# Anyone Care To Speculate On 2009 Pheasant Forecast?



## bloodnguts (Nov 22, 2005)

Just curious what you guys think might happen with pheasant populations for next season with the winter you've had thus far and the projected loss of CRP acres in the future. I know there is no way you could possibly be too accurate, because you don't know what kind of spring you'll have, but just if current winter weather trends continue. You think we're looking at a slight decrease in population, or a huge decrease? Any chance for a similar population as 2008? I come every year regardless, I just thought I'd get some opinions, even if they have to be wild guesses this early in the ballgame.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

If this winter continues along the same pattern, the birds will take a big hit. Losing more CRP obviously doesn't help. Hatching conditions in the spring will be a huge factor.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I have a feeling it is going to be sickening. It is going to be a very very wet spring. I was already finding dead pheasants after that freezing rain. I really wish they would learn not to sit with there mouths open to the sky. :-?


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

I predict I am going to have a ball. There will be birds, albiet fewer than this year but there will be birds. My hunting buddy and my labs will be out there chasing them! :beer:


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

How days till the next opener? :beer:


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

Oh man. I can't start that yet.....can I?


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Why not... :beer:


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## 2Socks (Apr 18, 2006)

Great answer RU, speculation at this point will only bum you out. It's not about the numbers its about the hunt, especially the dogs.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Should be a freezer full of frozen birds around in the spring. I wonder if a dog would find frozen birds? I wonder if they could be eaten if they died that way? I wonder if you could legally eat a found bird in the spring?

Just curious. :lol:


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## tumblebuck (Feb 17, 2004)

Just like 1997. Cattails and tree rows are nipple dip w/ snow.

Pulled up to one spot this weekend and found five different sets of tail feathers sticking out of the snow.

All the pheasants huddled in the lone bush facing into the 20+ mph wind sure aren't going to survive.


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

In our area, with the amount of crp already plowed and an equivalent amount already mowed like a pool table for next year, combined with an excessive amount of fall recreational cattail slough burning and shelterbelt removal, next years nesting habitat and this winter's shelter is pretty much already gone. Even if the birds I saw make it through the winter, next year is already very grim. This fall I saw grasslands that had been grassland and good wildlife habitat since the early 1980's plowed up, let alone the CRP removal. I hope the NDGF gets out next year and verifies their PLOTS lands as wildlife habitat.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Had 15 pheasant hanging around two months ago, yesterday it was three hens standing along the highway ditch... probably zero left by now. Oh well they are not natural to this climate so what can we expect.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Too early to tell at this point. I can tell you that all of the birds we cleaned this past weekend, looked a bit thin, with no fat...Which is not typical for this time of year.

Yes CRP is bleak with 1/5 of it taken out at this point, much more in some areas, but there is new programs on the horizon that look promising for hunters and land owners alike. We'll see what happens.

One thing is for sure...Way to many roosters are left over going into 2009.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Most of the carryover birds will come from what I call the "feedlot flocks". From my own informal survey, those flocks are doing just fine. Remember, a 15-20% carryover is "normal". The weather patterns we have had for the past ten years, which have allowed for a far higher survival rate, are not. 
As someone already said, the weather conditions in the Spring will be the deciding factor for our 2009 hunting season. One thing I can say for sure, there will be huntable birds. 
For younger folks, it might seem like the end of the world. For us old pharts, we've seen the bad, and the really, really bad. Things change. Hunting all day for a chance at a bird or two could very well be the norm, for a while at least. Time will tell.
Honestly, there are a helluva lot worse things to worry about!
:wink: 
Burl


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## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

I enjoyed this last version of 'good old days'...they're over...for sure.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Burly,

Exactly right.

Based on past experience, fewer birds will also mean fewer hunters.


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

2009 will see less than 200K roosters shot in ND. This is somewhat less than were shot after the big winter of 96-97. Less CRP will slow the recovery ...

2007 saw a harvest of more than 900K roosters.

Less pheasant hunters, but NR duck hunters will return in force.


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## H2OfowlND (Feb 10, 2003)

Just because there may be plenty of water available, doesn't mean the ducks will bounce back. Have to have nesting cover, a.k.a. CRP, to get the ducks to increase. With CRP being taken out of the mix, waterfowl and upland will both take a hit. The next 5+ years will be quite interesting. It's gut check time for wildlife and it's supporters.

H2OfowlND


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Farmer I spoke to yesterday said the birds hanging around the farms are hanging on (getting fed) - but everything that isn't dead outside of that is getting picked off by hawks. Not many places to hide out in the open.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

The number of pheasants at my feeder is dropping steadily. The thermal cover is gone. -34 last night. Haven't seen any hawks but am seeing pheasants dead in the field. The coyotes can't even seem to eat all the dead ones. Last week the ice storm in western ND had to cause major problems. Spoke to one of the hunters from the coyote classic in Dickinson and he said he saw pheasants picking on the dead birds. Like ph said, we are stacking up for a repeat of '96-'97.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Large cattail sloughs still holding large numbers of birds, they are feeding on bean fields. We are suppose to get a break in the weather, hopefully that will help.


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## woodpecker (Mar 2, 2005)

Anybody seen the Game and Fish video on the feeding of animals? Worthy of watching IMO! Talked about doing more harm to pheasants than good when food source is placed too far from the necessary cover they need???


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

It will be the best year ever. i had to shoot in self defense this year there were so many birds and next year is just going to be better.


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

This is what happens with non-native species, can't be surprised.

Grouse on the other hand are fairing much better.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

Next year will not be better after this winter, and spring. That's just a simple fact. I am guessing we will lose at least 1/3 of the pheasants. There will still be plenty of them though. Hopefully less birds will mean less hunters.
On the other hand the waterfowl hunting should get much better.


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