KELOLAND hunters hoped to enjoy their first chance at pheasants this weekend with the three-day residents-only season. But many hunters left the fields frustrated and empty-handed.

Chad Kaiser of Hartford knows the residents-only pheasant season is popular with hunters. That's why Kaiser and his dog, Charlie, staked out their hunting spot as soon as they could.

"Everybody's scrambling to get on the same pieces of land," Kaised said.  "So, it's a little competitive and you got to get out early."

Even though they were the early birds, it seemed they were the only birds in the field. Kaiser says he didn't see any pheasants and never fired his gun during his two hours outside Sunday afternoon. Other hunters say they had similar frustrations.

"I guess that's why they call it hunting and not shooting or catching," said Matt Garry of Baltic.  "But this year's probably a little more rare than previous years."

Although there's plenty of public land to roam, hunters say high crops have made it more difficult to find pheasants.

"The weather's really got the farmers doing nothing, so there's a lot of crops still in," Garry said.  "And it's a lot of cover for the birds."

Despite the poor season opener, Kaiser says he still appreciates the quality time with Charlie.

"It's always great whether I shoot my gun or not," Kaiser said.  "It's always fun to go out and let the dogs run a little bit."

And the next time Charlie runs, Kaiser hopes some pheasants are nearby.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks department says the pheasant per mile index is down 26 percent this year. The official start of pheasant season is Saturday, October 17.