# Pheasant Crowing Counts Completed



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Pheasant Crowing Counts Completed

North Dakota's spring pheasant crowing count survey revealed a 14 percent decrease statewide compared to last year, according to Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the state Game and Fish Department.

The only area of the state showing an increase was the southwest, up 5 percent from 2010. The number of crows heard in the northwest was down 17 percent, while counts in the southeast were down 30 percent. In the northeast where there is less pheasant habitat, the counts fell 36 percent.

Kohn said severe winters, poor production and loss of Conservation Reserve Program acreage have contributed to the decline in crow count numbers for the third year in a row.

"Three consecutive long winters with heavy snowfall have not been conducive to winter survival," Kohn said. "In addition, after a tough winter hens enter spring stressed and in poor condition to begin reproduction, which may affect the number of eggs laid."

Poor production the last three springs led to fewer young birds entering the population in the fall. "Poor production is a result of cool, wet weather at the time of hatch, which causes higher than normal mortality on chicks," Kohn said. "I anticipated the southwest to have higher crow count numbers than the other pheasant districts because good numbers of pheasants were observed in this area last winter."

Loss of CRP has decreased nesting and brooding cover, and Kohn said this has been most noticeable in the southeast where a decrease in CRP acres the last three years probably has had a significant effect on the number of pheasants produced. "Couple that with the number of acres of small grains removed from the landscape and replaced by row crops, lower pheasant numbers are expected," he said.

In addition, predators could also have an adverse effect on pheasants. "I don't have specific data to show a direct effect, but we do have an increase in mammalian predators on the landscape this spring, and they do eat eggs and meat to survive," Kohn said. "I suspect they may be affecting pheasant populations in some localized areas."

On the positive side, Kohn said pheasant hens are finding better quality nesting and brooding cover on the uplands this spring. However, high water will likely minimize lowland nesting attempts in many areas, so a strong renesting effort will be needed for good production.

"However, on dry upland sites the native, warm-season plants are doing extremely well this spring and one would anticipate a good number of insects and eventually grasshoppers to become available with a good legume habitat component this summer," Kohn said. "June weather so far hasn't been the best for hatching chicks, but warm evening temperatures have been good. Recent downpours in some areas may jeopardize small chicks in localized spots, but we have not experienced large scale hail storms in the primary pheasant range yet this spring. So at present, we are in a wait-and-see process on how production turns out this spring for all our upland game birds."

Spring crowing count data is not always a good indicator of the fall population. It does not measure population density, but provides an index of the spring rooster population based on a trend of number of crows heard. Brood surveys, which begin in mid-July and are completed by September, are a better indicator of the summer's pheasant production and provide insight into what to expect for a fall pheasant population.

Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified 20-mile routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of pheasant roosters heard crowing over a two-minute period during the stop. The number of pheasant crows heard is compared to previous years' data, providing a trend summary.


----------



## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Wow...those numbers are staggering, even if, as the report says, "Spring crowing count data is not always a good indicator of the fall population."

But a 30 percent drop in the southeast (arguably some of the most hunted area in Nodak) will certainly put a strain on the birds if the populations do correspond with the downswing in crowing.


----------



## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

It will be a rarity now to see birds vs the great years we used to have...


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

2005 was a very good year..... I have heard 1 rooster this spring. He sounded lonely.


----------



## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Dick Monson said:


> 2005 was a very good year..... I have heard 1 rooster this spring. He sounded lonely.


Say...maybe this is a good thing! Now the prairie chickens will start moving into habitat formerly occupied by invasive species (pheasants)! Who's up for a 3-bird bag limit of prairie chickens by 2014? :beer:


----------



## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

Duckslayer100 said:


> Dick Monson said:
> 
> 
> > 2005 was a very good year..... I have heard 1 rooster this spring. He sounded lonely.
> ...


The pheasants in the SE have declined mostly because of loss of habitat; if my memory serves me right prairie chickens are even more fragile when it comes to loss of habitat.


----------



## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Slough,
I was being sarcastic (sort of). Although I'd love to see a resurgence of prairie chickens in lieu of ditch parrots, the likelihood of that is about as good as a huntable population of ruffed grouse sprouting up along the Red River Valley...


----------



## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

Kind of figured you were.

Hunted in the Lisbon area in the fall of 2006 and the bird numbers were amazing, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The guys I went with don't even go to that area anymore because all of the stuff we hunted is now plowed up.


----------



## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

Not unexpected. The CRP is disappearing as fast as they can plow it up to plant corn and soybeans and so are the pheasants and the deer. It will soon be back to hoping you get any shot in a day of hunting here in southeast north dakota.


----------



## gator_getter (Sep 7, 2008)

Talked to a game warden who works the southeastern part of the state and he confirmed what we all feared.....the pheasant population in the southeast has taken a big hit this past winter and continuing wet conditions have not been good for the hatch. He said the local farmers are telling him the same this.....ALOT less birds than previous years. The disappearance of cover adds to the problem.

I probably will do more fishing this fall.


----------

