SD GFP Pheasant Survey Released

Dewey

Dewey

New member
According to the survey for 2008, Residents averaged 7.33 days hunting and 10.53 birds harvested. Non-residents averaged 4.49 day hunting and 10.56 birds.

It seems these numbers are low compared to all the bragging done on this forum. I guessing no one here took part in the survey. :D

Here's the link for the Survey.

http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Harvest/Pheasant.pdf
 
some pretty interesting stats/info on this link to SD GFP on history of pheasant hunting....hunter numbers, birds harvested, etc.
 
What gets me is the number of resident and non-resident hunters Look closely and the drop in hunter numbers. I wonder if there is a reason for this? Maybe some of you SD people can shed some light on the subject.

The breakdown is pretty interesting: There were just over 100,000 non-resident hunters and about 76,000 resident hunters. The residents killed about 877,000 birds and non-residents killed just over 1 million roosters. The number of non-resident hunters was down about 3,000 from 2007 -- perhaps a result of the poor economy or higher gas prices. The number of resident hunters was down 1,800 from the previous year.

Resident hunters averaged 7.3 days in the field and harvested 11.5 birds each. Nonresident hunters averaged 4.5 days and 10.5 birds.

Minnesotan traditionally sends more pheasant hunters to South Dakota than any other state.-----Bob
 
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Dewey said:
According to the survey for 2008, Residents averaged 7.33 days hunting and 10.53 birds harvested. Non-residents averaged 4.49 day hunting and 10.56 birds.
QUOTE]

Sooooo, it takes 7.33 days for a South Dakotan to bag the same number of birds an out-of-stater can get in 4.49 days!! I thought we were better shots than that but I guess not - according to this. Actually, I'm shocked - I thought it would be the other way around. Go figure- we have most of the birds but we can't hit them.
Click to expand...
 
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As in big game hunting, I assume nonresident pheasant hunters have a higher kill rate because they are more likely to pay the big bucks to hunt on one of the places where pheasants swarm like mosquitoes in a Minnesota June. Not including myself, I get mine the hard way.
 
Speaking for myself and my partner, when we travel that far we are there to hunt for 5 days and we do so from opener till close or we have our limits. The only breaks we take are to drive from spot to spot and down some gatorade or snacks in the truck. We don't pay to get on land, some of it produces zero and we move on, we are not in the highest pheasant populated areas, but we stay with it. I think, opinion only, residents don't hunt as hard or long as guys from out of state on vacation for 5 days and there for that purpose only because they don't need or want to. They can hunt basically anytime they want. And of course, we are much better shooters
 
I think a lot of residents take a more casual approach to hunting. I know I do. I just enjoy getting out with the dogs and seeing some birds. Whether I get my limit is not important. Lots of days I only hunt for an hour or two and usually don't have a limit. While the non-residents come out and hunt all day and don't stop unitl they have a limit. Pretty easy to explain the statistics.

Why the number of resident hunters was down I really don't have an explaination, except that it's probably part of a growing trend. Fewer hunters.
 
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George, You and I agree, if I get a bird it is a bonus day. Like you I just like to get out and enjoy Mother Nature. The dog work is pure fun to watch. I envy you and that pup. It will great fun watching her mature into a bird hunter. I'd love to be there to see it.----Bob
 
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