Road counts

C

Chip

Member
Shouldn't the road counts be coming out this next week? What's it going to be up down or the same as last year
 
My guess is the actual numbers are up. Whether the counts show that or not remains to be seen. I would guess they will show a slight increase.
 
Numbers sound up from the local SD guys on this site & there friends & the pheasant farmers...

Let's hope the road counts don't show a crazy increase maybe a slight to same as last year will keep hunter numbers on public down some what... Let hope they say numbers down keep big numbers guys on private or at home...
 
I don't care what the bird counts indicate. Well, yes I do, I like to see increases. However we come out to SD to visit friends we have made throughout years and to hunt wild pheasants and a few Sharpies too, mostly on public land. We really enjoy the hunt and watching our Golden work the fields. There is a great deal more to hunting than just trying to kill your limit of birds. Never had a disappointing year. :)

This year again, we will be in SD from Labor Day weekend through early November. ;)
 
Lookin back I see I posted a thread on the official report last year on this very day 8/27. Should be out any day.

Every year that goes by the less stock I put in the state report and the more stock I put in places that do excellent habitat management.

I can honestly say I have no idea what I have for birds on my place this year. I can also say the habitat has never been better.

Chip, how does that make you feel? :D

I have to clip my firebreaks next week and should have a better idea of what is out there for birds but if I don't see many I have found that still does not mean alot.

Hey, I just added a new video to the Meadow Creek camp so until the GFP road count comes out here is some great video entertainment for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=KOMkbvZbkd4
 
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If I read it correctly, they drive each route twice and TAKE the HIGHER number of birds seen. The only way to get completely poor results is if they drove those same routes both times with poor viewing conditions or birds are down in numbers.
It seems to me they put in a solid effort of only traveling the routes on days they feel are advantageous to getting accurate counts.
No study or prediction is perfect. The one they use I like. They have been doing it for years and in my opinion take the job seriously.
Most hunters who have to travel far to get to SD come for the birds! When birds are up, many hunters. When birds are down, not so many. It can be an expensive trip for some especially guys who only hunt a few times of year.
Here is to a good report to be released any day now.
 
At best its an "It Depends" report. I have a friend in Tourism for the state and we talk about this issue all the time. The year the counts were down 65% he said he went back to his home town in Platte and has one of the best hunts of his life.

If that same person was from Illinois he may have opted out that year and missed a great hunt in that area. In other areas, maybe not. That year the counts were down there were very few dewy mornings in August.

It depends.
 
UGUIDE said:
At best its an "It Depends" report. I have a friend in Tourism for the state and we talk about this issue all the time. The year the counts were down 65% he said he went back to his home town in Platte and has one of the best hunts of his life.

If that same person was from Illinois he may have opted out that year and missed a great hunt in that area. In other areas, maybe not. That year the counts were down there were very few dewy mornings in August.

It depends.
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Exactly guys put to much into these counts... If u only hunt 5 days a year & want a solid hunt I can see the intrigue in going wear the high numbers are but like u guide said hunters still shot limits & had a blast on years game & fish reported way down... & I've done just OK in the rising number years hunt the habitat...


The biologist in article I've talked to him b4 his answer to the SD game & fish putting out high numbers for tourism etc. His answer to that question or comment says it all ignore that question & get back to the routes work???

Honestly if SD wanted to try to get more accurate counts I not sure they could the pheasant farmers say u don't know true numbers till Dec ... I don't think driving ditche's is best most accurate system gotta be more ways... Its ez to drive in truck & count...

The few day a year hunters may live & die by the road counts but for most who hunt pheasant yearly 2-3 months the road counts are just something to b/s about. SD has birds in the habitat...
 
You guys that keep saying that there is a better way sure can never come up with one. The people conducting the counts and putting the numbers together are people who have gone to school for this and have degrees in this field. It's just like if you're having a house built and you think you know better than the contractor. There is a reason they do it the way they do. It's easy to say in an armchair but much harder to do if you're actually charged with doing it. Again, take it as an educated guess which is better than no guess at all in my opinion.
 
BigRand said:
You guys that keep saying that there is a better way sure can never come up with one. The people conducting the counts and putting the numbers together are people who have gone to school for this and have degrees in this field. It's just like if you're having a house built and you think you know better than the contractor. There is a reason they do it the way they do. It's easy to say in an armchair but much harder to do if you're actually charged with doing it. Again, take it as an educated guess which is better than no guess at all in my opinion.
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It would coast to much $$$ time energy & man power for the SD game & fish employ teams of guys to go push fields with dogs etc & flush birds wear good habitat & report the numbers they would need landowner permission & that's just not really a option I'd like them do something like that or ask landowner & or habitat owners there #s guess because that's all SD game & fish MN DNR are doing guessing...

In MN late season there are some research teams that go out & do winter counts on certain areas that's wear I got the go flush broods to get a good count technique did not pull it out my butt...

These college educated biologist did not invent these technique they are just doing what the last guy did most will tell u its not a exact method just gives us a idea... SD biologist says it paints a pretty good pictures etc of birds in the area...???

2 days driving around a small fraction of a area with no habitat won't tell u much like uguide say...

I'd say a winter late winter count early spring count & brood count mite could be more accurate then 2 days drive n around???
 
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Is the survey accurate? Maybe, maybe not. There are a lot of factors that can vary the outcome. But the GFP has been doing it this was for a lot of years so if you change the method or criteria then all the previous results are useless. Take it for what it is. I think it's an attempt to paint a broad picture of the current year's bird numbers. And don't get too caught up in the percentage of increase/decrease. If bird numbers in an area go from 0.7 ppm to 1.2 ppm that is a 71% increase. However, the actual increase is really only 0.5 ppm. Hardly anything to crow about.

Overall, SD should have a fair increase in the number of birds. We had a mild winter and pretty good weather during the hatch. That should bode well for numbers. But it's still likely to vary quite a bit by area. Again, lots of factors. Some areas have had some pretty severe hail storms and that never helps the pheasants.

Go out, hunt with the dog and have some fun. After all, that's what it's all about. Not getting a limit every day.
 
Dakotazeb said:
Is the survey accurate? Maybe, maybe not. There are a lot of factors that can vary the outcome. But the GFP has been doing it this was for a lot of years so if you change the method or criteria then all the previous results are useless. Take it for what it is. I think it's an attempt to paint a broad picture of the current year's bird numbers. And don't get too caught up in the percentage of increase/decrease. If bird numbers in an area go from 0.7 ppm to 1.2 ppm that is a 71% increase. However, the actual increase is really only 0.5 ppm. Hardly anything to crow about.
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Very well stated. Great points! I'm up there no matter what, but I do enjoy reading the report to get me through September I suppose.
 
One of the data inconsistencies is how the overall percentage increases and decreases can be significant over the years but the bird per person harvest rate over the last 10 years has deviated very little for the 2 bird per person average.
 
UGUIDE said:
One of the data inconsistencies is how the overall percentage increases and decreases can be significant over the years but the bird per person harvest rate over the last 10 years has deviated very little for the 2 bird per person average.
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A couple things can factor into that. One, guys who come from out of state are here to hunt and will put in more time and effort to bag birds when bird numbers are down, as well as locals who know and have access to good spots regardless of bird numbers, thereby being efficient and not pounding birdless cover, and Two, uninformed people who report released birds as part of their bag limits, whether they know or don't know that the birds were released onto the land and not naturally produced on the land.
 
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