South Dakota Roadside Counts are out!

BB- Very true, we will soon find out. 1-more comment about the report related to the details you just mentioned. On your drive you mentioned approx. 40% of the drive was next to good pheasant habitat. I have been hunting SD since 1994 and if you think back to the late 90's or peak years of 2000's (before the ethanol boom), that 40% habitat could have been more in the range of 70-80% (depending on your area). Do the math, the bird numbers from today cannot be compared to years past. No doubt weather plays a role (winter, hail, heavy rain) but if you want pheasants you need the people willing to commit to the resource. You see the guys posting all of their habitat projects on this board, I bet the areas around their land have seen a tremendous benefit of wild birds due to the work they have done. October cant get here soon enough!
 
No dew = dead chicks

Reports from the farmers/ranchers my group visits every year are that birds are seriously down.

Early on hens with a dozen chicks were common. However, a long, hot and dry spell meant days/weeks on end without any dew on the grass. Now at the end of August, they just are not seeing the young developing birds. Speculation is that most of the chicks didn't make it through the dry heat.

Anyway, reports are to expect far fewer birds this year. This is in the North Central region.

Is my group still going? Of course. It's not about the birds, really. It's about the friends, the camaraderie, the dogs, the great wide open, the just being afield at the best time of the year.

Birds are a bonus.
 
Amazing the amount of traffic this thread has attracted. Whether the surveys are right or wrong the only way to know for sure is to get out there and find out. Assuming the survey is correct it's not all gloom and doom as some have indicated. Statewide the ppm went from 3.8 to 3.1, a 20% decrease. But 0.7 ppm is nothing huge. Considering that 2014 was 2.7 and 2013 was 1.5. Actually the 5 year average is 3.1, the same as this year's survey. Sure it's not the 6, 7 or 8 ppm like it was from 2005 to 2010 but there are still going to be decent numbers. Enjoy.
 
The one thing I fall back on is the below quote taken directly from this year's report. Again, I just read this for entertainment and some education, but SDGFP clearly is giving themselves a bit of an out on the low numbers. Doesn't it seem that way? I can't wait for the season to arrive!

"It is possible that poor survey weather conditions influenced the 2016 PPM index. For this reason, it may be particularly important for hunters to visit with those in their traditional hunting areas about local pheasant abundance and habitat conditions. This will be especially important in northeastern South Dakota where survey results were lower, but weather conditions were
favorable for pheasant survival and reproduction during the past year."
-SDGFP 2016 Brood Survey Report
 
I have three trips to SD planned. One in each month. I have already purchased my licenses and am trying to figure out dates for a fourth. Road side counts don't dictate the fun I have with my friends and dogs. Where we go (outside of 2013) we've always had about the same success no matter what the counts are. I am counting down every day! Can't wait!
 
Every year it's the same old story, if the GFP numbers are high there are a few that claim they are doing it to get the hunters here to spend their money. If the numbers are low the GFP doesn't know what they are doing. This is how it's going to break down. Guys hunting on land managed for pheasants should have a good year. Those hunting public land will have varied views. Some will do good because they happen to hunt the areas where pheasant population is up will think the report is wrong, those hunting areas without birds will say the report is right. You will even have some that say the numbers were about the same as last year. Where I live this will be the 6th year in a row the numbers have been in the crapper. I haven't looked at the report but I haven't seen a brood within miles of my place all summer. Last year was one of the worst years I ever had. The report is based on an area and an average. Even if numbers are up or down for the area, you might be hunting the part where the numbers were the heaviest. Or maybe your the area where the numbers are the lowest. It all depends on luck.
 
The bottom line is.....................

The number of birds can vary from mile to mile - greatly! 2014 was awful where we hunt compared to the previous 15 years but 10 miles down the road we talked to folks that were done by 2:00 with hunting parties of 7 or 8 on all wild birds. Explain that.
 
Ringneck Redneck said:
Every year it's the same old story, if the GFP numbers are high there are a few that claim they are doing it to get the hunters here to spend their money. If the numbers are low the GFP doesn't know what they are doing. This is how it's going to break down. Guys hunting on land managed for pheasants should have a good year. Those hunting public land will have varied views. Some will do good because they happen to hunt the areas where pheasant population is up will think the report is wrong, those hunting areas without birds will say the report is right. You will even have some that say the numbers were about the same as last year. Where I live this will be the 6th year in a row the numbers have been in the crapper. I haven't looked at the report but I haven't seen a brood within miles of my place all summer. Last year was one of the worst years I ever had. The report is based on an area and an average. Even if numbers are up or down for the area, you might be hunting the part where the numbers were the heaviest. Or maybe your the area where the numbers are the lowest. It all depends on luck.
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Luck??? Or maybe just spend some time outside of ur same old same haunts that obviously are not producing birds??? If u live in SD & can't get on pheasants consistently then its not all lack of pheasants gotta explore some new areas mite luck into a bird population not on decline??? I don't get hunting a area u have not seen a brood in all summer??? Scout more is all I can advise...
 
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Ringneck Redneck said:
Every year it's the same old story, if the GFP numbers are high there are a few that claim they are doing it to get the hunters here to spend their money. If the numbers are low the GFP doesn't know what they are doing. This is how it's going to break down. Guys hunting on land managed for pheasants should have a good year. Those hunting public land will have varied views. Some will do good because they happen to hunt the areas where pheasant population is up will think the report is wrong, those hunting areas without birds will say the report is right. You will even have some that say the numbers were about the same as last year. Where I live this will be the 6th year in a row the numbers have been in the crapper. I haven't looked at the report but I haven't seen a brood within miles of my place all summer. Last year was one of the worst years I ever had. The report is based on an area and an average. Even if numbers are up or down for the area, you might be hunting the part where the numbers were the heaviest. Or maybe your the area where the numbers are the lowest. It all depends on luck.
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Well said. As a recovering data analyst I love the report because it is consistent data that might tell you something over time. I am more concerned about what the data does not tell you (or lack of certain data).
 
Was out dove hunting with to colony that farms my ground last night. They helped me put a new blown out rear window in my JD tractor in the morning so I thought I would return the favor and host a dove hunt. It's been a good shoot. Run out of shells last 3 nights in a row.

They farm a ton of acres in the area and so I asked if they thought there was more or less birds than last year and they thought more. I told them I wasn't seeing em but they were convinced there was more.

So just goes to show you. They are in the field and GFP is only on the roads.

The other factor is they are employing a new shelborne stripper header and it leaves a lot more stubble in the fields and they are seeding covers crops into the wheat stubble like they do every year. All the doves we are shooting are full of wheat seed. I would think plenty of pheasants would be using the wheat acres for cover and food and they may be seeing more because of that. Who knows.
 
What bothers me is that counts are down in NE,IA and SD. All areas of this range did not have adverse weather events. Areas that were up had poor counts recently. I expect Ks to be up, but they are crawling out of a deep hole in bird numbers. This is a trend and not a good one. It could be argued that birds were at or near peak numbers last year given available habitat in a good portion of their range. There are always core areas of birds and these wintering strongholds, or water holes on the drought years, feed the surrounding countryside when conditions improve. I just feel the pockets you and others create are fewer and farther between. I hunted SD in the late 80's. You could drive 20 miles to find a shelter belt holding birds in December. I just hope this is not as good as it's going to get because of habitat loss.
 
watermen said:
What bothers me is that counts are down in NE,IA and SD. All areas of this range did not have adverse weather events. Areas that were up had poor counts recently. I expect Ks to be up, but they are crawling out of a deep hole in bird numbers. This is a trend and not a good one. It could be argued that birds were at or near peak numbers last year given available habitat in a good portion of their range. There are always core areas of birds and these wintering strongholds, or water holes on the drought years, feed the surrounding countryside when conditions improve. I just feel the pockets you and others create are fewer and farther between. I hunted SD in the late 80's. You could drive 20 miles to find a shelter belt holding birds in December. I just hope this is not as good as it's going to get because of habitat loss.
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I agree & am consernd also if this is as good as it gets that being said Nebraska sent me a email saying bird numbers up a 3rd year & gather the troops & hunt Nebraska this year I herd & seen pheasants all over Nebraska was not the case last 2-3 years...

IA was down or same as last year SD also... That could be no dew on grass that day the counts taken or all birds gone we won't know till we get boots to the ground... Like stated b4 wear there was birds in habitat areas not changed there will be birds but lots has changed since the early-mid 2000s in SD habitat wise...
 
UGUIDE said:
Was out dove hunting with to colony that farms my ground last night. They helped me put a new blown out rear window in my JD tractor in the morning so I thought I would return the favor and host a dove hunt. It's been a good shoot. Run out of shells last 3 nights in a row.

They farm a ton of acres in the area and so I asked if they thought there was more or less birds than last year and they thought more. I told them I wasn't seeing em but they were convinced there was more.

So just goes to show you. They are in the field and GFP is only on the roads.

The other factor is they are employing a new shelborne stripper header and it leaves a lot more stubble in the fields and they are seeding covers crops into the wheat stubble like they do every year. All the doves we are shooting are full of wheat seed. I would think plenty of pheasants would be using the wheat acres for cover and food and they may be seeing more because of that. Who knows.

I was informed central Sd had a huge spring wheat harvest...driving around it seems like 1/3 of the harvest is over before fall harvest even starts...The new method of stripping wheat certainly leaves enough cover for the birds to feel comfortable. Plenty of food. If Fall harvest comes early it could make for a good opener...Kind of think that stubble will hold a lot of birds, can only hope a early snow storm with wind can take the stubble out of play.
Anyone else notice ranchers planting 1/4 sections of cane? One local rancher has been doing it to put his cattle in....holy crap does he hoard birds...took awhile for the cattle to tromp it down and the snow finish it off.
Guess you need a bird bank somewhere
Click to expand...
 
Pride o presho said:
UGUIDE said:
Was out dove hunting with to colony that farms my ground last night. They helped me put a new blown out rear window in my JD tractor in the morning so I thought I would return the favor and host a dove hunt. It's been a good shoot. Run out of shells last 3 nights in a row.

They farm a ton of acres in the area and so I asked if they thought there was more or less birds than last year and they thought more. I told them I wasn't seeing em but they were convinced there was more.

So just goes to show you. They are in the field and GFP is only on the roads.

The other factor is they are employing a new shelborne stripper header and it leaves a lot more stubble in the fields and they are seeding covers crops into the wheat stubble like they do every year. All the doves we are shooting are full of wheat seed. I would think plenty of pheasants would be using the wheat acres for cover and food and they may be seeing more because of that. Who knows.

I was informed central Sd had a huge spring wheat harvest...driving around it seems like 1/3 of the harvest is over before fall harvest even starts...The new method of stripping wheat certainly leaves enough cover for the birds to feel comfortable. Plenty of food. If Fall harvest comes early it could make for a good opener...Kind of think that stubble will hold a lot of birds, can only hope a early snow storm with wind can take the stubble out of play.
Anyone else notice ranchers planting 1/4 sections of cane? One local rancher has been doing it to put his cattle in....holy crap does he hoard birds...took awhile for the cattle to tromp it down and the snow finish it off.
Guess you need a bird bank somewhere
Click to expand...

Cover crops are becoming more popular. That might be what you saw or it might be something for winter grazing. As cover crops are utilized it will provide good habitat for the birds. I am planting about 20% of my cropground to cover crops each year.
Click to expand...
 
Our farmer planted cover crops last year. A couple things we found.
1. Birds love the cover.
2. We lost too many birds. Even with dogs. Mark them well.
3. Cover crops can produce large softball size turnips that you can't see because of leafy browse. A few of are guys in group turned their ankles stepping on them.
 
You are right about the radishes and turnips. I have chaged my recipe so there are less of them and use different brassicas like rape instead. I was doing somes fencing in some yesterday and there were pheasants everywhere.
 
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