quality prospects.

$225 per hunter per day. A 50% deposit is required at booking and is non-refundable after August 1st. If you need to reschedule, it has to be during the same season/year or the deposit is lost. All hunters must purchase a valid South Dakota hunting license.

Chad Fischer's promise: "I've been doing this a while now, and we truly stress safety. We can all but guarantee your shots at wild birds with the way the operation is run."

Whitetail deer hunts (bow hunts preferred) and waterfowl hunts available upon request—pricing varies. South Dakota's recent drought shifted the duck migration, so waterfowl hunts are hit-or-miss, but worth discussing as a secondary option if you're staying for multiple days.

No on-site lodging, but plenty of options within 50 minutes: Watertown, Aberdeen, Clark, Redfield, and Doland all have motels with hometown cooking and standard commercial food. Chad will recommend the best fit for your group when you book.

Turton, South Dakota (primary), with additional land near Doland.

• •Phone: (605) 881-8446
• •Email: [email protected]

References available upon request. If you want to lock in dates for next fall, call soon—they book up.