By Chris Hitzeman | July 07, 2009
The critical nesting season is winding down. Mid June to mid July is critical nesting season. I've had reports of 22 egg nests and 12,14,16 chick broods.
The last week of June I was out at my farm in Charles Mix County South Dakota and saw several brood while spraying food plots and also saw 3 broods on road during fairly warm weather in the evening which was unusual as you would normally only see these broods in morning.
The months of May, June and July have had plenty of moisture brought across the state which is good for growing nesting cover. Pastures have abundant browse and create more undisturbed nesting cover. The heat showed up just in time as newly hatched chicks need warm days and nights and a steady diet of bugs to survive.
Reports of more birds in western part of state that normally do not have huntable populations have reported crowing counts on the increase over previous years.
Even though June July is critical nesting season you can have chicks hatching all the way up to the end of August if conditions warrant.
Overall most pheasant areas of the state reported good carryover from last winter which should result in sufficient hatch of chicks to produce another banner year of pheasant hunting in South Dakota in 2009.
Look for the fall report when the SD roadside surveys are completed in August.
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