SD Brood Count Survey Guesswork. Hmm?

Due to all the cover I think the count numbers will not tell the total truth--but up 10% most areas and up a lot in some areas maybe as much as 25%
 
Spoke to a former farmer who still owns lots of land...he was talking to another operator who has been out in the farming country as of late and he was very pleased with what he has been seeing as far as broods, and #'s within those broods...been kind of quiet on this front for the past month or more...thinking that the conditions have been about a "7.5" overall since mid-May...only thing holding it back was the wet conditions in June, which helps in other ways...could be pretty decent!!! If the greatest impact from the heat and drought occurred in mid or late August of 2012, then the surveys in 2013 may not show such a big increase...but the hunting will, if that makes sense.
 
i think SD will increase from last year with the amount of turkeys i hear about that hatched late from SD to WI i think there was a great 2nd or late hatch & the great cover growth with a crop harvest not so early this year i think SD may be a must hunt for me this year??? after i hunt ND that is...

hope for a major population increase & nice mild winter & that repeats it-self over & over lol & not just in SD
 
last years count was up but in the areas's I hunted but after getting out it really seemed way down. My guess is that the count will still be up from last year but one will have to get out and hunt to see the truth or reliabilaty in the counts.

my guess is a 21% increse from last years count across the board
 
count was up somewhat in my areas but bird #'s seemed way down when out actually hunting...heat/drought must have had some impact...I think we are in for a better fall...temps and precip have been good for birds so far...
 
I think SDJIM is right on about 10% although I'm not seeing as many birds this year as last, but I think mainly due to great cover and crops lessens sightings. Talked and visited with friends/farmers in 6 NE SD counties and they are saying the same. All agree broods are larger this year, and renesting good. I flushed a hen this morning with chicks that could barely fly. Crops look great and sloughs still holding water despite lack of rain last few weeks. Also spoke met this week with elders from 3 different Hutterite colonies and they think hunting will be a little better this year from what they are seeing. Harvest may be a little later this year some birds may be scattered for opener.
 
down 10% statewide, down 25% in Pierre/Miller areas. Dought last year and nearly zero winter wheat hurt numbers in central SD
 
I agree with JP. Another aspect is that last year when they did the counts a lot of cover was hayed making the counts what I believe to be artificially high. This year with more cover I think the counts will be down but maybe more birds out there than what get counted.
 
Rancher friend west of Pierre said it's the least amount of pheasants he has seen in 10 years. GFP counts will be an eye opener for many poeple.
 
I know we hunted the Pierre area and southwest last december. Saw thousands of birds. Unless they evaporated like a fart in the wind, they are still there. A fairly moist spring, combined with a mild winter, usually makes for a good year. I think early will be tough, but late could be special.
 
carptom1 said:
I know we hunted the Pierre area and southwest last december. Saw thousands of birds. Unless they evaporated like a fart in the wind, they are still there. A fairly moist spring, combined with a mild winter, usually makes for a good year. I think early will be tough, but late could be special.
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You're going to be surprised on numbers in the Pierre area. Winter cover is pretty limited in many portions of central SD so when winter sets in birds will move from miles into it. Doesn't mean their was birds every where in Oct.
 
30 miles in any direction makes a big difference in bird numbers. Whether its cover, weather or carry over. Seen it...done it. Stinks when your hunting the farm 30 miles in the wrong direction.

I tend to be an optimist on the bird numbers regardless of the released counts. Do you really want to spend the last couple months leading up to your hunting trip thinking you aren't going to see anything? Not this guy! We will find em, then chase em.

Last year the land owners in the area we hunt didn't know just how many birds they had till the first few hunts on the property. We were all pleasantly surprised since this area was impacted so badly from the drought.
 
SX3 said:
30 miles in any direction makes a big difference in bird numbers. Whether its cover, weather or carry over. Seen it...done it. Stinks when your hunting the farm 30 miles in the wrong direction.

I tend to be an optimist on the bird numbers regardless of the released counts. Do you really want to spend the last couple months leading up to your hunting trip thinking you aren't going to see anything? Not this guy! We will find em, then chase em.

Last year the land owners in the area we hunt didn't know just how many birds they had till the first few hunts on the property. We were all pleasantly surprised since this area was impacted so badly from the drought.
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Amen! People can get so negative on here... I also saw thousands of birds last year and was north of Pierre hunting public land. There will be pockets where numbers are great just as I'm sure there will be pockets where bird numbers are down. Overall I am looking forward to this season as I believe it is going to be good.
 
jpallen said:
You're going to be surprised on numbers in the Pierre area. Winter cover is pretty limited in many portions of central SD so when winter sets in birds will move from miles into it. Doesn't mean their was birds every where in Oct.
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I do understand the winter patterns of pheasants after chasing them for forty years or so:) Those same birds also branch back out in the spring. I don't know where you hunt, but the twenty thousand or so acres we hunt has very little winter wheat. I do know the wheat crop was poor, but there was a tremendous carry over. Those birds are going to nest somewhere. By nesting and hatch time they were getting consistent moisture. I do agree count will be down, but it will be caused by the cover not lack of birds. That is only my opinion and that doesn't amount to c:)rap:)
 
if you go on the upland journal forum there are always guys giving false info on the ruffed grouse threads lots of people try to post doom & gloom reports or there are no birds here or there u gotta try a hour over there & if you know there area they are talking its like saying theres no birds by pierre there all by chamberlain ETC. when we all know there is still plenty of birds around pierre unless like said above all the birds vanished like a fart in the wind there will be plenty carry-over & them birds had a good 2nd hatch i herd... hope its true i did see they fewest birds i ever seen in the spring on I-90 in SDs heart of pheasant range & just outside of the best pheasant populations in SD hope it was just bad timing on my part...
 
UGUIDE said:
Time to make our predictions on what we think the pheasant numbers will be forecasted in SD in 2013 by Game and Fish.

Guesses could be in % increase or decrease over last year.

You could also add comments on areas you think will be up or down.

Here is the link to last years data and report.

http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/pheasant-outlook.aspx
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OK guys as you can see the thread is becoming void of guesses on % +/- and why and just becoming speculation and personal opinion void of any educated guesswork.

Keep you comments fact based like GFP survey based on factual data.

Some factual data affecting counts this year will be much more dewey conditions during counts this year vs. last possible amounting to more birds on roads during counts which is original reason when they do them at this time in the first place.

Other major is not near the amount of acres hayed this summer as was last summer in the state.
 
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