Up 60%, down 60%, above/below 10-year average bla bla bla....
This is nothing more than SD GF&P talking points to get hunters here to spend their $$ to save all of those small towns from going extinct. One-day surveys by postal carriers is not much of a valid survey, but the GF&P runs with it every year. In fact, has the SD GF&P EVER said that the forecasted birds counts were awful???
Those of us who live here will likely hunt no matter what the surveys are. However, whether we hunt most of the season or not really depends on what we see opening day. For instance, in good years, there are always lots of birds on opening day. Opening day 2013 was pretty bad, and most hunters didn't get close to a limit the 1st weekend, and didn't hunt much the rest of the season.
The 2014 opener is coming up quick, and most reports from "actual landowners" seem to be more birds seen than last year at this time. I hope its true. But, as others have stated, hunters need to make sure that being in-the-field is fun and enjoyable, no matter what the results are. That being said, before I drove 12/14/18 hours or more, I'd like to have some pretty accurate bird counts than what a 1-day postal carrier survey indicated.....
You don't have a clue on what you are taking about.
#1. SDGFP does all the road surveys over a 20 day period. Have for over 50 years.
#2. 2013 SDGFP reported #'s down big time. They didn't lie for the small towns you speak of.
#3. SD locals will hunt no matter what???? - Wrong!!!!!! Almost 12,000 LESS SD residents pheasant hunted in 2013 than 2012. About 20%
Please don't make SD residents look so dumb