I have experienced many destinations throughout our country. South Dakota has always been one of my favorite destinations as I feel it is truly one of this country’s last frontiers when it comes to the abundance of wildlife. I have experienced Browns Hunting Ranch on more than one occassion. They have that “last frontier experience” that every outdoorsman should experience.
Minnesota Viking Great & NFL Hall Of Fame Head Coach
Bud Grant
I have been truley blessed in my life in being able to hunt all over Canada, the US and several countries in Africa. I have experienced all types of camps and lodges that range from the most spartan tent camp to five star accommodations. Throughout my life, I have passed through S. Dakota many times on my way to other hunting destinations, but had not had the good fortune to experience her graces.
Last year (2011) I met Jim McCrank “Cranker” at the Minnesota Safari Club International show. His upland bird hunt sounded so intriguing that I purchased a hunt for Dec. 2011. In all my years dealing with an outfitter I have never met a man so enthusiastic about his outfit and the country as Jim. His excitement and personality is very contagious. My good friend Kim and I visited Browns Hunting Ranch last December 2011 and had the bird hunt of our lives! Along with the incredible bird hunting were able to see incredible amounts of other wildlife and some incredible country I have ever seen. Their lodge was just the right combination of rustic and luxury.
I think this excerpt from my journal tells a lot…….I am getting a sore neck. I don’t know where to look next. On one side of a coolie there is a Coyote chasing a Jack Rabbit. Ring Neck Pheasants filling the creek bottoms, coveys of Sharp-Tails and Hungarian Partridge and unbelievable groups of different species of animals are in sight. Along with shooting our limits of pheasants and sharptails, we have seen some Giant Mule Deer, over two hundred whitetails (one in particular which may easily exceed the 180 inch range), probably over seventy to eighty pronghorns,coyotes as big as wolves.
We experienced this each day, all this, while overlooking some of the most beautiful western prairie country I have ever experienced. In the company of a professional guide (Jim McCrank ) who is sure to become a great friend of ours. My hunting companion on this hunt Kim, made a funny comment while we were looking at several groups of whitetails and a heard of Pronghorn Antelope. He exclaimed “so this is where the deer and the antelope play”.
Jim, feel free to use us as a reference anytime. We had a great time hunting with you and I am sure to return to Brown’s Hunting Ranch.
All my best,
Mike Egan , Winnipeg, Manitoba
Dear Jim,
I wanted to write you long ago with a short note on how much I enjoyed my stay ay the Brown’s hunting ranch.The rooms are extremely cozy and delighfully rustic. The beds are huge! Meals,thanks to you are just great. Simple cuisine done very well, the perfect comfort food after a succeesful day hunting in the western prairie, which was every day. The area and land is just spectacular. And your guiding, my goodness it was like you were showing us your backyard Jim, you were very knowledgable.
The Hunting…..well the best way to say it is, it felt like we were the very first hunters one all area’s had seen, couldn’t believe the number of birds in some areas, not too mention the Antelope and Deer! My hunting partner is still laughing telling the story of when you flushed no less than 20 roosters and upon your announcing”Rooster”instead of shooting I asked Which one?….Now that’s a lot of birds. Just great memories Jim…can’t wait to come to Brown’s again.
Yours Sincerely,
Kim McCartney
Director,Wealth Management
RichardsonGMP
Winnipeg,Canada
Dear Steve and Jim, here are my recollections and impressions from our three days we spent at Browns Hunting Ranch. Normally I would avoid being a guinea pig in someone’s “inaugaral season” but my good friend Steve Grossman told me; “that I just have to see what the Brown Family and his friend Jim McCrank are putting together in South Dakota.” I have hunted Ruffed Grouse with Steve at his grouse camp in Staples, Minnesota every year since 1989. I have considerable trust in Steve and his knowledge, so I told him that I was in for a three day hunt. As usual Steve was exactley right about the operation.
My farm manager Todd Elder, and I spent three days in Gettysburg, South Dakota with Cranker, the Browns and Steve hunting wild pheasants, sharptails, hungarian partridge and ducks. Although South Dakota has a wonderful reputation for hunting pheasants, quit frankly I would not travel all the way to South Dakota to hunt and shoot three roosters a day. However, one of the very unique characteristics of Brown’s Hunting Ranch is the opportunity to hunt waterfowl in the morning or afternoon (we did both) and also have the ability to hunt a double limit of upland game birds also. Having both deeded land and tribal land allowed us to take double limits of upland pheasants and sharptails with some hungarian partridge thrown in for good measure.
On the duck front, we shot mallards. lots of blue & green winged teal, canvasback, buffleheads, bluebills, ringbills over the course of three days. The number of waterfowl defied belief. I never will forget seeing and hearing wave after wave of ducks, geese and sandhill cranes getting off the slough at sunset to feed in the nearby fields.
Seeing and experiencing the Brown’s farming operation would have been worth the price of admission in its self. And the enormous side benefit from a wildlife standpoint is that miles upon miles of spent grain surrounded by the coulee’s and grass throughout their farming practices. These coulees are the exact perfect havens for incredible numbers of wild pheasants and sharptail grouse, hungarian partridge. With that being said, the upland bird hunting over great dogs was sensational each and every day.
The Brown’s new individual log cabins suites and dining lodge facility overlooking Lake Oahe are first rate in every regard. And I just knew the food was going to be good when I laid eyes on Cranker the first time! Both the accomedations and the cuisine were absolutely terrific. An added plus was actually seeing and meeting the Brown Family over dinner. Their interest, involvement and committment with their new operation insures that eveything at Brown’s Hunting Ranch will be done in a first class manner.
Our overall experience, exceeded our high expectations in every regard.
Congratulations,
John H. Mullin III
Ridgeway Farm LLC. , Virginia
I had met Cranker “Jim McCrank” at another resort in South Dakota a few years back. We struck a friendship and a passion talking dogs and hunting wild birds. Cranker shared with me that he was building a realtionship and operation with the Brown Family on a 100% fair chase hunting lodge in South Dakota and Montana.
My friend Steve and I along with my son had the very first opportunity to do The Brown’s “Signature Hunt.” We spent three days on their ranch in Montana and three days on their ranch in South Dakota. This is truley a incredible 7 days of world class upland bird hunting. Although Cranker is our guide, we also consider him our friend. His passion for the sport and his fellowship makes you feel like you are out with old friends the entire time your in the field and in the lodge.
In Montana, we covered vast amounts of land with the dogs furiously working the land for covey’s sharptails, sage grouse, hungarians and pheasants with snow capped mountians surrounding you, its a unbelievable setting. The hunting in Montana can be a bit challenging physically, with the steep coulees and altitude. But the rewards are even more rewarding with the great dog work and challenging marksmanship. After three incredible days in Montana we drove five hours to the Browns South Dakota Ranch where we were able to harvest even more sharptails/prairie chickens/hungarians/pheasants. Having that much land and having the ability to lease your neigbors tribal land sets up a bird hunters paradise. Being able to hunt additional wild birds with the tribal land is a homerun! It is such a hit that I came back a second time last year.
The accomedations, the way they hunt game, their farming practices, the food, the bar, the entire team and the Brown’s Family are first class. We had a great experience with Brown’s Hunting Ranch first year and look forward to building a long lasting relationship for many more hunting years.
Curt Marks
CEO, President, Verifications, Inc
The bluffs along the Missouri, Moreau and the Cheyenne Rivers are breath taking; it is the true Wild West. There are few places like this and we’ll have access to 30,000 plus thousand+ acres all to ourselves. I’ve not experienced anything better.
What impressed me most about this is the quality of the hunting. If this was a pheasant shoot and not a true hunt I would not be part of it. I have had the opportunity to see many places and experience much while being in this incredible profession, what I experienced in this part of South Dakota is truly one to cherish. Imagine a tornado of mallards funneling into a corn stubble field, the sky black with birds circling to find a pace to land. When I saw this in West River I commented on it to Jim McCrank, of who is heading this wonderful experience. I said “Cranker” look at the mallards funneling into that corn stubble (it was a tornado of birds), he looked, and then said laughing “Grossy those are not mallards, those are all Sharp Tail Grouse and Prairie Chickens”. I have never seen a spectacle such as this with upland birds, and it’s all ours to have and hunt.
Jim McCrank (Cranker) is one of the most well intentioned people you’ll ever have the chance to meet. His smile will melt an iceberg and is as kind hearted as anyone. Cranker has warmed the hearts of those he meets, his kindness and respect for game and landowners has been the driving force to create this new adventure, we are thankful to him for including us. He’s great in the field a smart hunter and guide; he’s putting together a hell of a team. Besides his field abilities he’s no slouch in the kitchen. His culinary skills are not to be reckoned with; he’s perfect for putting this all together. Both Gayle and I are grateful for getting the opportunity to work with Cranker on the Brown Hunting Ranch.
Steve Grossman
“The Grouse Man”
Little Moran Hunt Club
I’ve had the great fortune of hunting the properties of the Brown’s Ranch several times. The sheer amount of land and the incredible variety of wildlife that inhabit it is truly amazing and a therapy for health. Words can’t describe the feeling you get when you see flocks of Geese that stretch from horizon to horizon, hundreds of Sharp-tail Grouse getting up at once, Deer so big they struggle to carry their antlers, flocks of wild Turkey that have never been hunted and have no fear of man! Ring Neck Pheasants so plentiful and flushing wild, and this all happens before lunch!
That being said, what I love most about my hunts on the Brown’s Ranch, are the people. Jim “Cranker” McCrank, professional guide and dog trainer Steve Grossman and the Brown Family along with the people I have had the pleasure to meet of Gettysburg South Dakota are refreshingly down to earth and live life with a passion that is contagious. If you’re looking for a hunting experience that goes beyond your dreams, that strengthens family relationships and friendship’s, refreshes your spirit and inspires your emotions that you once had as a kid, then you have to come and experience Brown’s Hunting Ranch!
Sandy Smith
Broker-Owner
Kurilla Real Estate Ltd.
My son John and I have hunted with “Cranker” on the Brown’s Ranch for the past two years, and it is one of the most remarkable places I have ever experienced in my lifetime. The beauty of the land and the abundance of wildlife is truly a lifetime experience. I have bird hunted for over 30 years and this was a tremendous experience that both John and I have treasured.
To be able to hunt each day and see so many different species, Sharp-tail, Prairie Chickens, Dove, Hungarian Partridge, along with Pheasant on the upland birds, thousands of different geese and ducks, trophy whitetail & mule deer, antelope, wild turkey. It is a outdoorsman’s paradise!
Cranker, has a incredible amount of knowledge of all this land, that he will consistently give you and your party a great advantage in the field during your hunt. We highly suggest Brown’s Hunting Ranch for that outdoor enthusiast person, who respects and enjoys the thrill of the whole experience , in some of South Dakota’s most incredible landscape.
John Thorson
President/CEO
Country Club Cleaning
Stuart Thorson
Director Of Human Resources & Training
Park Industries
Hey Cranker,
Just a quick note to say thanks a bunch for the incredible, spectacular, enjoyable hunting experience. I didn’t know places like West River and even East River existed anymore. I felt like we had stepped back in time to the days when “The Son of Morning Star” (Custer) was roaming the Dakota Territory. To see so many different game birds in one trip is just simply amazing and those roosters are as big and hardy as I have ever seen!….got to hit them in the head to knock them down, but catching up to them isn’t real easy.
We will definitely be back next year, but I think I will have a camera around my neck too, just to document the size of those deer and coyotes along with the magnificent sunsets
Patrick J. Smith
President American National Bank
I have had the opportunity to hunt with Jim McCrank and experience Brown’s Hunting Ranch properties over the past few years. I am a amateur bird hunter at best, and was invited by Jim to come and experience upland hunting he has in South Dakota. Not knowing the sport very well, Jim guided me and taught me allot in the field. He made me feel really comfortable and I had such a incredible experience. He made my experience in South Dakota a special time. The landscape and the wildlife is truly unbelievable! Everwhere you look there is wildlife and the views on all the land and the Missouri River are just stunning. I strongly suggest Jim and Brown’s Hunting Ranch.
Dave Elsenpeter
President
Lakes State Bank
