Moving to Sodak

Am going to interview and look at a job near brookings sd this coming week and I am looking for anyone who could give me pros and cons of the area and talking hunting and fishing if they are from the area . I am mostly into waterfowl and fishing. But my main passion as of right now is coon hunting with my two hounds. Hoping to find people to connect with if we decide to move .

you'll be in one of the best duck and pheasant hunting areas in the country. Whitetails right outside your door, mule deer and antelope a few hours drive away, an Elk tag every 5 years or so (cow Elk).

Are you from up there at all? I know a couple people in the souix falls area but that it pretty much.

You will be bruised up from pinching yourself, most of everything you seek is there except the critters you will need to go to the West end of the State for, if it was me I’d put a ad in the paper for a place in the country.

It's good country, i use to hunt white tails, geese, ducks around Oldham and desmet. Good fishing too. We use to have a family cabin on lake Madison. You will be close to a trap supply, and fur buyer pete Peterson at Ramona s.d. . We still get home every year, i grew up in Canton s.d. good luck with interview.

They already have housing it is farm and ranch work so that part is all ready settled . I traveled through up there a few years ago and there were muskrats everywhere I'm hoping it is still that way haha

Lots of water the last couple of years it might be better. Lived in White SD when moved out here to work for the State plenty to trap.

Its plenty populated and more so all the time. There are a lot of lakes and public areas up that way though. Make no mistake, a lot of it gets hammered, a lot of Sioux Falls people head up there. I am not sure how the coon hunting will be. Plenty of coon, a lot of them are in sloughs or crp. There would be some timber along the Big Sioux River and probably some small pockets here and there.
I havent spent any time in the Valentine area, but have driven through there several times to North Platte. Absolutely beautiful area around there. You might miss some of that 2 lb bluegill fishing i read about! But the variety by Brookings will probably be better. Good luck with your decision.

Most of the 2lbers are gone now days. I would rather have the variety anyways . It sure is pretty country it would be hard to leave especially when you have spent alot of your life riding those hills horseback. Not many prettier places on earth .

If you go East of White the "White Hills" are near the MN border, it looks a lot like West River with rolling hills.

I fish that area a lot and it is real good fishing , I really doubt you will be sorry for moving there. plenty of critters to play with .

What all do you like to fish for in that area ?

Walleye, perch lakes around there with northerns in the Big Sioux River the James River has good cats the Missouri has no limit on cats and lots of walleyes to start.

Walleye , pike , white bass , perch , small mouth bass , crappie , there is also musky , bullheads , catfish

So someone could take over your hunt, trap, fish spots around Valentine?

People here refer to walleye as “fish”, as if theyre THE ONLY fish. As stated, there are other fish. You can get on smallies in a lot of lakes-3 times the fight of a weak little walleye.
If you have a jon boat and dont mind duckin the flyin carp, the channel cats are plentiful on the rivers. There is a low head dam at Flandreau about 20-30 from Brookings on the Sioux. Follow the Big Sioux south an hour and a half and get into flatheads. A lot of those lakes spread around the Brookings area and north hold big cats as well and i doubt many fish for them. If you cant tell, i like rivers

a fish

I suppose someone could take my spots but that's along ways from Alaska

Nice walleye. Just think how hard a smallie or river grown channel of that size wouldve fought. Im not opposed to walleye. Im gonna go cast the muddy waters of the raging ecoli filled Sioux this evening if the wind dies down a little.

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Nice walleye. Just think how hard a smallie or river grown channel of that size wouldve fought. Im not opposed to walleye. Im gonna go cast the muddy waters of the raging ecoli filled Sioux this evening if the wind dies down a little.
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this ones out of a lake... but the ones we catch outta the jim river we call em roundup ready walleyes..

They just add a little to ur immune system is all.