Pheasant numbers highest since the 1960s

| Monday, September 03, 2007

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The Associated Press

PIERRE - When hunters take to the fields next month, they will find one of the largest pheasant populations in South Dakota's history, state wildlife officials say.

The annual brood count survey, conducted by counting pheasants on 110 routes across the pheasant range, found statewide numbers that are 23 percent higher than last year's counts.

South Dakota has not been blessed with such a large pheasant population since four decades ago, when the Soil Bank conservation program provided good habitat for the birds, said Doug Hansen, state wildlife director for the Game, Fish and Parks Department.

The survey indicates South Dakota will have a terrific pheasant season, Hansen said.

"It looks like it could be a really good year for pheasants," Hansen said. "When we last saw numbers like this, it was in the early 60s."

The annual survey is done by driving 110 routes of 30 miles each in parts of the state where pheasants are found in sufficient numbers to count. The number of broods that were seen increased 15 percent from last year, and the average number of chicks per brood increased 11 percent.

South Dakota's estimated pheasant population was 8.4 million last year and 9.5 million in 2005, which marked the highest population since the 1960s. In 1961, the state had an estimated 11 million pheasants, according to Game, Fish and Parks records.

Brood surveys indicated the population is up this year in nearly all areas of the state, Hansen said.

"The biggest increases we saw were in the central portion of the state in the areas we think were hurt last year because of the drought," he said.

Pheasants counts rose in counties along the Missouri River because early rains provided more cover during the nesting and hatching period and supplied food for the chicks to eat, Hansen said.

The increase is because of good weather and habitat, and the habitat is provided by the federal Conservation Reserve Program, which idles about 1.4 million acres of South Dakota farm land, Hansen said. The state is due to lose about 296,000 acres of CRP in the next year in the current program, he said.

"That doesn't bode well for pheasants," Hansen said.

Congress is working on a new Farm Bill, and hunters should encourage inclusion of strong conservation provisions that keep CRP acres at the level needed to support pheasants, Hansen said.

"When you've got a large number of acres left undisturbed in permanent cover, you've got lost of pheasants," he said.

The wildlife director encourages hunters to take advantage of this fall's expected good season. "We may not see anything like this again in the future, depending on how the farm program goes."

Hunters also should be aware that some local areas might have few pheasants because of a lack of rain or other conditions, Hansen said. Hunters should remember to check with farmers and ask permission before hunting on private land, he said. In addition, the state is providing public hunting on walk-in areas and public land.

"We think there are enough birds that there should be something there for everybody," Hansen said.