South Dakota Roadside Counts are out!
- Thread starter Jlindell
- Start date
Wow!!! Aberdeen down 43% that's terrible. Only 1.84 per mile.
There were a few "pheasant farmers" on this forum who for the last few weeks were trying to discredit the road count system.
I wonder if they had some inside information knowing it was going to be bad.
Remember, even if your hunting good farms and habitat, when that habitat gets pounded every Thursday-Sunday, by 4 or 5 weeks those farms birds are either dead or have flown to adjacent farms.
There were a few "pheasant farmers" on this forum who for the last few weeks were trying to discredit the road count system.
I wonder if they had some inside information knowing it was going to be bad.
Remember, even if your hunting good farms and habitat, when that habitat gets pounded every Thursday-Sunday, by 4 or 5 weeks those farms birds are either dead or have flown to adjacent farms.
I do not doubt the report, my local game warden told me his route was down. They report what they see. I know I am seeing more birds this year. My operation is a 2000 acre island in a sea of corn and beans. We only hunt three days a week so the birds get to take four days off, and there isn't much to go to anywhere else. Maybe sub three dollar corn will change things and there has been more CRP planted. I guess I am glad that at least there is this island, if I was corn and beans there would be a larger area without habitat.
meridiannursery
New member
Bad new bad news
The information is accurate. I was just out at Grandpa's farm two weeks ago. I walked the same route as I have the last ten years. I normally see between 10-15 birds. I walked around an entire section of ground. 4 miles in total. I saw only saw one bird. It is going to be a rough rough year.
The information is accurate. I was just out at Grandpa's farm two weeks ago. I walked the same route as I have the last ten years. I normally see between 10-15 birds. I walked around an entire section of ground. 4 miles in total. I saw only saw one bird. It is going to be a rough rough year.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
Time to stay home & not pheasant hunt SD had bad report no birds not worth the long expensive trip for no birds guys... Herd Iowa's report out maybe they faired better???
Highvoltage
Active member
I guess I wasn't expecting a drop in the count! All the reports being so positive, I figured that there would be a slight increase. I guess you can't blame them for painting too rosy of a picture this year! 
UGUIDE
Active member
Yes, listen to SMO everyone and cancel all your pheasant trips..........so he can have the whole place to himself.
Come to think of it I am beginning to think the GFP has found this a great way to keep people out of the state.
Remember back to the year counts were down 65%. You can look up posts here validating the fact that the hunting was not all that bad.
ehudgens
Active member
I always look forward to the annual report, but I know I am going to go to SD regardless of what this report says every year. Why, because no matter how bad the speculation is, I'll still see more pheasants in 4 or 5 days of hunting in SD, than I will see all year in Illinois.
Historically, I have found this report to be directionally correct with what I have experienced in terms of birds seen in the field.
I think the sad fact that we are all struggling with is the loss of CRP. I don't care how favorable the nesting and winter conditions are. Loss of habitat is going to mean less birds, period.... The trend line is going to get worse, as more and more CRP comes out and goes back into row crops. Unfortunately, the only thing that is going to improve the CRP program is simple economics. If corn gets under $3 per bushel, the farm lobby will really push CRP, and we have a glimmer of hope for improved habitat conditions.
Worse case scenario for me is I shoot a few less birds, maybe drink a few more beers. I'm still taking my annual road trip to have some fun and see old friends.
Historically, I have found this report to be directionally correct with what I have experienced in terms of birds seen in the field.
I think the sad fact that we are all struggling with is the loss of CRP. I don't care how favorable the nesting and winter conditions are. Loss of habitat is going to mean less birds, period.... The trend line is going to get worse, as more and more CRP comes out and goes back into row crops. Unfortunately, the only thing that is going to improve the CRP program is simple economics. If corn gets under $3 per bushel, the farm lobby will really push CRP, and we have a glimmer of hope for improved habitat conditions.
Worse case scenario for me is I shoot a few less birds, maybe drink a few more beers. I'm still taking my annual road trip to have some fun and see old friends.
mnbirdchaser
Member
Interesting that not a single area was up this year. I'll be making at least one trip this year.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
I did not say SD game & fish lies I said I don't really think there correct on the counts... & the counts are published to bring hunters not really help us decide a hunt area etc. What I mean by bring hunters is guys will look for highest #s and hunt there... Aka chamberlain Pierre winner etc.
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Dakotazeb
Well-known member
I just find the results of the 2016 survey hard to believe. We had a mild winter and decent nesting conditions in most of the state. A few years ago after a couple of really bad winters and not so good nesting conditions everyone suspected the survey to be way down and the results were that it was up. Almost everyone that hunted SD that year confirmed that the numbers were down significantly from the prior years. Go figure. Not sure what to believe anymore but then I never payed that much attention to the reports anyway. I still went out, hunted, harvested some birds and had a good time.
The moral of the story is: don't get to wrapped up in these survey results. South Dakota still has more pheasants than any other state by a large margin.
The moral of the story is: don't get to wrapped up in these survey results. South Dakota still has more pheasants than any other state by a large margin.
Oh I will hunt. Not just as much and especially in the Aberdeen area. Not going to pay pheasant farmers big $$$ just to have acres to walk. I'll wait to hear what guys are seeing opening day and make my plans from there.
Can you define pheasant farmers for me?
small munsterlander owner
Banned
Pheasant farmer= guides/ranch's that grow crops for pheasants to be hunted & charges $$$ to walk the land to pheasant hunt... Farms for birds... Not released birds...
Last page road count page mite help also...
I think the term that some guys use on this forum can mean different things to different people. To keep it simple, For me, a pheasant farmer leases or owns property that may have set aside cover or planted cover / food plots to maximize the amount of pheasants that the land can produce and then charge $100-$500 per gun per day as a trespass fee for guys to come and hunt those pheasants.
I have no problem with it as I pay a treaspass fee almost every time out SD.
I've done the ditch / pounded public ground and won't do it again. Especially after hunting good private ground with lots of wild birds.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
Im nervous now I already have 2 cabins booked & 6-8 guys planing on going along to SD mid November to late to back out now lol
I'm with u on breed of dog & not paying to walk around...
Not the public land thing lol but that mean more for the rest of us...
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