2010 South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook Forecast Report - WinterSpring
By Chris Hitzeman | March 24, 2010
I just got back from a week out at the farm getting equipment ready for spring planting and here is my take on the state of the pheasant union:
Just driving around there was not a lot of visible signs of birds.
My west farm and east farm are 6 miles apart and the west farm did not winter very many birds at all. The east farm had a large shelterbelt and good milo food plots on leeward side and reports of 300+ pheasant were wintered there. They had access to 5 - 1 acre milo plots and they picked them all clean which I have never seen before. That was what was above the snow line. Now that snow has melted they have access to a whole new batch of food from what was folded over and laying on the ground.
My belief is that if birds did not have access to a large shelterbelt and close food source they stood a good chance of perishing and I assume many did. This is backed up by fact that most all other cover and food sources were filled in with snow and thereby eliminated all food/cover benefits.
I was encouraged when driving around west farm and marking corners of new CRP that I did kick out a few roosters and several hens. I believe birds will begin to disperse and migrate back to good nesting areas and the roosters will stakeout new territory. March was nice and mild and all the snow is pretty much gone now so that is huge.
Another benefit of the way snow filled in cover is that it did not pack it down and thereby the nice grasses that were standing in the fall were preserved and will create good nesting structure and cover.
Surviving birds now have access to unlimited food sources and the cover is good now too.
Not much crowing going on now but might be too early to tell but that will be another indicator of mortality rate. I suspect mortality could be between 50-75%. A good hatch could be the equalized though as these birds can really rebound.
1 Comment on 2010 South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook Forecast Report - WinterSpring
I'll agree with your comments. I was hunting a shelterbelt in January (preserve) and the snow drifts were as high as the trees! It was pretty crazy. We had guys hunting in show shoes, on their ski's and I decided to block trouncing through the snow. It was a great time, but it doesn't take a genius to know without a good hatch numbers will be down. Good post Chris.
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I'll agree with your comments. I was hunting a shelterbelt in January (preserve) and the snow drifts were as high as the trees! It was pretty crazy. We had guys hunting in show shoes, on their ski's and I decided to block trouncing through the snow. It was a great time, but it doesn't take a genius to know without a good hatch numbers will be down. Good post Chris.
Ryan Trask July 28, 2010 12:00 AM