Is SD shooting itself in the foot?

[Golden Hour]

While the notion that harvesting more roosters is merely compensatory and could benefit a population as it removes competition between hens and roosters for winter food/habitat is valid, the biggest issue lies in an unequal spread in the pheasant population. Like a lot of you guys, I hunt public land primarily. Come late December, the population ratio is typically pretty good for hens. It might not quite be 10:1, but it is closer to that than 1:1. Places that have an overabundance of roosters that need to be culled for the health of the population are typically places that don't have public access.

I wrote the SDGFP on this matter as I tend to agree with others here that the concern I have regarding hunting pheasants in January isn't the roosters, it's busting hens from winter cover. Further, I travel the state for work throughout the winter months. Having spent my entire life here in the northeastern part of the state, I can promise anyone that winter is going to be much tougher in Aberdeen/Watertown than it is in Winner/Chamberlain. Maybe I'm being overly cautious and, at least according to my wife, have been wrong on a variety of topics from time to time.

 

[haymaker]

Unless they are disturbed in tough conditions. If the snow is deep and food scarce and some young ambitious hunters decide to tough it out sub zero weather with strong winds just to prove how tough they are. Then there will be dead hens. I only say this because I used to be that guy and did find dead hens as a result.