Mushitz Ringnecks LLC Bird Hunt in South Dakota

Guest post by: Jeff Blystone
CFM Life Member

I’ve been hunting with Mushitz Ringnecks in Geddes, South Dakota for a few years now and it’s one of my favorite getaways every year. The accommodations, food, fellowship, scenery, dogs and of course, the great pheasant hunting are what keep me returning year after year.

Adam and Bill Mushitz run the hunting operation and have become not just guides and hosts, but friends as well. When I called them in January of 2015 to ask if they would be willing to donate a hunt to CFM’s Explore the Outdoors Kansas City event they agreed. CFM offered that two person, two day hunt at the live auction in May of 2015 and Joshua Nana was the highest bidder. Josh just happens to be Rehan Nana’s older brother. As you all know our Deputy Director loves to upland bird hunt. He and his Red Settter “Annie” have chased birds all over the mid-west. So with a little brotherly love, or maybe I should say persuasion, Rehan got himself invited on the hunt.

After a few phone calls dates were set to hunt and before we knew it early November was here and we were in South Dakota. I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about inviting Josh and Rehan to join our group in South Dakota. The Kansas City group I’ve been hunting pheasants with are, shall we say, old school and set in their ways. We have been hunting together for a long time. Our most experienced hunter is 78 years young and our least experienced hunter is 50. So inviting a couple of young men in their thirties that no one in the group knows could turn out to be stressful depending on how the “newbies” handled themselves.

First and foremost was the safety aspect of group pheasant hunting. The potential of a shooting accident is very real during the excitement of big, multicolored, cackling birds bursting from heavy cover at your feet. Muzzle control and shooting angles must be the number one concern to keep everyone safe, including the bird dogs. The second concern of “newbie” hunting etiquette is to not be too quick on the trigger, shoot all of the birds, and then brag about it. Lastly don’t be the-know-it-all hunter who tries to tell everyone including the guide how to hunt and shoot.

I am pleased to say Josh and Rehan passed all of the tests and got along great us old timers. The only criticism I might have happened on our first day of hunting. We had already filled our bag limit of 3 rooster pheasants per hunter per day by just after lunchtime and those young enthusiastic men (Rehan mostly) wanted to see if we could walk up some prairie grouse. According to our host there were some around if you knew where to look. So after some location tips from Adam and Bill we were off.

Myself, Rehan, Josh and my buddy Anthony set out with our dogs, “Annie” the Red Setter, “Strider” the German Shorthair Pointer and my Labrador “Ryan.” I’ve been told that a lot folks hunt these Prairie Grouse otherwise known as Sharptails & Prairie Chickens on horseback because of the vast distances you must travel to find birds. Let’s just say a horse that afternoon may have come in handy for this hunters weary legs.

We managed to walk up some grouse but most of them flushed way out in front of us. Josh did actually harvest a Sharptail that afternoon. We all thought that was pretty cool deal since it rarely happens. I did enjoy the experience and saw some good looking country but man did my feet hurt.

I’d like to thank Mushitz Ringnecks, LLC of Geddes South Dakota for the donation, hospitality and friendship. If you are interested in hunting South Dakota give Adam a call at 605-680-1120, or look them up on the web at www.mushitzringnecks.com , or on facebook at Mushitz Ringnecks, LLC.

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