ND Pheasant Numbers

[MThunter10]

I know ND went through a pretty brutal summer with much of the state experiencing significant drought conditions. I'll be duck hunting with a group of friends come November and we were just wondering how the pheasant numbers were looking? We are from out of state so we're debating on whether or not to grab a small game license as well to fill our afternoons. Thank you!

 

[Eric.MN]

Good friend of mine just came back last weekend from their family ranch in SW ND and he said the numbers were noticeably down from last year. They usually do really well and had to work a lot harder this year.

 

[BlakeA]

They are down big time. Sad situation especially if we have another rough winter.

 

[Tradewind]

Tough year. the dry and heat took it's toll after bad year before. I hunt a couple farms in the western part of the state I skipped it this year.
Told them I'd feel guilty shooting the survivors they have around. They spend time and effort trying to help the birds out, but
hasn't helped much.

 

[Flatrock]

What part of the state are you going to be in? There are definitely still some birds out there but like others said, waaaay down from last year.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

I always get back home 2-3 times each fall/winter to hunt birds (returned today from a few days of hunting) and the numbers in extreme SW ND are down significantly but there are still birds to be found. Not much standing CRP left and I know this is one of the main reasons to the low numbers. I have watched pheasant numbers climb over the past 30+ years and have witnessed/experienced the good-ole-days of pheasant hunting during the past decade. Growing up there in the 80s we did not have much cover for pheasants but that all changed with the advent of the CRP and now that a lot of the CRP is coming out of production as well as all of the CRP haying that has occurred recently so goes the decline of pheasants. I have witnessed massive winter kills and/or poor spring hatches and have also seen how fast bird numbers can rebound as long as the cover is still there.

 

[mrmedora]

I can speak personally for the SW corner of ND, Slope Co. in particular. I have seen a large change from this year compared to previous years. My unscientific opinion of numbers is based on my drive to and from work every day. I drive 25 miles each way, half of it gravel, and I can honestly say that I might see one pheasant a week up on the shoulder of the road picking gravel. That is in comparison to seeing on average +/- 20 birds per evening commute last year. I didn't pay too much attention to it early on. But once August came around, and I still wasn't seeing numbers it sort of hit me. So then I started paying a little more attention further into the fields, and hay land, and still didn't see much for activity.
So, I started visiting with people from Bowman Co. and other parts of Slope Co. It's pretty much a similar situation with the folks I've visited with. A few are saying that the larger cricks and the Grand River in southern Bowman Co. are holding some decent numbers. I also have noticed that the number of weekend warriors out chasing pheasants are down this year in my area. I guess they've heard the reports too.
As always, the more miles you put on, the more birds you're going to see.
Good luck to all!

 

[AKal]

My family has a ranch of a few thousand acres in central ND along the Missouri, we were just there over the weekend. They have birds for sure but a are down in numbers, still very huntable. I walked for an hour and had a limit with my poor wing shooting ability. With the dry hot summer they had I would say stay close to major water sources as in ones that wont dry up easily and I would assume the populations will be ok. I have heard from a lot of friends and family that elsewhere in the state has suffered durastically but they were also hunting very dry areas with not much for standing or flowing water.

 

[MThunter10]

Thanks for all of the information everyone! We are hunting around Garrison but we decided between a morning and evening hunt, scouting, and a nap, that we are just going to stick to ducks and geese. It's a bummer to hear how hard the population has gotten hit the last year between the rough winter and brutally hot and dry summer. Hope the numbers can rebound in the coming years so we can get after them next fall. We're all super excited to get out in the fields in 2 weeks though! Anyone know how the migration is going? The weather in Montana has been warmer with a SW wind the past few days with no relief in sight which seems to have slowed anything trying to migrate south. Best of luck to everyone's season!

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Any info on southeast North Dakota?? Hope you don't mind me asking.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[AKal]

Good luck on your upcoming hunt MThunter10, hopefully the weather and migration cooperates for you.
pointingdogsrule, my brother has been hunting the SE corner with good luck, he has been going out every weekend with a few friends limiting out. From the pictures I have been seeing of him they are pushing cattails and brush along wetlands as well as farmsteads for there birds in the mid morning.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I'll echo the above for NE SD as well. Birds are few and far between this year.