South Dakota Pheasants at 13.1 Million in 2008

UGUIDE

UGUIDE

Active member
So how do you guys feel about the South Dakota winter so far and effects on the pheasant populations? Good/Bad/Unsure/To Early to tell?
 
They are ok in the areas I have been. Maybe a little tougher in the Northeast part of the state where I do not get often. We should have a weeklong break in the cold temps, and if the wind does not blow too hard they will have a chance to feed and build up some body fat again. Plenty of snowblown feeding areas. Saw three roosters in the beanfield behind my house feeding this AM.
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Uncle Buck said:
They are ok in the areas I have been. Maybe a little tougher in the Northeast part of the state where I do not get often. We should have a weeklong break in the cold temps, and if the wind does not blow too hard they will have a chance to feed and build up some body fat again. Plenty of snowblown feeding areas. Saw three roosters in the beanfield behind my house feeding this AM.
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Yep, you saw three now there is only one you killer you ! Thank God you didn't have an auto out there or all three would have been gone.:D
Glad the weather is starting to get better for you guy's up there.
 
Could be a tough winter for the birds in the Aberdeen area. We have gotten a lot of snow already and the winds and temps have been brutle. But it's still early to tell. I heard someone say the other day that January is suppose to be warmer than normal. I hope so.
 
I hope so too Dakotazeb. I like the midwest, I like the cold weather, I love the cold weather sports, but day after day, week after week of these subzero temps gets pretty old. Im in a suburb of Minneapolis and we have been getting pounded with snow and the negative temps. Last year was brutal tempwise... however, the hunting has been great as always (the important thing).
 
We have been lucky here in Colorado. All the snow count in the "feet" have been in the Mnts. Out in the plains it's been dry and windy.(not a good combo.for bird hunting )
I'm hoping to have some grass this spring/summer to be able to train dogs out in the pasture's.

Be careful out in the field. No bird is worth your life or your dog.

Dan
HTS
 
HTS,

Where are you located in Colorado? One of my best friends is a vet in Pueblo. I'll be out that way in two weeks to pick up a new Brittany pup from a breeder south of Denver.

Zeb
 
I just hope the Dakota's don't end up with the snow we are getting in North Idaho!!! Broke the all time record for snow for the month of December: 75" so far and it is snowing as I type with no let up for the next seven days. We had over 40" in a 36 hour period last week. We had 220" last year, I wish it was November all over again as I would be in the Dakota's hunting. Can't wait for 2009!!!!!!!
 
How many released birds?

Yes, millions and millions of pheasants, but does anybody know the number of pen reared and released birds? SD GF&P knows, but their not telling. Does anyone here know? Shouldn't the Freedom of Information Act require a government agency to make those numbers public? Why the secrecy? As usual, follow the money.
 
I hate to say it but NICESHOT brings up an interesting point. I do wonder how many birds are released. I guess the second question is why does it matter?
 
I know the pay hunt operations pretty well all pad their pheasant populations with pen-raised birds! But speaking from personal experience....our good sized group hunted 3 days in SD....limited each day and every bird we bagged was a wild bird! Pen raised birds are easy to identify.
 
It would matter economically to the big pheasant states, in terms of where hunters are spending there dollars. Most hunters are going to areas with a good population of wild ringnecks, this is why SD leaves out these figures. I do believe SD would still be the pheasant capital without including released birds. It wasn't all that long ago when Iowa was the pheasant capital. We are in the minor leagues now.
 
Doug Smith StarTrib article published on December 24, 2008.

One bird producer -- Gisi Pheasant Farm with massive flight pens in Ipswitch, Wessington Springs and Pierre, S.D. -- raises more than 200,000 roosters yearly. Ninety percent of the birds are sold in South Dakota.

McFarlane Pheasant farms of Janesville, Wis., also send many of their annual production of 300,000 pheasants to South Dakota.
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That is just two producers.

I have heard the number is between 500K and 1 million birds.:eek:
 
moellermd said:
I hate to say it but NICESHOT brings up an interesting point. I do wonder how many birds are released. I guess the second question is why does it matter?
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These pen raised birds are being released and consumed on private lands - public lands may see a little spill over ...

I see zero issue with released pen raised birds - as long as the outfitter is not promising all wild birds for high $$ hunts.

MN preserves typically charge $13 - $22 / bird. If I am paying $500/day to shoot 3 birds >> the lodge, the steaks, and extras should be pretty nice. if the lodge says all wild birds - that is what is should be!!!

By the way, I enjoy hunting preserves ... it extends the season out on both sides ... the dogs enjoy it even more !!!
 
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