11/23 - 2009 South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Field Crops Conditions Report

November 24, 2009 by Chris Hitzeman

Cover that pheasants hide in during the day continues to shrink at a substantial pace each week. Hunting conditions have improved and reports are good around the state. The weather has been dry and mild this last week and that bodes well for continued harvest. Pheasant hunting looks to be its best after Thanksgiving and on into the new year in South Dakota.

FIELD CROPS REPORT Corn harvested advanced 13 percentage points in the past week, now estimated at 40 percent harvested. This year's corn harvest remains behind last year's pace of 73 percent harvested and 91 percent for the five-year average. Eighty-six percent of the sorghum for grain has been harvested, compared to 89 percent last year and 96 percent for the five-year average. The sunflower harvest is 79 percent complete, compared to 70 percent last year and 90 percent for the five-year average. Ninety-five percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, compared to 100 percent last year and for the five-year average.