2024 Iowa DNR: initial upland game species listening surveys yield positive results

"We heard more pheasants and quail than we have since 2014--all the years we've been doing the survey,"

While impacts of recent floods and heavy rainfall have yet to be seen, initial surveys point towards a healthy population of quail and pheasant in southwest Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently wrapped up its listening surveys, which help indicate an initial bird population from spring quail whistle counts and rooster crow counts for pheasants and some grass and songbirds. Matt Dollison is a wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR. Speaking on the latest "Outdoors in KMAland" segment, Dollison says that, at least in the immediate area, the surveys showed the population remaining strong following the winter.

"We heard more pheasants and quail than we have since 2014--all the years we've been doing the survey," said Dollison. "So, obviously it looks like a lot of birds survived the winter, which is good news. Now, it's all about nesting and how successful that is, which is really what drives the population."

A second round of listening sessions wrapped up near the beginning of July. Dollison says the listening survey is conducted through "point counts."

Read the full KMAland article

SD Commission dismisses calls to reinstate annual pheasant count

By: Joshua Haiar

State ended prior method over concern that poor numbers would deter out-of-state hunters

State wildlife officials are not bringing back a popular method of estimating South Dakota’s pheasant population, despite requests from the public to do so.

South Dakota is one of the top states for pheasant hunting in the nation, with millions of birds and millions of dollars in economic impact from the hunters that flock to the state each fall. 

When the Department of Game, Fish and Parks recently released the draft of its new pheasant management plan for 2024 to 2028, the end of the document said that “by 2028,” the department planned to “improve existing population monitoring programs to develop survey methods to inform biologists on population status, reproductive success, and relative densities of pheasant populations.”

After reading that draft plan, some people wrote in to tell the department that the way to improve population monitoring programs is to reinstate the old method — commonly called the “brood count.”

“I continue to be amazed and disgusted that GFP no longer conducts the summer brood count survey,” John McDermott wrote in a comment to the department.

“Reinstate the statewide pheasant annual brood survey,” Larry Fredrickson wrote.

“Bring back the brood survey,” Mark Schaefer wrote.

In response, the department deleted the language in the draft plan that sparked the comments.

GF&P Senior Upland Game Biologist Alex Solem told the GF&P Commission on Friday that the change to the plan came “after just some kind of public comments and that sort of stuff.” The commission unanimously approved the new version of the plan, without the language calling for improved population monitoring programs.

The state started the brood count as early as 1960 and ended it in 2019, citing concerns at the time that reports of lower pheasant numbers ahead of the hunting season deterred out-of-state hunters from traveling to South Dakota. 

The department explained the rationale for ending the count in a Pheasant Hunting Marketing Workgroup and Plan. It said ending the count would “ensure that South Dakota is not unintentionally deterring hunters from coming to our state based on the media headlines reporting of low bird numbers.” 

Read the full SD Searchlight article

 

 

North Dakota 2024 spring pheasant crowing counts increase 37% statewide

The number of roosters heard crowing during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2024 spring pheasant crowing count survey was up 37% statewide from last year.

“This is really good news but expected, considering we had such great production last year and the mild winter we had certainly wasn’t hard on birds,” said RJ Gross, Department upland game management biologist.

The primary regions holding pheasants showed 28.8 crows per stop in the southwest, up from 19.5 in 2023; 21.5 crows per stop in the northwest, up from 16.6; and 16 crows per stop in the southeast, up from 12.8. The count in the northeast, which is not a primary region for pheasants, was 5 crows per stop, up from 3.3 last year.

Barring untimely heavy rains, cool weather or hail, Gross expects more good news as the peak of the pheasant hatch is upon us.

“The residual cover this year was great … with timely rains, the habitat for nesting looks great,” Gross said. “We should be setting up for a good fall.”

Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified 20-mile routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of pheasant roosters heard crowing over a 2-minute period.

The number of pheasant crows heard are compared to previous years’ data, providing a trend summary.

Read the Full ND GF article

Hiring - Quail Research and Management Technician

 

 

 

 

 

Description

We are hiring a Quail Research and Management Technician to assist ongoing efforts on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, located in Fisher, Co Texas.  Job responsibilities will include major efforts in radio telemetry, quail trapping, call count surveys, raptor ID, small mammal trapping, use of tractor and implements, and more.  You will receive exposure to a wide variety of data collection techniques, learn to use farm equipment, and gain hands-on experience in habitat management.

In March 2007, the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation was granted its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status as a charitable organization and the deed to our Research Ranch was transferred to the Foundation later that year. Operations began in early 2008, and from that time RPQRF has invested tens of thousands of hours, millions of dollars, and so much more into research, education, and outreach for wild quail both on and off the Research Ranch. 

Our Research Ranch is 4800 acres of quail habitat representative of millions of acres in the Rolling Plains. It is the living laboratory in which we collect data, manage habitat, and monitor a multitude of ecological relationships. We collect data on bobwhite and scaled quail abundance, survival, reproduction, and movement; small mammal abundance; mesocarnivores; and many quail predators. Our ongoing habitat management activities include planting of food plots, invasive species control, prescribed fire, brush sculpting, and soil disturbance.

 

See the full Texas A&M post along with application instructions.