2014 - The Pheasant Season in Review

February 19, 2015 by UGUIDE South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Overall UGUIDE Camps experienced a 68% returning visitor rate in 2015.  This is up from 52% the previous season.  The returning visitor rate is the single most important metric we track at UGUIDE because it is something we do not control.  The visitor fully determines whether they are coming back to hunt with us or not.  If you look at just the first 6 weeks of the season, the return rate was 86%.

Properties enjoying a 100% returning visitor rate are:  Faulkton, Wolf Creek and West River Adventures.  These are all Tier 1 properties.

Properties moving up in tiers in 2016 are :  Pheasant Camp Lodge moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1 based on a 75%+ returning visitor rate in 2015.  Meadow Creek moves from Tier 4 to Tier 2 in 2016 based on a 50%+ returning visitor rate in 2015.

Properties moving down in tiers in 2015:  Gunners Haven moves from tier 3 to 4.  However, we have made land configuration changes to address this and we feel that this will increase the return visitor rate at this property in 2016.

Some other camp highlights. 

• Pheasant Camp Lodge harvested 467 roosters on 90 hunters.  This is significant because it is one of the smaller farms in the network proving good habitat management can produce birds and hunter satisfaction.  Cattail Haven is right next door to this property and I know the birds are their too, but the harvest numbers do not reflect it telling me the small group sizes could be a factor as well as having good experienced dogs.
• Meadow Creek will add a significant amount of new CRP and food plots in 2015 possibly making this one of the top destinations in the UGUIDE network of camps.
• We offered 11 camps at the beginning of the 2014 season but Old Bank Lodge and Upland Ringneck Camps both had a 0% returning visitor rate and did not want to make any habitat improvements so we discontinued offering those properties in the future.

Anyone looking to get into a UGUIDE Pheasant Camp should look strongly at the remaining openings as I do not feel there is a bad spot in the bunch based on all the variables at play (Tiered pricing, weather, crop harvest, etc).

Check UGUIDE Pheasant Camp Rates and Availability