# 2013 Pheasant Forecast



## GSP yooper

I frequent the Ashley ND area each year for the opener. How does the hunting look this year for bird numbers and habitat? I have heard dry conditions have farmers pondering plowing corn crops in the ground for lack of production?


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## slough

It is pretty dry down there. Some of the corn down that way does look rough. It sounds like numbers will be down a bit due to the cold wet spring along with loss of CRP.


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## GSP yooper

That is what I was afraid of. The farmer we rent from sent an email with that news. They said their corn crop is so bad it may not be worth harvesting? They said they may just plow it under. If they do that before we get there, it may make it better hunting with lack of hiding places for the birds. However, long term, the lack of food will hurt the population. Kind of undecided wether we will go out this year? Last year we had a real good week, unlike the year before that.


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## indsport

South dakota pheasant counts down 75% in some areas. http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/221845321.html. Based on what I have seen in the past couple of weeks, North Dakota is not going to be any good either.


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## GSP yooper

Well it is official, received an email from the farmer we rent from, they will be cultivating the corn on their farm before we even get there. Not sure what this will bring for our hunt this year? Any ideas?


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## blhunter3

Yes it was dry, and that seems strange that the insurance company won't make them harvest it, unless they completely zeroed it out, which would suck.

I don't think it would change your hunting plans though, its hard to hunt pheasants in standing corn anyways.


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## BROWNDOG

Put on 400 miles in the Lidgerwood area waterfowl scouting last weekend and did not see ONE pheasant, very little grass land left in the area and what was left was being burned, a great example of your tax dollars being put to use subsidizing crop insurance through the Federal Farm Bill. A wonderful no loose scam for the farmer, horrible for wildlife..


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## Gooseguy10

Having the corn down is 100% in your favor! Way less places to hide = way more concentrated birds. Birds in the grass all day, instead of dawn and dusk is a good thing.


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## GSP yooper

My thoughts were the same. No standing corn = no place to hide. It will just seem weird not having corn standing. Last year, we followed the harvesters around the area. That worked well for us. I wonder if other area farmer's will be doing the same with their crops. Can't wait to see! Anxious for the 18th to come, this is our date of departure. The dogs are ready to "HUNT"! We are about an hour drive East of the Missouri River. Anyone have any ideas if the hunting would be any better that direction?


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## blhunter3

BROWNDOG said:


> Put on 400 miles in the Lidgerwood area waterfowl scouting last weekend and did not see ONE pheasant, very little grass land left in the area and what was left was being burned, a great example of your tax dollars being put to use subsidizing crop insurance through the Federal Farm Bill. A wonderful no loose scam for the farmer, horrible for wildlife..


How does burning grass and subsiding crop insurance go together? CRP has to be burned every set number of years, or hayed. That is what could be happening, that is for weed control. Burning sloughs gains you farm land back, who wouldn't want to make more money?


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## Gooseguy10

Re corn harvest. I am not a farmer but my understanding is that It all goes by moisture in the corn. Once it gets to a certain level (18%....BL help) they pick it. From what I have seen is that it is mostly uniform....meaning if one guy is picking, the neighbors seem to be doing the same. I may be wrong though.

You will be very glad that the corn is down when hunting.


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## blhunter3

Yes, corn is harvested usually at around 18 to 16 percent moisture. Some guys do it when its above 18% because there have a lot of corn to harvest and they have a bins and dryer to dry it.

I'm at not sure when they pick the corn though. I think its at a lower moisture percentage.


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## GSP yooper

It looks like Ol' Man Winter has visited the Dakotas already. Does anyone know if the Ashley ND area received any of this storm?


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## hunterboy

Just got back from the ashley area sunday night. I have never seen sustained winds for that long of time in the 14 years I have been going out there. Couldnt duck hunt for two and a half days and it rained alot also!


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## blhunter3

hunterboy said:


> Just got back from the ashley area sunday night. I have never seen sustained winds for that long of time in the 14 years I have been going out there. (


That's North Dakota for you.


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## GSP yooper

Any snow there?


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## 94NDTA

It's all melted. It's 60 degrees here already today.

Looks like it may be a rainy opener.


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## slough

Looked like from the news last night that there was still quite a bit of snow down by hettinger, new leipzig, mott, etc. I imagine the grass will be laying down and not holding much down that way. Most of the snow should be gone by the weekend but probably will still be some in sloughs and trees. Back roads will probably be a mess. Sounded like some areas down there may not even have power by the weekend. I imagine a lot of birds were killed in that storm with the 40+ mile an hour winds and 15+ inches of snow. Not good.


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## GSP yooper

Not what I want to hear 10 days before I drive 800 miles out there. We will have to make the best of it and work a little harder than in the past. We come in on the eve of the 18th. Wish us luck! Any progress report from the opening week would greatly be appreciated!


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## GSP yooper

Just returned from our annual trip to the Ashley area. Seven guys and seven dogs....rooster tally: 28. Six myself in 4 days. We had to search high and low for birds. Flushed LOTS of hens. Lots of corn still standing and very little available PLOT land.


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## indsport

Glad to hear you saw a lot of hens. But how long will people keep coming with an average of one rooster a day? That is the question we all have to answer together.


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## deacon

indsport said:


> But how long will people keep coming with an average of one rooster a day?


Couple answers
a. Very few if only see a couple of roosters

b. Most if see say 15+roosters a day and cannot hit the side of a barn (poor shooting)

Appears answer 'a' applies this season.


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## slough

I'm sure some will still keep coming since they can focus on waterfowl and do a little upland on the side, but even waterfowl is going to crash once we get a dry year or two. Reading some forums from other states like MN, many guys are tickled pink to go out and even see a couple roosters in those states, so ND is still pretty good comparatively.


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## KEN W

Will be interesting to see if the GNF lowers the limit next year.With the snow storm taking out most of the birds in the SW and the continued loss of habitat,we could be looking at a return to the old days.....2 per day and 6 in possession.Should get some answers at next month's Advisory Board meetings.


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## prairie hunter

hunterboy said:


> Just got back from the ashley area sunday night. I have never seen sustained winds for that long of time in the 14 years I have been going out there. Couldnt duck hunt for two and a half days and it rained alot also!


Couldn't duck hunt because of the wind ? What are you talking about?


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## Rick Acker

I don't see us going to 2 a day until we have a harvest below 100 K. Within a few years anyway.


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## indsport

I grant that this post is not about ND, but it is illuminating.

http://www.pheasantblog.org/early-seaso ... th-dakota/


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## southdakbearfan

South Dakota is pretty barren compared to years past when it comes to pheasants. Isolated pockets of decent populations where cover is still ok, but for the most part the combo of CRP loss, bad nesting weather, tough winter last year and I believe predators have resulted in very few birds.

I hunt NE SD around Aberdeen, Central down by chamberlain and just west of the river by Timber lake and its all pretty much the same, west probably had the best numbers which would figure as there is a lot more grass.

I can't remember where, but I was reading an article about how this is the 3rd or 4th time around that this has happened. Every time it has matched up with the loss of set aside acres (CRP, Soil Bank and other programs).


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## GSP yooper

Glad to hear you saw a lot of hens. But how long will people keep coming with an average of one rooster a day? That is the question we all have to answer together.

In reference to the above post, several of our party are already talking about not returning next year and are looking into alternative plans.....


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## GoodOl'FaceShooter

I have seen a ton of roosters and hens this year..... but wait they're in my yard and I'm too close to town to shoot them.
:******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******: :******:


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