# Here it is....



## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Near-ideal conditions for ring-neck pheasants in North Dakota means more birds than last year - though the healthy habitat will be a bigger challenge for hunters, a state Game and Fish Department official says.

"There is some really nice cover out there, but it means guys are going to have to work a little harder and good dogs are going to be real handy this year," said Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the agency.

North Dakota's pheasant population is up an estimated 34 percent from last year, one of the more dismal years in a decade. The estimate, released Monday, is based on roadside brood counts in late July and August.

The survey counted 11.3 broods per 100 miles, up from nine last year, Kohn said. The number of pheasants per 100 miles was 92, up from 69 last year, he said.

The season opens Oct. 9 and runs through Jan. 2, 2011. State officials say the opening of pheasant season likely brings in more visitors to North Dakota than any other event during a one-or two-week period.

North Dakota has had robust pheasant populations for most of the past decade, but a pair of harsh winters followed by wet springs have hurt numbers. And fewer pheasants means fewer hunters afield.

Hunters killed 651,778 roosters last year, down from 778,000 in 2008 and the more than 900,000 birds bagged in 2007, Kohn said. The number of hunters dropped from about 108,000 to 88,400 during that time, he said.

Wildfire officials counted 204 pheasants and 24 broods per 100 miles in 2007, the highest level in more than 60 years. While far behind those numbers, this year's population is more than double the 38 birds counted per 100 miles in 1980.

Bird counters slowly drive selected routes across the state watching for adult pheasants and their young drawn to roads to eat grit that helps the birds' digestion.

Kohn said this year's count is likely conservative because many birds may have been camouflaged by better-than-normal vegetation along roadsides and beyond.

"There was restricted visibility - chances are things might be better than we suggest," Kohn said. "There is some really nice cover out there and I'm sure there are more birds out there but they're hard to see."

Lush cover and better weather this spring and summer likely increased nesting success and chick survival, which means more birds for hunters to bag this fall, he said.

Professional bird dog trainer Tom Ness, owner of Oahe Kennels in Menoken, said he's out in the field daily in central North Dakota and has noticed a good number of pheasants.

That's surprising, he said, due to heavy spring rains that he believed would hurt nesting and hatching.

"I was pretty convinced they had a poor hatch," Ness said. "There is so much cover out there, a guy isn't seeing them. But in seven miles I saw seven broods, which is good."

Ring-neck pheasants in North Dakota are resilient despite the state's brutal weather, he said.

"We've had two pretty tough winters in a row," Ness said. "But pheasants are pretty prolific - they do well here."


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## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

Pheasant Numbers Rebound from Last Year
North Dakota's roadside pheasant survey conducted in late July and August revealed the pheasant population is in much better shape than last year, especially in the southern half of the state.

Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said total pheasants were up 34 percent statewide from last year, brood observations were up 26 percent, and average brood size was up 14 percent. However, pheasant numbers are still down roughly 40 percent from the peak years of 2003-08. The final summary is the result of 277 runs made along 99 brood routes across North Dakota.

This summer's brood data suggests much better production this spring than in 2008 and 2009. "Good nesting and brooding cover this spring, coupled with improved weather conditions, has increased nesting success and brood/chick survival," Kohn said. "Consequently, more young birds will be added to the population this fall, improving pheasant numbers, especially in the southern half of the state."

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicate both the number of broods and number of birds observed were up 30 percent from 2009. Observers counted 19 broods and 165 birds per 100 miles. The average brood size was six. "Brood numbers indicate the southwest will have the best pheasant numbers this fall," Kohn said. "Though survey numbers are not at the level observed during the peak years of the mid 2000s, hunters in the southwest can expect to see good numbers of pheasants."

Results from the southeast show 10 broods and 76 birds per 100 miles. The average brood size was 5.2. "Hunters should find more pheasants in the southeastern part of the state than last fall, as an increase in the number of broods and birds observed indicates about a 30 percent increase in pheasant numbers," Kohn said.

Statistics from the northwest indicated seven broods and 48 birds per 100 miles. Average brood size was 5.1. "I expect the northwest will have about the same number of pheasants this fall as last year, as birds observed on the routes were unchanged from 2009 and the number of broods observed increased only 9 percent," Kohn said.

The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with much of it lacking good winter cover, showed 1.3 broods and 12 birds per 100 miles. Average brood size was 5.36. Both number of birds observed and number of broods recorded were down 30 percent. "This district is not known for its pheasant population, but there will be local areas holding birds," Kohn said.

The 2010 regular pheasant season opens Oct. 9 and continues through Jan. 2, 2011. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Oct. 2-3.

Thanks Don, for the link to this more detailed version!


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## steveandzoom (Sep 8, 2004)

That confirms what I have seen.


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## Shorthair.On.Point (Nov 28, 2006)

Come on October


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Hmmm...tougher conditions but more birds. Think people will actually have to get out of their trucks to hunt this year?


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Game on! Can't wait!


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## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

Seems lots of people are getting up tight....have noticed it on other web sites as well. We are getting close and good times are a month away. All will be forgotten :beer:


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## Mcloving (May 5, 2009)

where do you guys hunt? I hunt with a big group of cheeseheads from Lisbon to Jamestown!


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

One of my farmer friends in the southwest region of the state gave me a glowing report on the bird crop recently, and now I read this. It is going to be hard to sleep tonight...again!


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