# North Dakota pheasant season so far getting rave reviews



## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

North Dakota pheasant season so far getting rave reviews.
Associated Press
Published Monday, October 23, 2006

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=143765

MINOT, N.D. (AP) - This year's pheasant season in North Dakota has opened to good reviews.

"There's birds. Good numbers of birds," said Tim Larson, a district game warden "And there was really good numbers of hunters. It seemed wherever you went, guys were hunting pheasants."

The season, which opened Oct. 14, runs through Jan. 7.

Larson worked the Wolf Creek area of Lake Sakakawea during the season's opening weekend. He said he checked 52 hunters by 10:30 a.m., and 104 by noon the next day.

"Guys were finding birds from Divide County to Richland County. It sounds like a pretty decent opener," said Stan Kohn, an upland game biologist for the Game and Fish Department.

"With the nice weather, a lot of people were out," Kohn said. "But there wasn't a lot of clumping of hunters. They spaced themselves out pretty well. Of course, they were even finding birds in what usually is considered secondary areas for roosters."

Kohn was working in the southeastern part of the state during opening weekend.

"Guys were running into birds," he said. "It sounded like all were quite pleased. If they didn't have a limit, it was a hunter problem, not hitting them," he added with a laugh.

In southwestern North Dakota, warden supervisor Doug Olson said the hunters, as might be expected in the state's prime pheasant country, did quite well.

"Overall, it was a fairly good opener with plenty of birds," he said.

"It's as good as it's ever been, and maybe in some areas even a little better. I got into a big bunch right away this morning," said Irv Glanville of Coleharbor, shortly before noon last Wednesday. "I got three right off the bat. It's good to see the numbers."

Wendel Striefel of Minot said pheasant hunting is "good exercise and it's a lot of fun," as he gave a pat on the head to Ginger, his 14-year-old brittany hunting dog.

"She has a fit if she can't go. She just loves it. Even if we have a bad day we still have a good time," he said.

Bob Filz of Minot was accompanied by his dog, Thor, a 100-pound German shorthair, and fellow hunters Striefel and Pete Lewis of Minot.

"I like being with friends and relatives and having a good time together," he said.

"It's good exercise, and even if you don't get any pheasants, you are out and about and having a good time with your buddies, Lewis said. "I'll hunt even when it's 15 below."

In 1970, the Game and Fish Department estimated about 44,815 pheasants killed during the season. Ten years later, the count increased to 173,427. Last year, the total was estimated at 800,000 pheasants, and the total could top that this year if the weather and the numbers continue high.


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