Sharpies and the drought

gettinbirdie

gettinbirdie

Active member
All this talk about the drought and the impact it’s having on the pheasant has got me wondering how the sharpies are holding out this year. Last year the sharpie numbers were the best in a long time! I’m amazed at how they live/survive on the prairie! They had a very mild winter as far as sharpies go. How are they holding up in this drought? How was the hatch?
 
I’ve seen posts on Forums saying bird numbers haven’t been and won’t be impacted this year. Idk seems like the high temps would do harm. I’ll definitely be keeping up with whatever info comes out. I’d love to go to eastern Mt again this oct. They’re in the same boat.
 
I know that in much of MT, for example, the hatch was adversely impacted; ND has a large swath in the same severity of drought. Biggest impact will be the cover, now that CRP is open to haying/grazing. Will still be fun!
 
They are definitely a tougher candidate when it comes to weather. I would think that the drought would impact cover for nesting and predators. I know they don’t prefer taller cover overall. Not sure how vulnerable their young are during a drought.
 
gettinbirdie said:
They are definitely a tougher candidate when it comes to weather. I would think that the drought would impact cover for nesting and predators. I knows they don’t prefer taller cover overall. Not sure how vulnerable their young are during a drought.
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I imagine it’s a matter of food—insects—and whether there were any at that critical first few weeks of life....
 
birdshooter said:
Take a listen to Tyler Webster's forecast on Sharps on his Birds, booze and buds podcast : https://westernwingshooter.libsyn.com/bird-forecast-and-how-to-hunt-sharp-tails

He lives out near Stanley and hunts alot. I think he said he hunted 130 days in 2020/2021
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heard it the other day...liked it...more than anything, the 3 states I leave MN to hunt...ND, SD, MT...habitat will be the biggest issue this year...there will be birds, maybe not as many, maybe not nearly as many...but, less habitat or stunted habitat or hayed grass, grazed grass, etc...will not be great...but, it is what it is...
 
I have done well years ago on Sharptails during really dry (drought) years ... I think dry is good, but drought is bad.

Minimal nesting cover in May and June across much of their ND range.
 
I just love being on the ND prairie in September. It’s a nice change from shooting doves in a 100 degree weather! I’ll find sharpies it’s the huns I’m worried about. They are a lot like our bobwhites, they will not be ok in this drought.
 
gettinbirdie said:
I just love being on the ND prairie in September. It’s a nice change from shooting doves in a 100 degree weather! I’ll find sharpies it’s the huns I’m worried about. They are a lot like our bobwhites, they will not be ok in this drought.
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saw a video taken this evening in ND of a brood of huns running down a two track...15-20 young ones...I think they're OK...maybe not in every area, but I always have heard the huns tend to thrive in dry conditions...not hell, of course...so we have to avoid hell...
 
Huns did real well in ND in the 1980s and up to 1992 ... really dry cycle in ND. The 1993 rains came and the Huns really have never recovered.

Huns are an edge bird and love small grains. The large expansive CRP fields are not their best friend, nor are endless acres of soybeans and corn.
 
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