Roadsite Count

Thanks for posting. In another state thread, some argue that the roadside survey and the pheasant harvest don't have much correlation. If you look at the graph at page 9 of the more detailed report for Iowa, it's really amazing how closely the roadside survey and the pheasant harvests track one another. You can't really conclude anything other than that the roadside counts are an excellent predictor of actual harvests -- or at the least, expected harvest trends (up or down or even) -- for any given year.
 
SD pheasant counts are to bring hunters to SD not really a coalition between up years high harvests etc.

U are correct in iowa years with high numbers reported equals lots of hunters witch equals more birds killed so you are correct Blockade...
 
The state, every state, uses its population prediction to determine the harvest statistics. They know how many birds hunters supposedly kill before the season even starts.
 
Somedude said:
The state, every state, uses its population prediction to determine the harvest statistics. They know how many birds hunters supposedly kill before the season even starts.
Click to expand...


I know MN & NE do The same type guestamation b4 season ... They go by estamated pheasant population & last years hunter numbers the guess about how many birds will be harvested that season etc.

I gotta look at the Iowa count hope it was promising SD was pretty much a let down for most...
 
Was anyone other than me very surprised at the 13% YOY decline in numbers? Generally, we had a mild winter. Spring rains were not terrible at all, although the NW corner got some poorly timed downpours. And, few major hail events.

Winter snow and spring rains, historically, have been great indicators of roadside count numbers. We had pretty good results with both yet the numbers are down 13%?? It doesn't seem to make sense.

Plus, I have been seeing a lot birds this spring/summer, I mean A LOT of birds. It just seems weird and a bit disappointing to see the numbers go down that much when all the leading indicators were good.
 
IA at heart said:
Was anyone other than me very surprised at the 13% YOY decline in numbers? Generally, we had a mild winter. Spring rains were not terrible at all, although the NW corner got some poorly timed downpours. And, few major hail events.

Winter snow and spring rains, historically, have been great indicators of roadside count numbers. We had pretty good results with both yet the numbers are down 13%?? It doesn't seem to make sense.

Plus, I have been seeing a lot birds this spring/summer, I mean A LOT of birds. It just seems weird and a bit disappointing to see the numbers go down that much when all the leading indicators were good.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised to see it down that much. On our own ground I see numbers maybe equal or a little less than last year. I didn't see much for early hatches but later on the number of broods I saw increased.

Raccoons are up around here, so maybe that has a little to do with it.
 
I think declining CRP is finally, and observably, catching up with us. We've had good years, weather-wise, and individuals who observe their own well-tended properties are seeing good hatches and bird populations. But state-wide, or even region-wide within a state, the decline in habitat ultimately means fewer overall birds, whatever individuals may see in those areas that still remain good habitat. That decline is now showing up in the surveys. And with Iowa's survey -- and in my opinion, South Dakota's as well -- the survey traditionally tracks the following year's harvest numbers quite closely. So I believe these losses are real, and accurately reflected in the counts, which cover the same routes year after year.

Who this really affects are non-resident hunters like me, who spend most of their time on MAPS or PLOTS parcels. Those seem to be the ones that are drying up the fastest. I'm amazed, comparing year-to-year, at the disappearing tracts where farmers are back to farming marginal plots. I don't blame them for it; every dollar is important to them. But at the end of the day, the loss of habitat trumps good weather cycles, over time. These declines will continue, I'm afraid, whatever good snow/moisture cycles may follow.
 
I couldn't agree more, when iowa looses 300,000 acres of crp, that's 3 miles wide from davenport to council bluffs we cant expect to have a strong population of birds. and I'm not seeing all that lost land being replaced either.:mad:
 
I'm fortunate to have access to some very good private land. Excellent habitat, river bottom marshes and such. But within sight are lands as flat and slicked off as can be. A barren, wildlife desert. Where there is good habitat, there are birds. I've also hunted public lands and there are birds there, but those properties get hunted hard.
 
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