2017 Crop Harvest Report

October 11, 2017 by UGUIDE South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Drought busting rains are now slowing harvest.  Good news is bad and bad news is good.

On the eve of the 99th South Dakota pheasant season, we find harvest is slowed by Sept rains which are welcome overall after such a dry spring and summer.  Most of the moisture is focused on the SE part of state but as a whole, crop harvest is behind last year as well as the 5 year average.

This usually means an impact to early season hunters due to many birds hanging out in standing corn fields during hunting hours.

Corn right now is only 6% harvested, soybeans 22%,  sorghum 3% and sunflowers 10%.

The good news is winter wheat was 50% emerged which is way above average.  This means that birds are going into next year with good cover and food to get through winter.  The drought of 2012 was devastating in 2013 numbers because 2012 fall was so dry.