Good potholes: a hunting trip for the ages.

Crisp, fall air blanketed northeastern South Dakota as my Ford truck rambled down a nearly deserted highway toward a little piece of hunting paradise. I rolled down my window to get a better view and take in the cool, fresh air that could only mean one thing: It's waterfowl and upland bird hunting

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I passed through one of the several small towns located in the region until I arrived in Veblen, S.D. I love small town America. Veblen totes a population near 300 and has your ordinary one stop through its city limits. After double checking my map, I turned down a gravel road and made one of my final maneuvers toward Prairie Sky Ranch. I was about as excited as a hunting dog loading up for another weekend trip to the duck blind. It was tough to stay bottled up in the truck as I passed slews (known as potholes here) loaded with waterfowl.

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This was going to be a great trip.

After four hours on the road from my Minneapolis home, I had finally arrived at Prairie Sky Ranch. Thanks to a partnership formed by Polaris, Browning, Mossy Oak and Winchester, I was about to have the hunt of a lifetime.

OUR RIDES

Polaris said we'd be venturing to the pheasant hunting grounds aboard Sportman 500 Browning Edition ATVs and Ranger XP Browning Edition side-by-sides. Making our way down the gravel roads was made easy with a detachable GPS unit and gun scabbards.

While it was a bit on the chilly side with the 20-degree air cutting through my Mossy Oak coat during the ride, the ATVs were appreciated. We crossed through damp fields without hesitation. And, when the pheasant hunt was over, we simply loaded our birds into the back of the Ranger and toted them back to the ranch for cleaning.

Our hunting group brought a fully enclosed Polaris Ranger Browning to the morning duck hunt. The enclosed cab was developed by Polaris, and we were glad the Minnesota company included the enclosure on this trip. We weren't ready for freezing temps in late October, but the cab made it easier to venture into the cold early-morning air. We rode the machine out to the pothole our guide scouted a day earlier and brought decoys in to the muddy field with ease. After parking the Ranger out of sight, made easier thanks to the camo, we busted back to our cover and waited for shooting time.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED, FOR SOME

If you ever have a chance to hunt South Dakota's northeast pothole region, I suggest making the trip. You won't regret it. I nestled into my cover surrounding the pothole with the Browning Gold shotgun at my side and awaited my first opportunity at a mallard, gadwall or teal, all of which were still in the region.

With overcast skies, hunting time approached and we heard the sounds of shotguns to our east. Our hunting camp was divided into four groups, so we knew one group had already found some success. We looked at our watches and realized it was shooting time. With a limit of one hen per hunter, the overcast skies made it tough to spot the greenheads. We had to wait to squeeze the trigger until we were sure it was a drake.

Our guide, Paul Majors of Scottsboro, Ala., spotted a greenhead flying into our cover and instructed us to "Kill that duck!" After two quick shots we had our first bird of the hunt. Major's chesapeake, May, scrambled into the icy water and retrieved our first kill.

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After 30 minutes passed, and plenty of shots from our east rang out, we waited for another duck to fly into our decoys. A hen came into our setup and was promptly downed by our crew. Unfortunately, that was our limit of success for day one. Just a few hundred yards away in the corn stalks, two groups filled their tags from our camp. That's hunting! Our cover was filled with duck feathers from the day before, but the ducks weren't interested in landing in the icing potholes yet on this day.

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Our second day was more successful, however. Guide Shane Rein, of Veblen, put us on a few more birds. The ducks were timid but several did make their way toward our cover. Rein's black lab, Ashley, retrieved our first kill, a teal, and we kept her busy for the next hour. With a cold dog and hungry hunters, we retired to the lodge for a bite to eat and a quick nap.

The pheasant hunting, as expected, provided plenty of excitement. Both days, the sky cleared up by 1 p.m. and the bright sunlight kept us warm. Since we were hunting in large 10-person groups, birds were placed like at a game farm. We managed to scavenge some wild birds, though, and left both days with a full bounty.

Thanks to Polaris ATVs, Browning, Winchester and Mossy Oak, our hunt was as fun as it was successful. And, Prairie Sky Ranch pampered us like royalty. Who could ask for much more?

RELATED ARTICLE: PRAIRIE SKY RANCH

Immediately upon arrival, I was greeted by Bruce Prins and his wife. Corrine, who together have created a top-notch hunting facility. The Prins' Prairie Sky Ranch is located in the Glacial Lakes Region, which means wetlands and lakes dot the area and wildlife is abundant. The ranch is located on the top of a ridge formed by glaciers thousands of years ago.

The Prins directed me to the cabin I'd be using to "rough it" in for five days. As I walked up the porch--which has a terrific view of the hills and prairies--and walked into the cabin, I realized I wouldn't be coming close to roughing it on this trip. The comfortable cabin featured a stone fireplace and wonderfully designed pine interior. The cabin I would share with three others in camp featured a fully operational bathroom, two bedrooms and a loft for a total of five beds. A comfortable couch and chairs were spread out in front the fireplace and a dining room table was positioned nicely by a window with wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. In fact, the cabin was designed so nicely members of my hunting camp were plotting to build replicas after snapping off several photos.

Prairie Sky Ranch has a large but cozy lodge that allows hunters plenty of room to spread out by the fireplace and reminisce of hunts past. I quickly learned the danger of hanging out in the lodge. The Prins have hired an excellent chef who makes sure you never go hungry. We ate smoked duck, pheasant, wild turkey, buffalo, steak and ham during our stay. I went home five pounds heavier and fully satisfied!

The ranch has its own herd of buffalo roaming the acreage, which is a sight to behold if you've never seen buffalo up close. And, yes, the ranch does offer a buffalo hunt if that piques your interest. In the spring, one can hunt turkeys here, too. But, we were here to hunt late-season upland birds and waterfowl with the guides and their dogs who work at the ranch. Prairie Sky Ranch also guarantees a waterfowl tag--either non-resident or a Tribal Waterfowl Tag as the ranch is located on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation.

Contact: Prairie Sky Ranch; (605) 738-2411; www.prairieskyranch.com

RELATED ARTICLE: NICE GUNS

Imagine walking into Cabela's or Gander Mountain and having your pick of shotguns for the next hunting trip. Browning made that happen for us in South Dakota. When I learned of the trip, I was told to leave my shotgun at home. It's a good thing I did. I don't think Browning representatives would appreciate me showing up with my Remington Model 870 pump action.

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My gun is a bit dated by design, so I was excited to try out some of the most advanced guns Browning offers. I tried out a few shotguns I wish my bank account could afford. The Cynergy Classic Field over and under was an awesome gun and new to the Browning line. The over/under setup is ideal for pheasant hunting. It was great in the field and, as expected, provided an exceptional feel when put into action. After shooting a Citori, Silver Hunter and Gold Superlite, I settled on my choice for the week.

I felt most comfortable shooting the semi-auto Gold Superlite Hunter, new to Browning's line as well, which weighed just 3.5 pounds. Plus, I'll admit I'm not the greatest shot in the world, so having three shells opposed to two in the over/under is a benefit. Also, I'm accustomed to the safety design, so I figured this would increase my chances of success when opportunity knocked.