Firesteel Report

Recently we returned from the Shooting Sportsman Readers & Writers Adventures hunt at Firesteel Creek Lodge (http://www.firesteelcreeklodge.com/index.html), in South Dakota. This was our fourth hunt with Firesteel’s Lindskov family, and things just keep getting better.

As is usually the case, our hunt was sold out at 16 Guns. I’ll say one thing for SSM readers: They know what good is. Firesteel isn’t the fanciest pheasant lodge, but it has to be one of the most genuine. Hunting there is the real deal, something that our very experienced crew of hunters appreciates. That’s why the return rate is so high. Most of us stay in touch during the year, so returning in the fall is like meeting up with old friends.

This year, in addition to ideal weather with moderate temperatures, plenty of sunshine and less-than-gale-force prairie winds, the bird population was excellent. The first pheasant hatch of the spring was flooded out by rain, but the second hatch was very successful. Additionally, we saw good numbers of Hungarian partridge and sharp-tailed grouse. Some of the hunters were able to bag all three species in one day. I had one sharptail flush 20 yards out but thought it was a hen pheasant and held off shooting. The guide was smarter than I was and called “Grouse! Grouse! Shoot!” Which, of course, I didn’t because by then it was in another time zone. I guess that’s why they call them “sharpies.” You have to be sharp to get them.

There are two ways to hunt pheasants in South Dakota. The first is the community-picnic approach where a big field is driven and blocked by a large number of hunters. This traditional method is great fun for a group. When the birds start flushing wildly at the end of the drive, there can be a lot of action. This approach works particularly well with hunters of mixed abilities.

At Firesteel we hunted differently. This was not a mixed-ability group. Everyone was a darned good shot. Many were exceptionally good. With that kind of talent, the hunters were arranged into groups of five or six, each with two guides and two sets of dogs. That way we were able to appreciate the excellent dogwork as we walked up the birds more as individuals. Depending on the terrain, the group could hunt as six or split up into two groups of three. The Firesteel guides did a great job, and this approach worked out beautifully. We didn’t get the mass flushes of a big field drive, but we had many more up-close-and-personal opportunities over good dogs. Each group hunted a different area each day, so we experienced a good variety of terrain, as well.

The next SSM shoot is at Highland Hills Ranch (http://www.highlandhillsranch.com/), in Oregon from December 8 to 12. This is an absolutely first-class destination. Next year a group of quail hunters who demand the best will meet at Pine Hill Plantation (http://www.pinehillplantation.com/), in Donalsonville, Georgia, from February 16 to 20. It promises traditional mule-drawn wagons and vigorous birds.

So in preparation and contemplation of some great hunts, it’s boots off, beer open.