Mary Jo and Nic Nemec again hosted a collection of bloggers, journalists, lawyers, lobbyists, political staffers, kids, regular people, and dogs for the Second Annual Take It Outside/Mt. Blogmore Pheasant Hunt near Holabird, SD.

Kevin Woster of the Rapid City Journal/TIO/Blogmore organized the hunt, bringing together a bi-partisan and geographically diverse group of South Dakotans. 

We saw many, many pheasants, but they were quite wily, always about fifty yards away and out of gunshot range.  However, we weren’t skunked, with the ten of us (eight with guns) getting two pheasants and one grouse.  (No, I wasn’t the grouse.)

Here are some of my photos.  My son Matt and I were gunless so I concentrated on being the expedition photographer. 

It was a cold, clear brilliant windless day on the prairie with a bit of snow on the ground.

My thanks to Kevin and the Nemecs for again putting together a fun hunt!

This year’s participants. Front row: Jack the Dog Lauck, Sioux Falls.  Back row: Buddy the Dog Nemec, Holabird, Matt Epp, 14, Harrisburg; Kevin Woster, Rapid City Journal, Rapid City; Jon Lauck, Sen. John Thune’s staff, Sioux Falls; Jeff Vonk, SD Secretary of GFP, Pierre; Nic Nemec, SD Democratic Party National Committeeman, Holabird; Jeremiah Murphy, lobbyist, Rapid City; Ben Ready, Sen. John Thune’s staff, Sioux Falls; Rhett Jager, Nic’s future son in law, Brookings; and Brett Lauck, 14, Sioux Falls.  (I’m taking the photo.)



For a second year in a row, we listen to Kevin Woster, center, before the hunt.  Perhaps we would have been better off listening to the guy who gets paid to manage our state’s wildlife, Jeff Vonk, left, or the guy who owns the farm, Nic Nemec, right.  Note to self: Next year, ignore Woster, listen to Vonk and Nemec.



Obligatory artsy-fartsy shot.  While I was taking this shot, a pheasant flew about ten feet over my head.



Bob the Dog Nemec, Buddy the Dog Nemec, Jeff Vonk, Jeremiah Murphy, and Brett Lauck confab on how best to get over the Nemec’s tricky barbed wire fence.



Jon Lauck is happy that we won’t go home empty handed




Beware the Guns of Holabird!



Buddy the Dog Nemec is a cattle dog who did double duty as a bird dog.



My son Matt Epp tries to stay warm in the 20 degree cold.