Riverman
Member
A recent report on brood counts in South Dakota for 2013. According to the report both brood counts and adult bird counts are down > 50% from 2012.
I personally found pheasant numbers in 2012 MUCH reduced from what they were in previous years so this is not a good sign. I hunt an area about 60 miles long and 30 miles wide north of Pierre near the MO River.
Of course numbers vary by location, but almost all areas of the state are down dramatically in bird numbers. Here is an overview--I could not attach the full report because it exceeded the 19kb pdf file size limit.
Overview
The statewide Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index for the 2013 pheasant brood survey decreased 64% (4.19 to 1.52) compared to the 2012 index. In comparison to the 10-year average, this year?s index is 76% lower (2013 = 1.51, 10-year average = 6.23). Compared to 2012, fewer roosters, hens, and broods were counted throughout the 108 survey routes, while the average brood size decreased by 12%. Statewide, 93 routes of the 108 surveyed showed a decrease in PPM from 2012. Only 1 route had a higher PPM value than its 10-year average.
Adult Bird and Brood Data
The total number of roosters counted during the 2013 survey was down 49% from the 2012 survey (733 vs. 1,434; Figure 1). The number of hens counted was down 57% from last year (867 vs. 2027; Figure 1). Similarly, total broods counted decreased by 62% (611 vs. 1,612; Figure 1), while the statewide average brood size decreased by 12% (5.50 vs. 6.26). Average brood sizes decreased in all GF&P administrative regions (Figure 2). The statewide average brood size for 2013 (5.50) is considerably lower than the 10-year average (6.42).
Here is the Full Report without the figures (the site would not allow me to upload a pdf larger than 19kb).
SOUTH DAKOTA PHEASANT BROOD SURVEYS
2013 REPORT
SD Game, Fish and Parks conducts pheasant brood surveys each summer to evaluate the status of pheasant populations and predict pheasant population levels relative to previous years. This information, when combined with other factors such as status of the agricultural harvest and historical hunting pressure, can be used to predict hunter success and satisfaction for geographical areas of the state. Densities of pheasants alone do not infer high or low hunter success and satisfaction. Access to hunting opportunities is equally, if not more important to densities of pheasants in evaluating potential hunter success and ultimately, hunter satisfaction.
In 2013, survey indices were derived from 108, 30-mile pheasant brood routes that are distributed across South Dakota where pheasants are found in sufficient number for surveying. Routes are surveyed from 25 July through 15 August each year using standardized methods on mornings when weather conditions are optimal for observing pheasants. Also, pheasant brood members are opportunistically counted throughout the survey period to estimate an average number of young per brood. Pheasants per mile (PPM) estimates are calculated by summing the product of mean brood sizes and broods observed with numbers of cocks and hens observed on each route. PPM estimates for 2012 and the average of the previous 10 years are compared with the 2013 survey results. Results are compared within local areas with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests which take into account the direction (up or down) and magnitude of change for each route. Since PPM estimates are relative density estimates, comparisons are valid only between years within each local area.
County brood survey routes are allocated to local area analyses as follows:
Chamberlain: Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix (north route), Gregory (north route), Lyman, Tripp (north route), and Aurora.
Winner: Tripp, Gregory, Lyman (south route), Jones (south route), Mellette, and Todd.
Pierre: Hughes, Jones, Lyman, Potter (south route), Stanley, Hand/Hyde (south route only), and Sully.
Mobridge: Campbell, Corson, Dewey, Potter (north and central routes), and Walworth.
Aberdeen: Brown, Marshall, Day (south route), Edmunds, Faulk, Spink (north and central routes), and McPherson.
Huron: Hand (north and central routes), Beadle, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Sanborn, Miner, Clark (south route only), and Spink (south and central routes).
Mitchell: Davison, Hanson, Charles Mix (central route), Douglas, Aurora, Hutchinson (north and west routes), Jerauld, McCook, Miner, and Sanborn.
Yankton: Yankton, Charles Mix (south route), Bon Homme, Clay, Turner/Hutchinson (west and south routes), and Union.
Sioux Falls: Minnehaha, Turner/Hutchinson (north route), Lake, Lincoln, McCook, and Moody.
Brookings: Brookings, Deuel (south route), and Hamlin (south and central routes), Kingsbury, Lake (north route), and Moody.
Watertown: Codington, Clark, Deuel, Grant, and Hamlin.
Sisseton: Grant, Day (north route), Marshall, and Roberts.
Western SD: Bennett, Haakon, Perkins, Butte and Fall River.
SURVEY RESULTS
Overview
The statewide Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index for the 2013 pheasant brood survey decreased 64% (4.19 to 1.52) compared to the 2012 index. In comparison to the 10-year average, this year?s index is 76% lower (2013 = 1.51, 10-year average = 6.23). Compared to 2012, fewer roosters, hens, and broods were counted throughout the 108 survey routes, while the average brood size decreased by 12%. Statewide, 93 routes of the 108 surveyed showed a decrease in PPM from 2012. Only 1 route had a higher PPM value than its 10-year average.
Adult Bird and Brood Data
The total number of roosters counted during the 2013 survey was down 49% from the 2012 survey (733 vs. 1,434; Figure 1). The number of hens counted was down 57% from last year (867 vs. 2027; Figure 1). Similarly, total broods counted decreased by 62% (611 vs. 1,612; Figure 1), while the statewide average brood size decreased by 12% (5.50 vs. 6.26). Average brood sizes decreased in all GF&P administrative regions (Figure 2). The statewide average brood size for 2013 (5.50) is considerably lower than the 10-year average (6.42).
Local Area
2013 vs. 2012 PPM
All local areas except Yankton declined from 2012, although the decline was not statistically significant for the Sioux Falls, Sisseton, and Western SD local areas (Table 1, Figure 3).
2013 vs. 10-Year Average PPM
All local area PPM indices are significantly lower than the 10-year average (Table 1).
INTERPRETATIONS & DISCUSSION
Pheasant abundance has trended downward since 2008 in response to accelerating habitat loss in combination with a series of very unfavorable weather events. For the first time since the late 1980s, fewer than 1 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands, the premier pheasant nesting habitat, were available for nesting pheasants (Figure 4). Pheasant populations reached modern day highs in the late 2000s when over 1.5 million acres of CRP were available, a majority of which were in the primary pheasant range of central and eastern SD. The pathway to our current day low pheasant population began in the late 2000s when CRP grasslands sharply declined and loss of non-CRP pheasant production habitats accelerated (Figure 5).
While long term pheasant populations are primarily influenced by habitat quantity, dramatic short term fluctuations can occur in response to extreme weather conditions. Historically, severe winters, cold/wet springs, and extreme drought have negatively influenced short term population trends. All of these conditions were experienced across portions of the state during the past year.
Drought conditions quickly intensified and expanded in August of 2012, immediately after last year?s roadside survey was completed (Figure 6B). By October, extreme or worse drought covered 50% of the state with exceptional drought, the most intense category, encompassing 30% of the state (Figure 6, A and B). Drought conditions far exceeded past droughts in magnitude, extent, and duration (Figure 6C). Typically, the primary concern from drought is reduced reproductive success because sparse vegetation and reduced insect numbers can reduce nest success and chick survival. The timing and duration of the 2012-2013 drought did not occur during the primary reproductive season of pheasants. However, survival of radio
collared pheasants as part of a cooperative research project revealed 50% survival of adult hens from August 15 ? November 15, 2012 in south central SD. This extremely low survival during a time of year when survival is typically high suggests the drought conditions had a substantial effect on pheasant survival. The exact extent and magnitude of this fall die off is unknown, but results of the 2013 roadside survey suggest pheasant survival was low throughout the state during the past year. Declines were most severe in the central and south-central portion of the state where drought conditions were most severe. This scenario is rare and the mechanisms causing the mortality is poorly documented or understood. Extremely sparse vegetation conditions could have resulted in higher predation rates. The extreme drought may have also overlapped the late brood-rearing period, which could have reduced survival of pheasant chicks due to reduced invertebrate availability.
Unfortunately, unfavorable weather conditions continued into spring when above normal precipitation and near record setting cold temperatures persisted from March through early May. The winter was considered harsh in the northeast where snow covered the ground from December 10 through April. Snowfall averaged nearly 20? across the eastern half of SD in April alone with multiple substantial snow storms. The harsh winter-like weather this spring likely contributed to the sharp decline in pheasant abundance for a few reasons. First, prolonged winter-like weather in April could have reduced adult pheasant survival as many birds had probably dispersed from high quality winter habitat as habitat preference shifts towards landscapes with available nesting cover. In a typical year, pheasants exhibit a spike in predation rates as birds disperse across the landscape in the spring. Most of SD experienced 6-8 significant snow events in April, a situation which could have reduced survival during a time when birds are naturally vulnerable. Secondly, with temperatures averaging 10 degrees below normal through early May, it is almost certain that most pheasants delayed nesting by 2-3 weeks. This likely resulted in smaller clutch sizes, which could explain the low brood sizes observed this year. With the truncated nesting season, renesting efforts will not be as strong as a typical year. Finally, drought conditions in the fall of 2012 resulted in many winter wheat planting failures in the central and western part of the state. Most fields intended to be winter wheat, were planted to other crops in 2013. Winter wheat is an important pheasant production habitat, particularly in central SD where it is typically abundant.
Given the very cold spring and presumed delayed pheasant nesting season, it is possible that the primary pheasant survey period of August 1-15 occurred before newly hatched birds were visible from roadways. Besides widespread severe weather in late June, conditions were favorable for pheasant production from late May through mid-August, which could benefit an unknown number of late nesting pheasants. However, late nesting pheasants will have a smaller clutch size which dampens the potential for a substantial population response.
With 1.1 million acres of public hunting land within the heart of SD?s pheasant range, opportunities remain for quality pheasant hunting. As enrollment for the James River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program has now reached 80,000 acres, hunters will find additional CRP lands available for public hunting this fall in east-central SD. The annual hunting atlas and a web-based interactive map of public lands and private lands leased for public hunting can be found at http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/areas.
Hunters are also reminded to review local area trends of their interest and to visit with those in their traditional hunting areas as local population levels and habitat conditions can vary. Hunters are again asked to hunt safely and ethically, respect private landowners and those pubic hunting areas scattered across the state, and enjoy the SD tradition of hunting pheasants with family and friends this fall.
Table 1. Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index values comparing 2013 to 2012 and 10-year averages.
Local Area
Routes
Pheasants Per Mile (PPM)
2013 2012 10-yr ave
Difference of 2013 PPM with
2012 10-year ave
Chamberlain
10
2.66
10.81
15.93
-75%*
-83%*
Winner
8
2.00
7.35
7.84
-73%*
-74%*
Pierre
12
2.15
9.53
9.51
-77%*
-77%*
Mobridge
8
2.12
6.71
7.11
-68%*
-70%*
Aberdeen
13
1.70
3.74
6.76
-55%*
-75%*
Huron
17
2.04
4.10
8.03
-50%*
-75%*
Mitchell
16
1.77
3.91
6.23
-55%*
-72%*
Yankton
10
0.68
0.62
1.51
10%ns
-55%*
Sioux Falls
13
0.88
1.12
2.34
-21%ns
-62%*
Brookings
11
0.77
1.93
4.33
-60%*
-82%*
Watertown
11
0.77
2.55
5.02
-70%*
-85%*
Sisseton
4
0.47
0.82
2.04
-43%ns
-77%*
Western SD
5
1.01
2.24
2.80
-55%ns
-64%*
STATEWIDE
108
1.52
4.19
6.23
-64%*
-76%*
ns Results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test not significant (P > 0.10)
* Results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test significant (P < 0.10)
NOTE: Comparisons are valid only between years within each local area.
Figure 1. Number of roosters, hens, and broods counted during annual pheasant brood surveys, 2004-2013. The dashed line illustrates the trend over the past 10 years
I personally found pheasant numbers in 2012 MUCH reduced from what they were in previous years so this is not a good sign. I hunt an area about 60 miles long and 30 miles wide north of Pierre near the MO River.
Of course numbers vary by location, but almost all areas of the state are down dramatically in bird numbers. Here is an overview--I could not attach the full report because it exceeded the 19kb pdf file size limit.
Overview
The statewide Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index for the 2013 pheasant brood survey decreased 64% (4.19 to 1.52) compared to the 2012 index. In comparison to the 10-year average, this year?s index is 76% lower (2013 = 1.51, 10-year average = 6.23). Compared to 2012, fewer roosters, hens, and broods were counted throughout the 108 survey routes, while the average brood size decreased by 12%. Statewide, 93 routes of the 108 surveyed showed a decrease in PPM from 2012. Only 1 route had a higher PPM value than its 10-year average.
Adult Bird and Brood Data
The total number of roosters counted during the 2013 survey was down 49% from the 2012 survey (733 vs. 1,434; Figure 1). The number of hens counted was down 57% from last year (867 vs. 2027; Figure 1). Similarly, total broods counted decreased by 62% (611 vs. 1,612; Figure 1), while the statewide average brood size decreased by 12% (5.50 vs. 6.26). Average brood sizes decreased in all GF&P administrative regions (Figure 2). The statewide average brood size for 2013 (5.50) is considerably lower than the 10-year average (6.42).
Here is the Full Report without the figures (the site would not allow me to upload a pdf larger than 19kb).
SOUTH DAKOTA PHEASANT BROOD SURVEYS
2013 REPORT
SD Game, Fish and Parks conducts pheasant brood surveys each summer to evaluate the status of pheasant populations and predict pheasant population levels relative to previous years. This information, when combined with other factors such as status of the agricultural harvest and historical hunting pressure, can be used to predict hunter success and satisfaction for geographical areas of the state. Densities of pheasants alone do not infer high or low hunter success and satisfaction. Access to hunting opportunities is equally, if not more important to densities of pheasants in evaluating potential hunter success and ultimately, hunter satisfaction.
In 2013, survey indices were derived from 108, 30-mile pheasant brood routes that are distributed across South Dakota where pheasants are found in sufficient number for surveying. Routes are surveyed from 25 July through 15 August each year using standardized methods on mornings when weather conditions are optimal for observing pheasants. Also, pheasant brood members are opportunistically counted throughout the survey period to estimate an average number of young per brood. Pheasants per mile (PPM) estimates are calculated by summing the product of mean brood sizes and broods observed with numbers of cocks and hens observed on each route. PPM estimates for 2012 and the average of the previous 10 years are compared with the 2013 survey results. Results are compared within local areas with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests which take into account the direction (up or down) and magnitude of change for each route. Since PPM estimates are relative density estimates, comparisons are valid only between years within each local area.
County brood survey routes are allocated to local area analyses as follows:
Chamberlain: Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix (north route), Gregory (north route), Lyman, Tripp (north route), and Aurora.
Winner: Tripp, Gregory, Lyman (south route), Jones (south route), Mellette, and Todd.
Pierre: Hughes, Jones, Lyman, Potter (south route), Stanley, Hand/Hyde (south route only), and Sully.
Mobridge: Campbell, Corson, Dewey, Potter (north and central routes), and Walworth.
Aberdeen: Brown, Marshall, Day (south route), Edmunds, Faulk, Spink (north and central routes), and McPherson.
Huron: Hand (north and central routes), Beadle, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Sanborn, Miner, Clark (south route only), and Spink (south and central routes).
Mitchell: Davison, Hanson, Charles Mix (central route), Douglas, Aurora, Hutchinson (north and west routes), Jerauld, McCook, Miner, and Sanborn.
Yankton: Yankton, Charles Mix (south route), Bon Homme, Clay, Turner/Hutchinson (west and south routes), and Union.
Sioux Falls: Minnehaha, Turner/Hutchinson (north route), Lake, Lincoln, McCook, and Moody.
Brookings: Brookings, Deuel (south route), and Hamlin (south and central routes), Kingsbury, Lake (north route), and Moody.
Watertown: Codington, Clark, Deuel, Grant, and Hamlin.
Sisseton: Grant, Day (north route), Marshall, and Roberts.
Western SD: Bennett, Haakon, Perkins, Butte and Fall River.
SURVEY RESULTS
Overview
The statewide Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index for the 2013 pheasant brood survey decreased 64% (4.19 to 1.52) compared to the 2012 index. In comparison to the 10-year average, this year?s index is 76% lower (2013 = 1.51, 10-year average = 6.23). Compared to 2012, fewer roosters, hens, and broods were counted throughout the 108 survey routes, while the average brood size decreased by 12%. Statewide, 93 routes of the 108 surveyed showed a decrease in PPM from 2012. Only 1 route had a higher PPM value than its 10-year average.
Adult Bird and Brood Data
The total number of roosters counted during the 2013 survey was down 49% from the 2012 survey (733 vs. 1,434; Figure 1). The number of hens counted was down 57% from last year (867 vs. 2027; Figure 1). Similarly, total broods counted decreased by 62% (611 vs. 1,612; Figure 1), while the statewide average brood size decreased by 12% (5.50 vs. 6.26). Average brood sizes decreased in all GF&P administrative regions (Figure 2). The statewide average brood size for 2013 (5.50) is considerably lower than the 10-year average (6.42).
Local Area
2013 vs. 2012 PPM
All local areas except Yankton declined from 2012, although the decline was not statistically significant for the Sioux Falls, Sisseton, and Western SD local areas (Table 1, Figure 3).
2013 vs. 10-Year Average PPM
All local area PPM indices are significantly lower than the 10-year average (Table 1).
INTERPRETATIONS & DISCUSSION
Pheasant abundance has trended downward since 2008 in response to accelerating habitat loss in combination with a series of very unfavorable weather events. For the first time since the late 1980s, fewer than 1 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands, the premier pheasant nesting habitat, were available for nesting pheasants (Figure 4). Pheasant populations reached modern day highs in the late 2000s when over 1.5 million acres of CRP were available, a majority of which were in the primary pheasant range of central and eastern SD. The pathway to our current day low pheasant population began in the late 2000s when CRP grasslands sharply declined and loss of non-CRP pheasant production habitats accelerated (Figure 5).
While long term pheasant populations are primarily influenced by habitat quantity, dramatic short term fluctuations can occur in response to extreme weather conditions. Historically, severe winters, cold/wet springs, and extreme drought have negatively influenced short term population trends. All of these conditions were experienced across portions of the state during the past year.
Drought conditions quickly intensified and expanded in August of 2012, immediately after last year?s roadside survey was completed (Figure 6B). By October, extreme or worse drought covered 50% of the state with exceptional drought, the most intense category, encompassing 30% of the state (Figure 6, A and B). Drought conditions far exceeded past droughts in magnitude, extent, and duration (Figure 6C). Typically, the primary concern from drought is reduced reproductive success because sparse vegetation and reduced insect numbers can reduce nest success and chick survival. The timing and duration of the 2012-2013 drought did not occur during the primary reproductive season of pheasants. However, survival of radio
collared pheasants as part of a cooperative research project revealed 50% survival of adult hens from August 15 ? November 15, 2012 in south central SD. This extremely low survival during a time of year when survival is typically high suggests the drought conditions had a substantial effect on pheasant survival. The exact extent and magnitude of this fall die off is unknown, but results of the 2013 roadside survey suggest pheasant survival was low throughout the state during the past year. Declines were most severe in the central and south-central portion of the state where drought conditions were most severe. This scenario is rare and the mechanisms causing the mortality is poorly documented or understood. Extremely sparse vegetation conditions could have resulted in higher predation rates. The extreme drought may have also overlapped the late brood-rearing period, which could have reduced survival of pheasant chicks due to reduced invertebrate availability.
Unfortunately, unfavorable weather conditions continued into spring when above normal precipitation and near record setting cold temperatures persisted from March through early May. The winter was considered harsh in the northeast where snow covered the ground from December 10 through April. Snowfall averaged nearly 20? across the eastern half of SD in April alone with multiple substantial snow storms. The harsh winter-like weather this spring likely contributed to the sharp decline in pheasant abundance for a few reasons. First, prolonged winter-like weather in April could have reduced adult pheasant survival as many birds had probably dispersed from high quality winter habitat as habitat preference shifts towards landscapes with available nesting cover. In a typical year, pheasants exhibit a spike in predation rates as birds disperse across the landscape in the spring. Most of SD experienced 6-8 significant snow events in April, a situation which could have reduced survival during a time when birds are naturally vulnerable. Secondly, with temperatures averaging 10 degrees below normal through early May, it is almost certain that most pheasants delayed nesting by 2-3 weeks. This likely resulted in smaller clutch sizes, which could explain the low brood sizes observed this year. With the truncated nesting season, renesting efforts will not be as strong as a typical year. Finally, drought conditions in the fall of 2012 resulted in many winter wheat planting failures in the central and western part of the state. Most fields intended to be winter wheat, were planted to other crops in 2013. Winter wheat is an important pheasant production habitat, particularly in central SD where it is typically abundant.
Given the very cold spring and presumed delayed pheasant nesting season, it is possible that the primary pheasant survey period of August 1-15 occurred before newly hatched birds were visible from roadways. Besides widespread severe weather in late June, conditions were favorable for pheasant production from late May through mid-August, which could benefit an unknown number of late nesting pheasants. However, late nesting pheasants will have a smaller clutch size which dampens the potential for a substantial population response.
With 1.1 million acres of public hunting land within the heart of SD?s pheasant range, opportunities remain for quality pheasant hunting. As enrollment for the James River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program has now reached 80,000 acres, hunters will find additional CRP lands available for public hunting this fall in east-central SD. The annual hunting atlas and a web-based interactive map of public lands and private lands leased for public hunting can be found at http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/areas.
Hunters are also reminded to review local area trends of their interest and to visit with those in their traditional hunting areas as local population levels and habitat conditions can vary. Hunters are again asked to hunt safely and ethically, respect private landowners and those pubic hunting areas scattered across the state, and enjoy the SD tradition of hunting pheasants with family and friends this fall.
Table 1. Pheasants Per Mile (PPM) index values comparing 2013 to 2012 and 10-year averages.
Local Area
Routes
Pheasants Per Mile (PPM)
2013 2012 10-yr ave
Difference of 2013 PPM with
2012 10-year ave
Chamberlain
10
2.66
10.81
15.93
-75%*
-83%*
Winner
8
2.00
7.35
7.84
-73%*
-74%*
Pierre
12
2.15
9.53
9.51
-77%*
-77%*
Mobridge
8
2.12
6.71
7.11
-68%*
-70%*
Aberdeen
13
1.70
3.74
6.76
-55%*
-75%*
Huron
17
2.04
4.10
8.03
-50%*
-75%*
Mitchell
16
1.77
3.91
6.23
-55%*
-72%*
Yankton
10
0.68
0.62
1.51
10%ns
-55%*
Sioux Falls
13
0.88
1.12
2.34
-21%ns
-62%*
Brookings
11
0.77
1.93
4.33
-60%*
-82%*
Watertown
11
0.77
2.55
5.02
-70%*
-85%*
Sisseton
4
0.47
0.82
2.04
-43%ns
-77%*
Western SD
5
1.01
2.24
2.80
-55%ns
-64%*
STATEWIDE
108
1.52
4.19
6.23
-64%*
-76%*
ns Results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test not significant (P > 0.10)
* Results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test significant (P < 0.10)
NOTE: Comparisons are valid only between years within each local area.
Figure 1. Number of roosters, hens, and broods counted during annual pheasant brood surveys, 2004-2013. The dashed line illustrates the trend over the past 10 years