doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com where to hunt in South Dakota?

Very well said, Old Colonel! Thanks for the post. Subsidized ethanol production is a double tax on all citizens--first, in direct payments to distillers; and second, in reduced energy efficiency (lower mileage, etc.). I wouldn't mind it so much if ethanol could stand on its own in a free market society.

Cenex, the Harvest State C0-0p had an 87 octane un-leaded offering on it's pumps in SD just a month ago. The difference in price between it and the 10% ethanol blend meant a 2 buck savings on a ten gallon fill-up. The 6 miles to the gallon difference in my truck meant that savings cost me 60 miles of travel. I would have to spend about 22 dollars on additional ethanol to travel the 60 miles lost to enjoy that 2 buck savings.

Others must have been doing the math too, because two weeks ago they replaced the 87 with 91 unleaded at about a 40 cent cost above the ethanol blend.

It must not have worked to cause more ethanol sales because this week they took the unleaded choice away.

I wrote the company's marketing department and told them that I made a different choice. I would now after 20 years no longer patronize them, but would instead buy gasoline from an oil company.

Anyone want to bet whether I will hear back from Cenex?

We have hunted the same cattle ranch in SW South Dakota for 6 years. Until this year, the hunting was "A" to "A+". This year it would rank as "C".

Two problems:

(1) Pheasant population is DOWN 50% to 60%!


(2) About 75% of the crops have not been harvested, and are still in the fields. The standing corn, milo, and cane means the birds are spread out, and more difficult to hunt.

Nevertheless, our group of 10 Missouri hunters limited 2 of the 3 days, and came close on the third day (90%). But whereas we usually limit in 3 hours, we hunted (harder) for 6 hours to limit. A good trip, and worthwhile, but not as "easy" as prior years.

There will probaby be even better hunting several weeks from now, when more crop is harvested and the birds become more concentrated.

JERRY

Late update: I just got back from a week in Aberdeen SD. First day we hunted a mix of private and public land no more than 15 miles out of town. We had a limit of 15 birds. Later we hunted private land just south of the ND border. We were down to 3 hunters and two dogs and the cover was just too big. We still managed our limits, but it was hard earned. Best day was the first because we had a 3-4" snow and finding even a cripple was easy because you could track the downed bird. Being a Alabama guy that was a first for me. Great time, but bird numbers do appear down.