Question on traveling with my future lab to South Dakota for pheasants?

[PA Hunter]

Getting a new pup soon in hopes of starting an annual hunt to South Dakota for pheasants. I plan on hunting public areas and staying in hotels. I have no particular places picked yet but I am curious if there are any hotel recommendations that are really pet friendly? Do hunters just keep their larger dogs in the room with them and bring a portable kennel in the room if you leave for a bit? Is there any hotels that actually have outside kennels within driving distance to public hunting.

Guess I’m just inquiring what hotels are best for bringing my dog for hunting? Guess I’m just concerned if I leave my dog in my room in a kennel he may bark his bloody head off while I step out for a couple hours to check out the town.

I suppose as a last resort I do have a cap on my truck I guess I can lock him in the back bed.

Just wondering what you folks do as all the dogs I have had just hunted locally and never had to deal with this.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

This website lists hotels that will allow your dog to sleep in the room with you. https://hotels.petswelcome.com/south-dakota

My lab travels in the truck with me every day. When I go into a store or something, I leave him in the truck, and he lays down and takes a nap. I would get your dog used to the same thing in the back of your truck before bird season. Then, when you go to check out the town, just leave him in the truck. That way he won't lose his mind in the hotel.

 

[LongWayAround]

Our dogs always stayed in the truck overnight. Now I own a pampered couch monkey that comes inside. Lots of hotels in South Dakota allow dogs, usually for an extra fee.

 

[H2PVon]

If you are hunting most likely the dog will be too worn out to bark. Ours usually stay in the kennel in the truck unless it's going to be in the low 30's or below. Usually about $10/night if they are going to be in the hotel with you.

 

[Dries]

When we go the dogs spend time in the trucks when we are grabbing a bite to eat. They are either in the cab if it is really cold out or in the bed with the topper locked, most people are good people out there. Hunting public land and walk-in areas I don’t think your pooch will have enough energy to bark.


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[gadrahthaar]

Motel 6 is always free for pets. Most SD motels and hotels know how important hunting is to economy up there and will let a pup stay for a small extra fee. As for the noise, a bark collar always helps.

 

[sodak]

Don’t forget to bring a copy of your rabies vaccination certificate. Some places may want to see it.

 

[Keith Knudsen]

Lots of houses for rent in the small towns throughout SD for pheasant hunters and their dogs. Hit up central and north central for better public land opportunities. South east SD pheasant numbers are terrible. My dad has a good dog and lives by Sioux Falls and has trouble getting a limit on opening weekend. Mitchell west and up by Redfield and back towards the river you’ll find birds. Call the local pheasants forever chapters, they have biologists in some of these areas.

 

[grossklw]

I'd also check out VRBO or one of the homeaway sites. I stay with my uncle when we go but have buddies that have done that in the past with pretty good success. Generally too much energy at the end of the day isn't common with my dog after hitting the cattails all day, SD was made for retrievers

 

[Watrdawg]

I travel quite a bit with my labs either waterfowling or competing in trials and tests. I have a 2 dog dog crate in the bed of my truck with a cap on it. They are ratcheted down in the bed. The side windows of my cap slide open for ventilation. They have crate pads in their crates and are very comfortable. My dogs stay there pretty much all the time when we are travelling. The cap locks and so do their individual crates. This is probably the safest way to travel with them especially if there is an accident. The crate isn't budging and they have a safe dry warm or cool place to stay.

 

[Roksliding]

It’s South Dakota most of the motels allow dogs and probably at least half of the hotels allow dogs..

 

[Two Roads]

We travel w our pointing lab for grouse extensively. We never leave him un-attended. With children out of house, he rides on full Orvis seat cover in rear seat of truck. The cushy dark colored one that goes seat back down and back up to front seats. Hair, mud wet dog, isn't even passed. He is lab #4 and we wished we would have sprung for that cover years ago. In hotels, he wears bark collar and tooling around shopping the same. We demand good manners / be grateful to be along and we don't need your whine opinion Bring a mat bed and tip housekeeping $5-10 per day. We say hotel and he is model citizen because we work at it. Only challenge in truck is hot days, just have adjust to take care of him. AND totally agree, pretty quiet at end of long day.

 

[Dos Perros]

Let them sleep in their crate in the truck. Mine go under a topper. They and you will sleep better.

 

[manitou1]

A LOT of hotels in S.D. are pet friendly. I would definitely get an insulated kennel cover. We have seen 8- day straight hunts in S.D. that never broke 10 degrees.

 

[Tod osier]

Getting a new pup soon in hopes of starting an annual hunt to South Dakota for pheasants. I plan on hunting public areas and staying in hotels. I have no particular places picked yet but I am curious if there are any hotel recommendations that are really pet friendly? Do hunters just keep their larger dogs in the room with them and bring a portable kennel in the room if you leave for a bit? Is there any hotels that actually have outside kennels within driving distance to public hunting.

Guess I’m just inquiring what hotels are best for bringing my dog for hunting? Guess I’m just concerned if I leave my dog in my room in a kennel he may bark his bloody head off while I step out for a couple hours to check out the town.

I suppose as a last resort I do have a cap on my truck I guess I can lock him in the back bed.

Just wondering what you folks do as all the dogs I have had just hunted locally and never had to deal with this.

I would do what the dog prefers. My dogs always prefer sleeping in the hotel room, but they are well behaved and well travelled.

 

[dfstein20]

My dogs have always slept in the trailer but the last few years as they get older, they come inside. I haven't found any issues with hotels in SD accepting well behaved dogs.

 

[jog]

... I have a 2 dog dog crate in the bed of my truck with a cap on it. They are ratcheted down in the bed. The side windows of my cap slide open for ventilation. They have crate pads in their crates and are very comfortable....

I have always treated my dogs the same way- I also have made the bed itself the dogs area but its not as safe if there is an accident. Also bring them into the room with me. I was taught your dog is also your family and if you are a good trainer (no shade meant toward those that do it differently) your dogs will still perform great even if they are at your feet by the hearth.

 

[Watrdawg]

I have always treated my dogs the same way- I also have made the bed itself the dogs area but its not as safe if there is an accident. Also bring them into the room with me. I was taught your dog is also your family and if you are a good trainer (no shade meant toward those that do it differently) your dogs will still perform great even if they are at your feet by the hearth.

My dogs sleep inside when at home. Travelling is a different story though. Much safer for them in their crate while on the road. I totally agree with dogs performing whether they are at your feet inside our in the trailer/crate! They know when it's time to go to work or when it's time for play. I've been lucky so far and my dogs have always had a definite on/off switch.

 

[Ccg2009]

I think Dries is dead nuts. Public land all day means a dog that might not even move at night.

 

[SoDaky]

Dog friendly accommodations will be a non issue.
As to public,get the Game Fish Parks Atlas’s. 99.9% of all public there in color.