Pheasant Numbers

R

RedLeg Hunter

New member
After the last two weeks of hunting, the numbers are real low in Southern Clark County. Local paper posted that the average was one bird per hunter after opening weekend. It may be due to the large amount of corn still standing in the fields. We definitely need to invest in habitat and bring back Pheasant Forever raising of pheasants to get the population back.
 
RedLeg Hunter said:
After the last two weeks of hunting, the numbers are real low in Southern Clark County. Local paper posted that the average was one bird per hunter after opening weekend. It may be due to the large amount of corn still standing in the fields. We definitely need to invest in habitat and bring back Pheasant Forever raising of pheasants to get the population back.
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your report is all over the board? either corns up? no habitat? or u want pen raised bird released?

habitat is the key if no habitat no pheasants... why release birds??? never new pf raised pheasants to be released thought threy are a save the habitat orginization???

u r right on 1 thing its all the corn up that is the issue go back after corns off im sure u story will change??? hunters in SD are spoiled a bad yr in SD is world class hunting in every other state...
 
I have been hunting around Vienna and Naples for 30 years, but moved further west due to the very low bird numbers there. I have three awesome farms in that area and I still hunt a bit there, but its a real struggle. It all comes down to CRP and leaving the cattails alone. As usual, money always wins. I think the best days are gone.
 
the numbers are down in the NC area i hunted......down even from last season, the GF report of a 42% increase was bogus, you can't average out a number like that with many areas that are so empty and get to that number......sorry, i just don't believe it and i heard the same from other hunters i talked with.....one thing though is abundantly clear,production farming, fence row to fence row, bare ass bean fields for miles are killing the population......the only areas with a decent population have large areas of brome grass pastures.......where the hens can pull off a brood...I was shocked at how much moonscape is out there.....guys that farm for pheasants will have them, them that don't wont and hunting ops will disappear....where i used to put up a dozen or more birds, i sometimes kicked up one......or none.....:eek:

just my experience not hunting on pay to play...
 
small munsterlander owner said:
your report is all over the board? either corns up? no habitat? or u want pen raised bird released?

habitat is the key if no habitat no pheasants... why release birds??? never new pf raised pheasants to be released thought threy are a save the habitat orginization???

u r right on 1 thing its all the corn up that is the issue go back after corns off im sure u story will change??? hunters in SD are spoiled a bad yr in SD is world class hunting in every other state...
Click to expand...

I agree with everything said here. I saw plenty of birds in South Dakota once we hit the standing crops and abandoned the draws. You are just not hunting where the birds are.
 
Habitat looked nice this year, they had a good year for rains. the numbers were poor in the area I hunted and I didn't see any younger Roosters, everyone I flushed or saw was a mature adult.

Not sure what that means but I was wasn't impressed!
 
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