Prairie Dogs, Trophy Mule and White Tail Deer (archery and rifle), antelope, Turkey, Pheasant, and grouse Hunting on the Cheyenne River Reservation (up dated 4/01/25)
Bergie's note here: I have been retired from guiding hunters for about 15 years now. Don't let that discourage you as I have a great friend in Robert Smith who has taken over for me and is doing a great job. I got to know Robert when i was the high school principal at Dupree and he jumped in to help me coach the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade football team when I could not find a coach. Robert knows the Cheyenne River area and where you can have some fun in the great outdoors. Read further to get the gist of his operation. Robert lives in the small town of Lantry on the Cheyenne Indian Reservation. This is half way between Faith and Eagle Butte. South Dakota. Right on Highway 281. This is some awesome country with lots of prairie dog towns, pheasants, grouse, antelope, turkeys, and monster mule and white tail deer. Robert is an outstanding hunter with white tail deer over 180 points and mule deer in the 210 range to his credit.
Two Feather Outfitters
Robert Smith
Box 96
Lantry, South Dakota 57636
nativeghost22@yahoo.com
605-850-9258 (if you do not get Robert at first send him a text as there are many areas that do not have cell phone service, explain what the text is about)
General information
Robert grew up on the Cheyenne River Reservation and knows the people and country like no other. He has been hunting and fishing since he was little. He knows rodeo and horses as he still competes in the senior division doing heading and heeling. Robert currently works for the Trible bureau of Indian Affairs and works with the EPA on doing abatement on the reservation. Robert raises horses and has some good ones. He recently got into having his own cattle herd. He is one busy guy but even being a tribal elder at the age of 65 he can handle most any thing that comes his way.
He has always hunted with rifles but Mike has got him hunting pheasants and grouse now and even has a few shotguns now too. His real love is hunting deer and he is good at it. He is tops on scouting out the big antelope, white tail and mule deer. He knows the places they will go no matter what the weather is does his prep work for his hunters to make sure they all have very successful hunts. He knows all the tribal lands and gets leases and permission from the deeded land owners. Early in the season snake boots are a good idea as you never know when you might meet up with a snake so camouflaged that you never see them till they move.
Robert can provide Lodging for your hunt as follows:
Camping in his large yard with electrical (30 amp) ,Rural Water, and sewer hook ups @$20 per day
Stay in Roberts Double Wide house @ $50 per night
Prairie Vista Motel in Faith (21 miles away) 605-967-2343
Bunk house Inn, Isabel 605-850-8378
Cheyenne River Motel, Eagle Butte 605-964-8888
grocery stores
Dupree Lakota Thrifty Mart 605-365-5816
Eagle Butte Lakota Thrifty Mart 605-964-2944
Faith Lynn's Dakota Mart 605-967-2622
No matter where you stay Robert provides a hot Supper meal for you at the end of long day of hunting. He also has a set up for some sitting around the fire pit after supper with your beverage of choice.
Prices for all types of hunts as listed below:
Pheasants and grouse $100 per day
Turkeys $250 per day
Antelope $2500 per 4 day hunt
White Tail and Mule Deer $3500 per 4 day hunt
Prairie Dogs $175 per day
(does not include Tribal or South Dakota Licenses Fees)
Prairie Dog Hunting
Robert has been doing prairie dog guiding on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota with great success since 2012, that's 13 years. You just bring your long distance weapons and ammo. He has shooting benches, including rests and bags if you need to borrow some for your hunt. He has learned this business from Mike who guided for over 25 years. Robert will find you a place to hunt and sets you up in the best areas with lots of dogs waiting to get shot at. You can stay for as many days as you would like and he will help you out finding a new place as needed to get lots of shooting in.
Mike's hunters had around 75 recorded and verified kills at over 1000 yards. You can see all of our hunters who have made the 1000 yard list below. Also see Mikes recommendations of how to set up the perfect long distance gun and the glass ware to keep your eyes in focus for the day. Keep in mind here that it is hot and cool clothing is a must along with a good hat and sun screen. Rattle snakes love prairie dog towns so snake boots are a good idea.
Mike's hunters had around 75 recorded and verified kills at over 1000 yards. You can see all of our hunters who have made the 1000 yard list below. Also see Mikes recommendations of how to set up the perfect long distance gun and the glass ware to keep your eyes in focus for the day. Keep in mind here that it is hot and cool clothing is a must along with a good hat and sun screen. Rattle snakes love prairie dog towns so snake boots are a good idea.
Two great shooters. Middle East War Vets, and former B1B Bomber Pilots came to the Dakota's to learn about distance shooting and they had a blast.
Having fun in the sun
Matt had a great day of shooting from his .223 AR to his .243 varmint to his .338 Lapua. With dogs surrounding him it was a day of none stop fun. Note the benches, rests, and shooting bags. These are the ones that were used to record all the 1,000+ yard shots and all the other records listed below.
Lots of ways to shoot at the dogs as the pictures below testify too. You can have as much fun as you would like blasting away all day long.
Lots of ways to shoot at the dogs as the pictures below testify too. You can have as much fun as you would like blasting away all day long.
Mule Deer Hunting
The Cheyenne River and the Morello River Breaks hold some of the largest mule deer in the State of South Dakota. The tribal wardens make sure that poaching is not a problem and work at improving the habitat that the big deer thrive in. The big deer are masters at finding a hole to crawl into during the season but Robert is wise to their tricks and will have you enjoying the art of spot and stalk.
The Cheyenne River and the Morello River Breaks hold some of the largest mule deer in the State of South Dakota. The tribal wardens make sure that poaching is not a problem and work at improving the habitat that the big deer thrive in. The big deer are masters at finding a hole to crawl into during the season but Robert is wise to their tricks and will have you enjoying the art of spot and stalk.
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White Tail Deer hunting
Robert has the most beautiful land and area's for white tail deer. If you are into archery hunting he can set you up with some super stands with trail cam results to put you in the right spots. Keep in mind that archery requires much patience and time so plan for this. Rifle hunting is excellent with so many bucks spotted during a average day that it is hard to pick which one to shoot. Robert uses the spot and stalk method to out fox the big guys. |
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Antelope Hunting
Robert has the area and ggod bucks scouted out prior to the openning of the season and has great sucess all through the season. Rpbert has great glass to locate and has the eyes of an eagle to spot little details not visible to the average person. He knows the lay of the land and always has a plan to come up with the perfect spot and stalk story. |
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Pheasant and grouse hunting
There is lots of public walk in areas along with tribal lands that hold lots of birds. This has been a well kept secret for years. The grouse and pheasant populations have exploded with very little winter kill from a session of warm easy winters. A little bonus here is that there are doves and pigeons hanging around Roberts home base for some extra fun with the shotgun. |
Pre-hunt information sheet
The steps
1.both release forms must be read and completely signed. Our insurance company requires these forms.
3. All medical information should be written up and turned over to your guide. After a problem occurs it is to late. Please be very though as this information could save your life.
4. We will be hunting on the Cheyenne River Reservation and a Reservation Varmint License is required.
7. Weather and staying put are the two big factors on how many shots you will get. Sunny, cool days are the best to see a lot of dogs. Hot, windy weather or a front can make them go down easy and tend to stay down longer. Being patient when working on a dog town is the key to getting a lot of shots. Don’t be in a hurry to move. If it rains the bentonite type of soil is very sticky and it is best to get out while you can or you may bog down and not get out till the sun dries it out again.
8. Be sure to have some of your own cleaning equipment
1.both release forms must be read and completely signed. Our insurance company requires these forms.
3. All medical information should be written up and turned over to your guide. After a problem occurs it is to late. Please be very though as this information could save your life.
4. We will be hunting on the Cheyenne River Reservation and a Reservation Varmint License is required.
7. Weather and staying put are the two big factors on how many shots you will get. Sunny, cool days are the best to see a lot of dogs. Hot, windy weather or a front can make them go down easy and tend to stay down longer. Being patient when working on a dog town is the key to getting a lot of shots. Don’t be in a hurry to move. If it rains the bentonite type of soil is very sticky and it is best to get out while you can or you may bog down and not get out till the sun dries it out again.
8. Be sure to have some of your own cleaning equipment
PRAIRIE DOG HUNTING INFORMATION
CLOTHING
Long sleeve shirt of light color and light material
Long pants or bibs
Hat (full brim suggested)
Shooting glasses or some type of eye protection
Boots that are somewhat cactus proof as some areas have a large amount of this plant (leather is best)
Snake boots are a good idea
Body protection
Mosquito, chigger spray or rub
Sun block
Lip balm
Long sleeve shirt of light color and light material
Long pants or bibs
Hat (full brim suggested)
Shooting glasses or some type of eye protection
Boots that are somewhat cactus proof as some areas have a large amount of this plant (leather is best)
Snake boots are a good idea
Body protection
Mosquito, chigger spray or rub
Sun block
Lip balm
The Perfect Dog Shooting Rig (in Berg's opinion)
Gun cases
If your guns are of value to you I would get the best two-gun hard side case that you can afford. It should be waterproof and lockable with padlocks. Gun cases are laid out on the ground and stacked on in the truck.
Plastic coolers are great for keeping ammo cool and out of the sun. Also a little bit of duct tape will seal your gun supplies in a waterproof and airtight containers. They also work great for shipping equipment and ammo to us if needed.
.22 long rifle or mag rigs
Pistols or rifles are great here with and with out scopes. Try to keep them light enough to shoot off hand as you can use them mostly for what I call a walk about. Semi autos are by far the most fun (the Ruger 10/22 being my favorite as I have several) and it’s not unusual to go through about 500+ rounds per trip. The butler creek speed loaders are great so that the shooting never stops. Scopes should be simple in the 4x to 10x variable range. The more powerful the scope the harder it is to hold still off hand. Add a gun sling, as this will make transport to site a lot more comfortable.
Center fire rifles
Any caliber is great but two considerations are important here. One being that the larger the recoil the quicker you will tire of shooting it. A past shooting pad or a muzzle brake will help a lot here. Two being the larger the bullet the greater the distance you can shoot with the least amount of bullet drop and wind interfere. Heavy barrel varmint type guns are the best by control heat problems and absorbing more shock, a fluted barrel is an added bonus. The wood stock varmint guns shoot as well as the synthetic or laminated. The weather conditions are very dry here with little change. I would suggest that you free float your barrel and glass bed your action, as this will improve the performance of all wood stock guns. Varmint hunting is basically done to see what happens as you pull the trigger. I would suggest that you have your triggers done so that they have a maximum pull of 1 pound. Also if you don't have a muzzle brake on your guns have one installed, as it is the best thing you can do to a varmint gun for our type of shooting.
Scopes
The best scope is one that you can see through. It must be easy to zoom from low to high power with a parallax adjustment. Minimum of 12x with 20x on up being much more fun to shoot. A target dot, pep-plex, or vari-x is all easy to shoot and have had all styles complete a 1000-yard plus shot. For super long shots a finer center point is best. I would suggest that you stay away from super high power fixed power scopes, as they can be a real problem. The better the grade of scope you purchase the less eyestrain you will have as the shooting day goes. Target knobs are a must and record where it should shoot at different distances. Turn your scope to the very bottom of your adjustment when you sight in and shim the back of the scope till it is right on. We have found that pop can shims are best, as they don't mark up the scope tube or rings. Sun shades work great as they help keep heat from the barrel from distorting your picture. An eye patch works to keep eyestrain to a minimum as does a towel over your head so you can shoot with both eyes open. Scope mounts should be of the type that can be adjusted for windage in the field, Ruger mounts are the worst ones on the market as they do not adjust for any type of side-to-side movement and are a real problem on a windy day.
Binoculars and spotting scopes
Having your own set you can keep your barrel from cooling off too much. I find that the best size is either 7x42 or 10x50 as they have good light gathering qualities and not to heavy. Once again here you pay for what you get. Spotting scopes are a must with the Leopold 12x40x being his favorite for the money. You will need a rest such as a gunstock or tri-pod. Mike has developed a mount for binocs and spotting scopes that allow you to look with out any holding the glass. It has one adjustment on the back for elevation.
Accessories
Earmuffs are a must and the best kind is the ones that allow you to wear a hat at the same time. A nice option is the muffs that have battery-operated speakers built into them. When using muzzle brakes an extra foam earplug is a good choice. The Harris bipods are the best yet with the three-step swivel mount being the top of the line. They can be used both in the prone and sitting positions. Shooting glasses are a must here with the clear ones being the best choice. You don't what a miss-loaded cartridge ruining your hunt.
If your guns are of value to you I would get the best two-gun hard side case that you can afford. It should be waterproof and lockable with padlocks. Gun cases are laid out on the ground and stacked on in the truck.
Plastic coolers are great for keeping ammo cool and out of the sun. Also a little bit of duct tape will seal your gun supplies in a waterproof and airtight containers. They also work great for shipping equipment and ammo to us if needed.
.22 long rifle or mag rigs
Pistols or rifles are great here with and with out scopes. Try to keep them light enough to shoot off hand as you can use them mostly for what I call a walk about. Semi autos are by far the most fun (the Ruger 10/22 being my favorite as I have several) and it’s not unusual to go through about 500+ rounds per trip. The butler creek speed loaders are great so that the shooting never stops. Scopes should be simple in the 4x to 10x variable range. The more powerful the scope the harder it is to hold still off hand. Add a gun sling, as this will make transport to site a lot more comfortable.
Center fire rifles
Any caliber is great but two considerations are important here. One being that the larger the recoil the quicker you will tire of shooting it. A past shooting pad or a muzzle brake will help a lot here. Two being the larger the bullet the greater the distance you can shoot with the least amount of bullet drop and wind interfere. Heavy barrel varmint type guns are the best by control heat problems and absorbing more shock, a fluted barrel is an added bonus. The wood stock varmint guns shoot as well as the synthetic or laminated. The weather conditions are very dry here with little change. I would suggest that you free float your barrel and glass bed your action, as this will improve the performance of all wood stock guns. Varmint hunting is basically done to see what happens as you pull the trigger. I would suggest that you have your triggers done so that they have a maximum pull of 1 pound. Also if you don't have a muzzle brake on your guns have one installed, as it is the best thing you can do to a varmint gun for our type of shooting.
Scopes
The best scope is one that you can see through. It must be easy to zoom from low to high power with a parallax adjustment. Minimum of 12x with 20x on up being much more fun to shoot. A target dot, pep-plex, or vari-x is all easy to shoot and have had all styles complete a 1000-yard plus shot. For super long shots a finer center point is best. I would suggest that you stay away from super high power fixed power scopes, as they can be a real problem. The better the grade of scope you purchase the less eyestrain you will have as the shooting day goes. Target knobs are a must and record where it should shoot at different distances. Turn your scope to the very bottom of your adjustment when you sight in and shim the back of the scope till it is right on. We have found that pop can shims are best, as they don't mark up the scope tube or rings. Sun shades work great as they help keep heat from the barrel from distorting your picture. An eye patch works to keep eyestrain to a minimum as does a towel over your head so you can shoot with both eyes open. Scope mounts should be of the type that can be adjusted for windage in the field, Ruger mounts are the worst ones on the market as they do not adjust for any type of side-to-side movement and are a real problem on a windy day.
Binoculars and spotting scopes
Having your own set you can keep your barrel from cooling off too much. I find that the best size is either 7x42 or 10x50 as they have good light gathering qualities and not to heavy. Once again here you pay for what you get. Spotting scopes are a must with the Leopold 12x40x being his favorite for the money. You will need a rest such as a gunstock or tri-pod. Mike has developed a mount for binocs and spotting scopes that allow you to look with out any holding the glass. It has one adjustment on the back for elevation.
Accessories
Earmuffs are a must and the best kind is the ones that allow you to wear a hat at the same time. A nice option is the muffs that have battery-operated speakers built into them. When using muzzle brakes an extra foam earplug is a good choice. The Harris bipods are the best yet with the three-step swivel mount being the top of the line. They can be used both in the prone and sitting positions. Shooting glasses are a must here with the clear ones being the best choice. You don't what a miss-loaded cartridge ruining your hunt.
CROW PEAK HUNT DISTANCE RECORDS for RIFLE and PISTOL
(this is the fore runner to Two Feathers Outfitters)
(All distances witnessed and verified by laser range finder and a dead dog)
DATE DISTANCE WEAPON NAME HOME
Rifle Records
July 27, 1997 314 yards 22 Long Rifle Steve Watercutter Ohio
June 18, 1999 351 yards .22 Magnum Mike Wandtke Ohio
June 18,2000 517 yards 17 Remington Barry Faunce Ohio
June 23, 1996 299 yards 22 Hornet Mike Wandtke Ohio
June 25, 1995 431 yards 221 Fireball Barry Faunce Ohio
June 17, 1996 622 yards 222 Remington Mike Spaulding Iowa
July 2, 1996 657 yards .22 PPC Bill Cummings Ohio
July 15, 2010 987 yards 223 Remington James Carboni New York ?
July 15, 1997 523 yards .223 Achley Improved Joe Entrikin Georgia
June 8, 1999 614 yards 222 Remington Mag. Dick Seasword S.Carolina
June 27, 1995 341 yards 224 Weatherby Mag. Larry Hacker Kansas
July 6, 1996 680 yards 22-250 Remington Jim Behrings Sr Michigan
June 15, 1997 1164 yards 22-250 Achley Improved Barry Faunce Ohio
June 29, 1997 1057 yards 220 Swift Shawn Risdon Ohio
June 10, 1998 1044 yards 6MM BR Jimmy Kirby S.Carolina
Aug 1, 1997 1126 yards 6MM PPC Dick Monroe Florida
June 4, 1996 762 yards 243 Winchester Tom Harbin S.Carolina
June 25.1998 1148 yards 6MM Remington Dave Duffy New York
June 19, 2000 1297 yards 6MM Ackley Improved Mike Clowe Ohio
June 22, 1998 1343 yards 257 Weatherby Barry Faunce Ohio
July 27,1997 463 yards 257 Ackley Improved Dale Holman S.Carolina
July 11, 1998 1254 yards 25-06 Remington Bret Ruess Michigan
Aug 17, 1997 410 yards 25-06 Ackley Improved Gene Ruess Michigan
June 15, 1997 1165 yards 6.5-06 Scott Lederman Michigan
July 16, 1999 1206 yards 6.5-.284 Dave Duffy New York
June 29, 1997 667 yards 7MM STW Mike Gajdzik Michigan
June 23, 1996 733 yards 7MM Remington Mag. Mike Clowe Michigan
Aug, 1, 1998 1335 yards 7MM-300 Weatherby David Cowart Florida
June 8, 2000 91 Yards .30 M1 Carbine Dick Seasword S.Carolina
June 27, 1999 1104 yards 308 Winchester Eugene Ruess Michigan
June 17, 1996 301 yards 30-06 Leroy Spaulding Iowa
June 6, 1997 1106 yards .300 Winchester Mag. Shawn McCleary Oklahoma
July 7, 1996 285 yards 7.62 X 39MM Russian Jim Behrings Sr.Michigan
Pistol records
June 15, 1996 100 yards .22 Long Rifle Jim Reed Illinois
June 20, 1996 82 yards .22 Magnum Mark Dill Pennsylvania
June 19, 1998 403 yards .223 Remington Mike Clowe Michigan
July 16, 1997 42 yards 9MM Mike Kirpatrick Georgia
July 17, 1999 81 yards 40 Smith Barry Faunce Ohio
June 19,1998 70 yards 10MM Barry Faunce Ohio
June 4, 1996 17 yards .44 Magnum Mike Berg South Dakota
June 7, 1997 41 yards .45 ACP LJ McCleary Nouth Dakota
June 15, 1998 23 yards .45 Colt Mike Berg South Dakota
July 15, 1998 140 yards 454 Casul Shawn Risdon Ohio
(Any other rifle or pistol calibers may be added as needed).
DATE DISTANCE WEAPON NAME HOME
Rifle Records
July 27, 1997 314 yards 22 Long Rifle Steve Watercutter Ohio
June 18, 1999 351 yards .22 Magnum Mike Wandtke Ohio
June 18,2000 517 yards 17 Remington Barry Faunce Ohio
June 23, 1996 299 yards 22 Hornet Mike Wandtke Ohio
June 25, 1995 431 yards 221 Fireball Barry Faunce Ohio
June 17, 1996 622 yards 222 Remington Mike Spaulding Iowa
July 2, 1996 657 yards .22 PPC Bill Cummings Ohio
July 15, 2010 987 yards 223 Remington James Carboni New York ?
July 15, 1997 523 yards .223 Achley Improved Joe Entrikin Georgia
June 8, 1999 614 yards 222 Remington Mag. Dick Seasword S.Carolina
June 27, 1995 341 yards 224 Weatherby Mag. Larry Hacker Kansas
July 6, 1996 680 yards 22-250 Remington Jim Behrings Sr Michigan
June 15, 1997 1164 yards 22-250 Achley Improved Barry Faunce Ohio
June 29, 1997 1057 yards 220 Swift Shawn Risdon Ohio
June 10, 1998 1044 yards 6MM BR Jimmy Kirby S.Carolina
Aug 1, 1997 1126 yards 6MM PPC Dick Monroe Florida
June 4, 1996 762 yards 243 Winchester Tom Harbin S.Carolina
June 25.1998 1148 yards 6MM Remington Dave Duffy New York
June 19, 2000 1297 yards 6MM Ackley Improved Mike Clowe Ohio
June 22, 1998 1343 yards 257 Weatherby Barry Faunce Ohio
July 27,1997 463 yards 257 Ackley Improved Dale Holman S.Carolina
July 11, 1998 1254 yards 25-06 Remington Bret Ruess Michigan
Aug 17, 1997 410 yards 25-06 Ackley Improved Gene Ruess Michigan
June 15, 1997 1165 yards 6.5-06 Scott Lederman Michigan
July 16, 1999 1206 yards 6.5-.284 Dave Duffy New York
June 29, 1997 667 yards 7MM STW Mike Gajdzik Michigan
June 23, 1996 733 yards 7MM Remington Mag. Mike Clowe Michigan
Aug, 1, 1998 1335 yards 7MM-300 Weatherby David Cowart Florida
June 8, 2000 91 Yards .30 M1 Carbine Dick Seasword S.Carolina
June 27, 1999 1104 yards 308 Winchester Eugene Ruess Michigan
June 17, 1996 301 yards 30-06 Leroy Spaulding Iowa
June 6, 1997 1106 yards .300 Winchester Mag. Shawn McCleary Oklahoma
July 7, 1996 285 yards 7.62 X 39MM Russian Jim Behrings Sr.Michigan
Pistol records
June 15, 1996 100 yards .22 Long Rifle Jim Reed Illinois
June 20, 1996 82 yards .22 Magnum Mark Dill Pennsylvania
June 19, 1998 403 yards .223 Remington Mike Clowe Michigan
July 16, 1997 42 yards 9MM Mike Kirpatrick Georgia
July 17, 1999 81 yards 40 Smith Barry Faunce Ohio
June 19,1998 70 yards 10MM Barry Faunce Ohio
June 4, 1996 17 yards .44 Magnum Mike Berg South Dakota
June 7, 1997 41 yards .45 ACP LJ McCleary Nouth Dakota
June 15, 1998 23 yards .45 Colt Mike Berg South Dakota
July 15, 1998 140 yards 454 Casul Shawn Risdon Ohio
(Any other rifle or pistol calibers may be added as needed).