"I want to thank you and your wonderful family for making our hunt so special. Everything I had heard about Johannsen Farms was true. I appreciate so much your going the extra mile to make our hunt a lifetime memory. I look forward to hunting with you again."
- Eddie C., Clyde, TX
Photos & Testimonials
"The hunt was beyond fabulous, and the lodging more than met our expectations. I would recommend your hunt to anyone, and in fact, have several times.
I will be back with some of my hunting friends. I don't know of a thing you could do to make the hunting experience better. I was impressed with the way your land holds the birds, especially when compared to the average field that is not managed for holding birds. You are doing a great job. Thank you!"
Wayne H., Onia AR
"I didn't think the hunt could get better than last year but it did! The lodging you provide is second to none! I would recommend that all hunters stay in your lodge as everything you need for a great stay is right there on the farm. I must be honest, when I saw that the hatch was down considerably in 2011 I thought our hunt was going be quite challenging. Wow! I saw no difference in bird numbers at all. Because of the way you manage the bird habitat, as always, you provided a world class hunt. Hope to see you next year!"
Mark C., Aurora, CO
"We had a great time hunting on the Johannsen Farm this year. It was the perfect time to bring my sons pheasant hunting. They are obviously new hunters and need plenty of opportunities to fill their bag limit, and your farm provided them with all the chances they needed. They have been telling all their friends about the fun they had on this trip. It was well worth the time it took to get to your place. Please thank Corey, Hank and Eric for working with my sons. They really appreciated the attention from these guys. Thanks for the great experience."
Bill L., Broomfield, CO
"Mack and I once again enjoyed hunting with you. The number and quality of birds is world class as is your personal service while guiding. I am still amazed at how well trained your dogs are and will never forget the blind retrieve by hand signals only that Stormy executed. It was truly amazing. We both look forward to many more seasons and days afield with you on the Johannsen Farm."
Scott A., Woodland Park, CO
"I really enjoyed your whole family as your good faith comes alive in action everyday. Thanks again for everything and may we enjoy the hunt and your company once again.
Texas is more than a jump from South Dakota, but our family needed a good get away that would bring us together annually to share some good times in memory as well as in the present. The Johannsen family and the surrounding towns are a great setting of faith, family and pheasant. The hospitality and the hunt was more than we ever expected. Now, back in my office, sitting on my desk for others to see is a photo and reminder of what life should be about and the beginning of a lot of great conversations."
Rev. Kyle W., Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, TX
"As for your outfitting operation, it was easily the best I’ve seen! Obviously, I’m partial to that area of South Dakota having hunted around it a number of times previously, but your attention to habitat is really what sets Johannsen Farms Outfitting apart from other operations. I have plenty of other nice things I can say about your place, but I’ll save them for when our paths cross at Pheasant Fest."
Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever, Inc
"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the day hunting with you. I think you are doing things RIGHT on your property. You've got a nice mix of nesting cover with winter cover. I think your bird numbers speak to that! I can't wait to catch up with you again at Pheasant Fest."
Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever, Inc
"Words cannot describe what I experienced last week! I have never seen thousands of birds like that in a given area. You hear about it but you just think it'll never come true. I want to thank you for showing us the best hunt ever. You did a great job and the hospitality was second to none.
I'm sitting here thinking about how the hunt could have been better and no thoughts come to mind. From the start I knew you ran a world class operation. Your strategy of conservation, managing the birds, not over hunting, and safety is second to none. I knew we were in good hands. Eric, you just simply do things "the right way", that's why you are so successful and that makes for a very enjoyable hunt for me. It's more important for me to hear how well you manage wild life than it is to get my limit every day. The ultimate goal for me is successful conservation, second is to enjoy harvesting pheasants and to be with an incredible guide that knows what he's doing. I want to thank you again for such a great hunt and don't change a thing; you're doing things the right way!”"
Mark C., Aurora, CO
"Eric, thank you for a very enjoyable pheasant hunt. If anyone has ever dreamed of a South Dakota pheasant hunt - they pictured the fields and food plots we walked with you. It still tickles me to think of all the birds scurrying through the corn stalks, running and flushing all over the place. It's always great hunting with someone who knows the area and "lives to hunt", and we all enjoyed hanging out in the clubhouse after the hunt to visit and watch football. Thanks again for a wonderful hunt. I know we all really enjoyed the experience, and we hope to get back next year."
John C.,Lincoln, NE
"Thank you again for a fantastic pheasant hunt. I never thought I would find a place with that many wild pheasants. Your management of these birds and their habitat is excellent and hunting conditions are ideal for hunter success. In terms of the pheasant hunting, I can't imagine what you could do differently to improve hunter success or enjoyment."
Brian E., Bakersfield, CA
"I want to thank Johannsen Farms for another great South Dakota Pheasant hunting experience. 2009 was the third year that and my son Andrew and I have hunted with Johannsen Farms and each time has been a wonderful experience. We have had no problem shooting our limits in the late season time frames we have booked. We appreciate seeing huge numbers of wild birds on the Johannsen's well managed diverse farmstead. The atmosphere and down home personal relationships we have established with Eric and the Johannsen family have added additional satisfaction to the fine hunting…..we are looking forward to next year!"
Scott G., Eden Prairie, MN
"Eric, I want to thank you and your wonderful family for making our hunt so special. Everything I had heard about Johannsen Farms was true. I appreciate so much your going the extra mile to make our hunt a lifetime memory. Please pass my gratitude along to your parents, Karl & Connie, for their hospitality. Thank you again for such an outstanding experience. I look forward to hunting with you again."
-Eddie C., Clyde, TX
"Thanks for the pictures and the memorable hunt. I didn't believe it could get any better than it has been the last couple of years, but it was. That was the most birds I have witnessed in over 40 years of pheasant hunting. I believe there were more there than when I was a kid hunting up there in the 60's. It wasn't a question of if we were going to get our limit, but how long was it going to take. We look forward to hunting with you again next season. The boy's and I really enjoy doing it as a time together."
- Duane K., Golden, Co
"I had a blast hunting on your farm. We greatly appreciated the wonderful hospitality. My father and I don’t take much time to have fun with each other like we should. When he had the idea to go to South Dakota Pheasant hunting and invite my bother in-laws and a good friend of his I was beyond excited, not just for the hunt but to spend time with each other. To make the trip even better he got us hooked up with probably the best pheasant hunting you could ask for in South Dakota on the Johannsen Farm. I look forward to hunting with you again."
- Mathew N., Clear Lake, WI
"Thank you for a wonderful hunt again this year. I’m not sure you realize what a pleasure it is for me, a desk jockey in the city, to come out to Johannsen Farms and lose myself for a few days. It is a wonderful feeling to drive into the yard and be treated like family. I’ve had the good fortune to go on some wonderful big game hunts with outfitters in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Alaska, but pheasant hunting with you is still my all time favorite."
- Stan J., Thornton, CO
"Thanks again for another great hunt! All of us really enjoyed getting away and spending time with you and your family. I wish you the best of luck for the rest of the season and look forward to hunting with you again!"
- Scott H., San Antonio, TX
"Thanks for a great hunt last week. The weather was beautiful and the pheasants were plentiful.It's fun to be outdoors in the fall, make new friends and enjoy nature's bounty. We had a good time hunting with Steve, Bill and Duffy from Helena, Montana. I enjoyed watching your dogs work the cover and you did a great job handling them. Thanks for your hospitality. We plan to hunt again with you next year. Please contact me when you are ready to start taking reservations for fall of 2009."
- Dennis L., Blaine, MN
"Your hospitality, dog work, and accommodations alone make it a fabulous experience. The bird hunting and bird numbers are just icing on the cake, and the bird numbers are unbelievable. I will certainly make it back. If you would like to add me as a reference, I'd love to help. Good hunting!"
- Mitch M., Clare, MI
"Our pheasant hunt with you was the best that I have ever been on in over 40 years of hunting. I don't know how you could have made it any better."
- Duane K., Golden, CO
"Hope your Holidays went well and wanted to let you know we had 2 fantastic hunts this year. The boys really enjoyed it and definitely created ever lasting memories. I know Mark, my brother and myself really enjoyed our December hunt and the food was absolutely awesome."
- Phil S., Omaha, NE
"I've been to many different outfitters in both hunting and fishing camps and I put your farm at the very top. I enjoyed the entire experience. I really liked the fact that the hunt did not feel like a production hunt with lots of people and specific time schedules. I look so forward to returning next year and hopefully booking two different hunts.
I hope you had a successful year both farming and hunting and I wish you the best New Year."
- Robert N., Highland, UT
"Thank you for a great pheasant hunt this past weekend. Everything was very organized. The dogs were great. Your guiding allowed us to spend an optimum amount of the time in the field. The standing corn fields, the wild birds and the wind made the hunt challenging, but in spite of that we bagged our limits each day. We had a wonderful time. Thanks again for everything."
- Dennis L., Blaine, MN
"Johannsen Farms Outfitting offers something missing in most preserve hunting: wild birds on a working farm with real Great Plains hospitality. From opening day through the middle of December, I enjoyed top notch shooting in natural cover augmented by judicious use of food plots. These birds are wild, and there are literally thousands of them. Several times the hunters ended up not even shooting when so many birds flushed that it was impossible to pick out the roosters. I joined with several other groups and even hunted one fine day alone with Eric and his outstanding black labs. We never failed to limit, but we always had some challenging hunting.
I can't say enough about your lab STORMY. He hunts close to the hunters, flushing birds in range and is an amazing retriever. Very few birds are lost under his command."
- Mike G., Aberdeen, SD
"This was a spectacular experience. The friendly hospitality and home cooking were great, the hunt was extremely well organized, and the number of pheasants was something you truly had to see to believe. Our group drove 8 hours from Des Moines, IA (with a dog), and thought it was well worth it. In fact, most of the way home we discussed how and when to plan the trip for next year. Thanks to all the Johannsens."
- Dr. David L., West Des Moines, IA
"Thanks for a great pheasant hunt that more than met our expectations. The last food plot we walked on the second day resulted in some unbelievable shooting for Phil and Bill, they have never experienced anything close in previous hunts. We also really appreciated your hospitality on the rainy day we had, where you took us back to your house, washed and dried clothes, and dried us out before heading back to the fields. That hospitality was well beyond what we would have expected elsewhere. We definitely would like to hunt with you again. Best wishes to you for 2005."
- Eric G., Fridley, MN
“What you provided was definitely beyond my expectations. The bird numbers were at least twice what I was expecting. Your dogs Stormy & Tigg did a wonderful job and are custom made for running those food strips you have over there. You had a nice variety of places to hunt which was nice too. I really enjoyed staying out at your folk's farm place. It reminded me of going to Iowa and hunting at the in-laws. Being on the farm is part of the experience to me. You, Connie and Karl provided wonderful hospitality. Connie's cooking was awesome and the great conversation and an enjoyable card game or three at the end of the night with Karl rounded it out. The clay target shooting was fun as well. If I was to describe my ideal trip it would pretty much be what you have to offer. You have a wonderful operation and I really like the smaller group philosophy you have.”
“I would have absolutely no hesitation recommending your operation to others. If you wish to use me as a reference I would be more than happy to do so.”
- Clark K., Eagan, MN
“Thanks for the follow-up email and thanks for the GREAT pictures you sent! We had a wonderful hunt! Your hospitality was great, the dog was good, the amount of birds was incredible and you even managed to make the weather cooperate! We all had an incredible time, especially my son. This was his first hunt, even though he didn't get to shoot any pheasants he had "the best time of his entire life". Shooting trap at your ranch is a memory he will have forever. Next year he will be hunting with the men! Thanks again and we hope to see you next year!!!”
- Todd L., Apple Valley, MN
“Our group enjoyed a great hunt and is looking forward to a return next year. We have a couple of new recruits to add to our group as they were encouraged and excited to participate by our enthusiasm over the hunting that you provided for us in 2005. I felt that the hunt you provided delivered on my personal expectations. It is personally enjoying to me to just be in the midst of the hunting and seeing birds in wonderfully managed habitat.”
- Rick G., Woodbury, MN
"We all had such a great time it is our goal to return and hunt every year. There is nothing like it that I have ever experienced in all my life of hunting."
- Kirk M., Whichita, KS
"Lots of big, fast wild birds. By far the best hunting experience my boys and I have had."
- Bill J., Brooklyn Park, MN
