I understand. In Oklahoma from 13-15 quail pop were on the rise. 16 quail were everywhere it was like the old days. A public spot I hunt was covered with quail. Hunters poured in. I met people from all over. I talked to 2 guys on a Sunday who drove up from Dallas, over 4 hours one way just for the day and had no dogs. Just heard quail were everywhere. There was a big stock tank at one of the entrances everyone used to rinse birds after cleaning. Feathers and wings covered the ground around it. I’ve hunted Montana the last 2 years, first year I felt like I had every spot to myself. Last year some spots were pretty busy but I could find spots to hunt with no pressure. I’m not a fan of big groups I hunt mostly by myself with one dog. I keep hearing there’s fewer and fewer hunters. But when a spot gets hot it can get crazy.
To many hunters
- Thread starter mmmm
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remy3424
Well-known member
In Iowa I have to believe the number of hunters is in a steady decline (I could likely google this to confirm), for multiple reasons. Get past the opener weekend and you don't even usually meet any others on the roads. Fewer adults hunting is turning into fewer kids hunting...if you don't hunt as a youth, I am guessing you are less likely to do it as an adult. Not that I want more hunting pressure, but we need more hunters or the conservation programs and public opportunties will diminish even further here.
A quick googling, it looks like COVID has made a surge in the license sales, but it said Iowa license sales were 14% lower than a decade ago.
A quick googling, it looks like COVID has made a surge in the license sales, but it said Iowa license sales were 14% lower than a decade ago.
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AKSkeeter
Well-known member
That was in the Rosy Creek burn which burned in 1983 and I had great shoots there until the year 2000.
There are other burns in the interior that are more recent and hold good sharptail populations until the get too thick.
I liked areas that had sandy soil as a lower density of aspen. Many burns are too thick to hunt effectively,
but when you find one with low density of trees it can be special. Here is an example of one that would not work well:
There is no exposed mineral soil and those black spruce stems will fall over in a few years making walking difficult.
An ideal burn would be loaded with berries and fairly open, typically a south facing sandy slope.
Our house is on a aspen ridge which is great ruffed grouse habitat. Every spring we enjoy the drumming of ruffies,
even when the population is reported at an all time low:
Haretrigger
Active member
Thanks for that skeeter......I as working fire for the blm in fbk when rosy creek lit off....got busy that day with several large fire columns vosible from fbk.
Yeah, some of those burn scars can be real knee busters...much of the goint swan lake fire on the kenai from 2019 is going to end up near impossible to navigate
In your opinion, Are grouse #'s as depressed as F&G are indicating ?
Cool photo.....cheers
AKSkeeter
Well-known member
Yes grouse populations are low but we had a nice warm and dry spring after snow melt,
so brood survival should be high.
The ruffed grouse drumming in our backyard were about 10 days later this year but still here.
This one was from May 11
.
gimruis
Well-known member
Yep, similar path as MN. Minnesota never had the amount of pheasants that Iowa did during its peak because only half the state was suitable for them in terms of habitat. We used to have quite a high number of waterfowl hunters though and that has also plummeted.
Deer and turkey hunting numbers have stayed steady or increased though. Deer is king here and nothing else is even close. Conservation is geared towards them and that isn't going to change because of the popularity and revenue it generates.
License sales in the hunting and fishing realm had a temporary surge because of the pandemic, but that is done now. I call it the "covid crowd." And quite honestly, I'm glad they were only in it temporarily.