2021 RINGNECK OUTLOOK

benelli-banger said:
Great article from a year ago entitled “SD now flying blind when it comes to bird#’s”....don’t know how to import it here, but quite critical of that decision, which wasn’t open for public comment...
Click to expand...
www.capjournal.com

S.D. now flying blind on pheasant numbers

At a meeting of the South Dakota Game Fish & Parks Commission (GF&P) on June 4, the agency declared it would be discontinuing its summer pheasant brood surveys, suggesting that
www.capjournal.com www.capjournal.com
 
Are you running an ad blocker?
I had to pause my ad blocker on that site.
 
I wasn't advocating for any politician, and I was very unhappy with the cancellation of the brood count survey. I was just trying to point out that NR license sales are strongly influenced by CRP acres/bird numbers. I think the loss of CRP acres, draining of wetlands, removal of fence rows, and tilling marginal land to place into production is related a lot more to federal law(farm bill, ethanol mandates) and commodity prices than the actions of any state governor, although they obviously have some sway in what happens in the state. And yes, if I had a personal hotline to Kristi I would tell her, "please don't mow the ditches!"
 
I could look this up myself (and probably will as soon as I hit post) but does anyone SD native or regular know if they have studies regarding other wildlife numbers? Such as deer, prairie birds, etc?

I just question if not having bird counts is specific to pheasants or the norm in SD.
 
I know they do mule deer and antelope collaring to study various things such as fawn survival rates and seasonal movements.
 
I looked up studies as well and there was a pretty lengthy deer study posted this year. It just makes me scratch my head why they killed the pheasant survey.

They had it last year during the pandemic, so if it was cancelled just for last year and cited COVID as the reason, I'd have understood. But to completely kill the survey is just odd to me. Not only do us hunters use it to determine if we want to go there/where to go but conservationally it's a great tool.

How else can they determine if daily bag limits or possession limits are sustainable? Or if they can be increased? Or if the predator program SD has is A: working or B: still necessary or needs to be increased.

As a hunter it's annoying not to know data but more importantly as a conservationist (which I hope everyone here is) I'm irritated by the decision.
 
Well said. Vote with your dollars (by withholding them)!
 
i think killing the bird survey was a calculated decision. commodity prices are going up again, a lot of ground is under production, so the GF folks are pretty convinced that no news is their best strategy. Let's face it, being transparent is nothing more than a political buzz word, used commonly by all forms of agencies, feel better jargon! If you don't release/collect any counts, then no need to worry about being straight with the hunting public. Nothing to see here, move along and pay that habitat fee! A pretty lame approach, Kristi. You either engage and work on a plan to improve your cash cow or send her out to pasture and hope for the best. Hunter/bird numbers will be down again this season.
 
ND does 4 different pheasant surveys, different times of the year...all with different objectives. You can let science lead, or let marketing/advertising lead...I would prefer science...slick ads or commercials or tag lines don’t help the birds, or me personally. They extended the season to 1/31, and also, moved the opening hour to 10:00 am from day one; the latter doesn’t matter, the former could, depending on weather conditions. They tried to up the limit as well, to 4, after 12/1, I believe...that didn’t fly, thankfully IMO. Kristi is taking a science-free, marketing-based approach to pheasant hunting...her prerogative, I guess. Not my preference....
 
benelli-banger said:
ND does 4 different pheasant surveys, different times of the year...all with different objectives. You can let science lead, or let marketing/advertising lead...I would prefer science...slick ads or commercials or tag lines don’t help the birds, or me personally. They extended the season to 1/31, and also, moved the opening hour to 10:00 am from day one; the latter doesn’t matter, the former could, depending on weather conditions. They tried to up the limit as well, to 4, after 12/1, I believe...that didn’t fly, thankfully IMO. Kristi is taking a science-free, marketing-based approach to pheasant hunting...her prerogative, I guess. Not my preference....
Click to expand...
Imagine having such a long running indicator of health of one of your largest income sources, and cancelling it because you don't like the numbers.

Is ineptitude the right word?
 
On the topic of released birds…
1. If they are alive a month after they have been released, they are pretty darn wild.
2. Any places I hunt with released/wild overlap, I always say “don’t shoot the next tame one that flushes”. Guess what, the guns always go bang (nose hole, toe clip or not!)
 
Just as an FYI I got an email today from USDA for county our land is in and it said haying of CRP can’t begin until August 2nd. Know that doesn’t help with cover in the fall but it does help with young chick survival.
 
I’ve been around enough released birds to know when they’re released birds...they are in no hurry to get to the next county, or even the next field! They may fly 60 yards or less and land, or land in a tree...or get caught by dogs...not saying there’s anything wrong with it, I just am shocked more guys don’t know what’s going on! 90% of the flushes are roosters, lots of weak flyers, unafraid, etc. to each his own...yes, a month later, cagey for sure. It’s an option if there’s not adequate habitat to produce wild birds...but I’m not paying $200-300 per day to do it!!!!🤓
 
Maybe South Dakota doesn't want freelancers. There new business strategy is to push you to pay play program. That way you spend $1500 to hunt for 3 days, instead of $750.00 for 5 day hunt.
 
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