Outdoors
Of the Outdoors: Pheasant Opener: A Tough One For Some
By Gary Howey
Hartington, Neb.
The 2009 pheasant opener in South Dakota and Nebraska are now in the books and reports from the field indicate that some hunters did very well while others had a tough go of it.
The brood count surveys conducted by the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department that indicates the pheasant numbers indicated that bird numbers were reminiscent of the Soil Bank era in the 1950s and ’60s. The brood counts that measured the number of pheasants per mile put the 2008 bird numbers at 8.56 per mile, which is 64 percent ahead of the 10-year average and the highest recorded since 1963.
These counts indicated that there was a statewide increase of 9 percent in pheasant numbers. It also showed that there was a substantial increase in birds in the Winner, Pierre, Chamberlain and Mobridge areas. The pheasant count was down in the eastern region of the state with the east-central being unchanged from last year.
It also showed that there was an apparent decline in bird numbers in the eastern part of the state. Even though bird numbers over in their part of the state were down, the report showed that bird numbers in the Brookings and the Watertown areas remain higher than the 10 year average.
When the South Dakota pheasant season opened at noon, hunters faced much the same conditions as those hunters in surrounding states. Even with gusting winds and much of their grain crop still in the fields, hunters faired well.
Early reports from the Nebraska Game, Fish & Parks were varied throughout the state. The reports indicated a 29 percent increase in the Panhandle region, a 20 percent increase in the southwest, a 10 percent increase in central Nebraska, 5 percent increase in the Sandhills, a 28 percent drop in the southeast, a 2 percent drop in the northeast and a 3 percent decrease statewide in pheasant numbers as compared to 2007.
According to the report the areas that should have the best hunting are: the southwest, northeast, Panhandle, southeast, the Sandhills, and central Nebraska.
Since these reports came out, there has been a substantial number of CRP acres taken out, decreasing the habitat and the acres that will be available for hunting.
The hunters that we interviewed in the Northeast portion of the state had to hunt hard for their birds. With thousands of acres of crops still standing in the fields, the little habitat that was left held few birds unless they were hunted in the first hours of the season catching the birds on the roost.
Those hunters and landowners that had developed enhanced and preserved habitat on their land had the best luck.
We hunted the Gregory, S.D. area and even though the sunflowers and much of the corn were still in field, our group did exceptionally well hunting shelterbelts, foodplots and sunflower patches.
As crops come out, hunting should become easier and more productive as the birds will no longer have the corn fields to hide in and will have moved into the CRP fields, shelterbelts, sloughs and food plots.
With the high grain prices, there’s been a huge decrease in habitat with much of the CRP, pastures and wetlands being turned over and planted to row crops.
Last year in South Dakota just over 260,000 acres of habitat enrolled in CRP was taken out of the program, plowed and planted to row crops.
Nebraska also has lost considerable habitat as 45,235 acres of CRP were taken out of the program over the last year.
If corn and bean prices remain high, with cash rent high along with the payment for CRP acres remaining the same, there’s a good chance that many of the remaining acres of habitat will be pulled out of the program giving wildlife less habitat.
This creates numerous other problems because habitat acres will decrease, concentrating the birds into smaller areas, making it easier for predators (coyote, fox, raccoons, skunks and hawks) to locate and kill the birds.
With the loss of thousands of acres of critical habitat and a bad winter, many of the pheasant population may not survive, decreasing the numbers of birds making it into next years breeding season, making for a tougher 2009 season.
Overall, the 2008 pheasant season should be a decent one for those that are willing to get out, do some walking and cover some ground.
Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb.. is the producer/Host of the award winning Outdoorsmen Adventures television series and the President of Outdoorsmen Productions LLC. For more information on the outdoors go to www.outdoorsmenadventures.com
The brood count surveys conducted by the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department that indicates the pheasant numbers indicated that bird numbers were reminiscent of the Soil Bank era in the 1950s and ’60s. The brood counts that measured the number of pheasants per mile put the 2008 bird numbers at 8.56 per mile, which is 64 percent ahead of the 10-year average and the highest recorded since 1963.
These counts indicated that there was a statewide increase of 9 percent in pheasant numbers. It also showed that there was a substantial increase in birds in the Winner, Pierre, Chamberlain and Mobridge areas. The pheasant count was down in the eastern region of the state with the east-central being unchanged from last year.
It also showed that there was an apparent decline in bird numbers in the eastern part of the state. Even though bird numbers over in their part of the state were down, the report showed that bird numbers in the Brookings and the Watertown areas remain higher than the 10 year average.
When the South Dakota pheasant season opened at noon, hunters faced much the same conditions as those hunters in surrounding states. Even with gusting winds and much of their grain crop still in the fields, hunters faired well.
Early reports from the Nebraska Game, Fish & Parks were varied throughout the state. The reports indicated a 29 percent increase in the Panhandle region, a 20 percent increase in the southwest, a 10 percent increase in central Nebraska, 5 percent increase in the Sandhills, a 28 percent drop in the southeast, a 2 percent drop in the northeast and a 3 percent decrease statewide in pheasant numbers as compared to 2007.
According to the report the areas that should have the best hunting are: the southwest, northeast, Panhandle, southeast, the Sandhills, and central Nebraska.
Since these reports came out, there has been a substantial number of CRP acres taken out, decreasing the habitat and the acres that will be available for hunting.
The hunters that we interviewed in the Northeast portion of the state had to hunt hard for their birds. With thousands of acres of crops still standing in the fields, the little habitat that was left held few birds unless they were hunted in the first hours of the season catching the birds on the roost.
Those hunters and landowners that had developed enhanced and preserved habitat on their land had the best luck.
We hunted the Gregory, S.D. area and even though the sunflowers and much of the corn were still in field, our group did exceptionally well hunting shelterbelts, foodplots and sunflower patches.
As crops come out, hunting should become easier and more productive as the birds will no longer have the corn fields to hide in and will have moved into the CRP fields, shelterbelts, sloughs and food plots.
With the high grain prices, there’s been a huge decrease in habitat with much of the CRP, pastures and wetlands being turned over and planted to row crops.
Last year in South Dakota just over 260,000 acres of habitat enrolled in CRP was taken out of the program, plowed and planted to row crops.
Nebraska also has lost considerable habitat as 45,235 acres of CRP were taken out of the program over the last year.
If corn and bean prices remain high, with cash rent high along with the payment for CRP acres remaining the same, there’s a good chance that many of the remaining acres of habitat will be pulled out of the program giving wildlife less habitat.
This creates numerous other problems because habitat acres will decrease, concentrating the birds into smaller areas, making it easier for predators (coyote, fox, raccoons, skunks and hawks) to locate and kill the birds.
With the loss of thousands of acres of critical habitat and a bad winter, many of the pheasant population may not survive, decreasing the numbers of birds making it into next years breeding season, making for a tougher 2009 season.
Overall, the 2008 pheasant season should be a decent one for those that are willing to get out, do some walking and cover some ground.
Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb.. is the producer/Host of the award winning Outdoorsmen Adventures television series and the President of Outdoorsmen Productions LLC. For more information on the outdoors go to www.outdoorsmenadventures.com
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