Pheasant Forever's 2011 Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Overall Outlook:

After the better part of a decade of fantastic pheasant numbers in the Midwest – bird numbers aided by a strong Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – pheasant hunters will be finding fewer ringnecks during the 2011-2012 pheasant hunting season.
Tough weather, from drought in Kansas to hard winters in the Dakotas, did its fair share to hurt pheasant populations, but it’s the 5 million fewer CRP acres than there was just four years ago that made sure pheasant numbers were bound to decrease, which they did in every major pheasant producing state. Pheasants Forever is advocating for a strengthened CRP and other federal conservation programs in preparation of the upcoming Farm Bill, but cannot do it without your support as a Pheasants Forever member.
Despite the decline, there are still millions of pheasants roaming the grasslands, fencerows and field edges in the heart of pheasant country. South Dakota will again be in a class by itself, while Kansas, Nebraska and North Dakota look to be next best. In other states, boot leather will have to wear thinner in the fields this year. But as veteran uplanders know, any day hunting roosters is a day well spent. Remember to always consult official state hunting regulations for rules and season dates, and please carry Pheasants Forever's code of conduct with you into the field this fall:

As a member of Pheasants Forever, I believe in conserving wildlife and protecting the environment. I promise to leave the outdoors a little better than I found it. I will hunt safely and treat hunting on public and private land as a privilege. I will always ask permission before hunting private land. I will obey all game laws and insist my companions do as well.

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  2011 California Forecast

  California - Average Year by Modern Standards
  
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  2011 Colorado Forecast

  Colorado – Northeast Up While Southeast Prospects Dry Up
  
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  2011 Idaho Forecast

  Idaho – Southwest Hatch Looks Good
  
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  2011 Illinois Forecast

  Illinois – Hunter Numbers Up, Bird Numbers the Same
  
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  2011 Indiana Forecast

  Indiana – Slight Dip, Don’t Overlook Northeast
  
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  2011 Iowa Forecast

  Iowa – While Waiting on Weather, a New Low
  
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  2011 Kansas Forecast

  Kansas – Central Looking Best
  
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  2011 Michigan Forecast

  Michigan – Numbers Low, Pheasant Restoration Program Begins
  
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  2011 Minnesota Forecast

  Minnesota – Winter, Spring, Habitat Loss Deliver Punch
  
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  2011 Missouri Forecast

  Missouri – Pheasants and Pheasant Hunter Numbers Drop
  
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  2011 Montana Forecast

  Montana – Winter Clenches, Spring Drenches Outlook
  
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  2011 Nebraska Forecast

  Nebraska – Head West, Pheasant Hunters
  
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  2011 New York Forecast

  New York – Working on Habitat out West
  
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  2011 North Dakota Forecast

  North Dakota – Pheasant Numbers Down, Still a Top Destination
  
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  2011 Oklahoma Forecast

  Oklahoma – Drought Quells Gains
  
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  2011 Ohio Forecast

  Ohio - Report Coming Soon
  
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  2011 Oregon Forecast

  Oregon – Fair to Good
  
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  2011 Pennsylvania Forecast

  Pennsylvania - Recovery Projects Continue
  
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  2011 South Dakota Forecast

  South Dakota – Big Drop, But Still Tops
  
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  2011 Texas Forecast

  Texas – Drought Hurts Nesting and Brood Habitat
  
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  2011 Utah Forecast

  Utah – Pheasant Upswing Continues
  
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  2011 Washingon Forecast

  Washington – Columbia Basin Could Be Hidden Gem
  
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  2011 Wisconsin Forecast

  Wisconsin – Downward Trend Continues
  
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2011 Wyoming Forecast

Wyoming - Big Horn Basin for Birds


See The Original Pheasant's Forever Article

Google Earth data files available for Minnesota MN Walk In Access WIA

The data files for the MN Walk In Access have been released by the DNR.

Download Data Files

I used the data files to pull up the WIA's in Google Earth and it made it very easy to zoom into the different areas and see what the hunting units look like.

Minnesota’s MN 2011 pheasant count / index falls 64 percent from 2010

(Released September 6, 2011)

A severe winter followed by a wet spring contributed to a significant decline in Minnesota’s pheasant counts. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the pheasant population index / count declined 64 percent from 2010 and is 71 percent below the 10-year average.
Contributing factors include:

• A second consecutive severe winter, resulting in hen counts 72 percent below the 10-year average.
• Cold, wet weather during the April through June nesting period, resulting in brood counts 75 percent below the 10-year average.
• Loss of nearly 120,000 acres of grass habitat enrolled in farm programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since 2007.

Severe winters combined with cold, wet springs are doubly hard on pheasant populations. That’s because fewer hens survive the winter and those that do are less successful in producing broods.
Pheasant hunters are expected to harvest about 250,000 roosters this fall, the lowest harvest since 1997. This compares to harvests that have exceeded 500,000 roosters five of the past eight years. The 500,000 bird harvests correspond with a string of mild winters and high CRP enrollment.

“We expect hunters to harvest a similar number of birds in 2011 as they did in 2001, which was another year with a severe winter followed by a cold, wet spring” said Kurt Haroldson, a wildlife biologist for the DNR’s Farmland Wildlife Population and Research Group in Madelia. Haroldson noted survey results indicated an unusually low ratio of hens to roosters.

This suggests hen mortality was high or hens were nesting or caring for young broods during the survey. If the late nesting effort was greater than normal, the 2011 pheasant population and the fall harvest may be higher than forecast. Pheasant populations can rebound quickly given good habitat, mild winter weather and favorable spring nesting conditions.

Minnesota is not the only state to see pheasant index declines. Wildlife officials in South Dakota reported a 46 percent population index decline. North Dakota’s spring population survey showed a decline, too.

The pheasant population estimate is part of the DNR’s annual roadside wildlife survey. The survey summarizes roadside counts of pheasants, gray (Hungarian) partridge, cottontail rabbits, white-tailed jackrabbits and other wildlife observed in the early morning hours during the first half of August throughout the farmland region of Minnesota.

The highest pheasant counts were in the east central region, where observers reported 51 birds per 100 miles of survey driven. Hunters will find fair harvest opportunities in pockets of south central and southwest Minnesota, but harvest opportunities in most of Minnesota’s pheasant range are rated poor to very poor.

This year’s statewide pheasant index was 23 birds per 100 miles driven, the lowest index since 1986. The pheasant index in southwest Minnesota, typically the state’s best pheasant range, fell 82 percent from last year to 19 birds per 100 miles driven.

Haroldson said the most important habitat for pheasants is grassland that remains undisturbed during the nesting season. Protected grasslands account for about six percent of the state’s pheasant range. Farmland retirement programs such as CRP, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, Reinvest in Minnesota and Wetlands Reserve Program make up the largest portion of protected grasslands in the state.

High land rental rates and competing uses for farmland diminish the economic attractiveness of farmland conservation programs. During the next three years, contracts for 550,000 acres of CRP lands are scheduled to expire. If not re-enrolled, this would reduce CRP acres in Minnesota by 36 percent.
To help offset continued habitat losses caused by reductions in conservation set-aside acreage, DNR has accelerated acquisition of Wildlife Management Areas in the farmland region of Minnesota. DNR also supports habitat conservation on private lands by working with a variety of partners in the Farm Bill Assistance Partnership and Working Lands Initiative. Also, nearly 10,000 acres of private property will be open to public hunting through the state’s new Walk-In Access program.

Full MN DNR article

The 2011 August Roadside Report and pheasant hunting prospects map is available online.

Minnesota MN Walk-In Hunting Area Full Map Set Available

The full map set of all the Walk-In areas for MN is now available online.
The maps show all of the properties available in the Walk-In program.

There are over 9400 acres enrolled for 2011.

South Dakota SD 2011 Pheasant Outlook - Counts Down 46% From 2010

Pheasant counts decline from historic highs, but still good

PIERRE, S.D. - Pheasant brood counts indicate that pheasant numbers in South Dakota have returned to levels below the remarkable high counts of the past few years.

However, the pheasant population in the main part of the state's pheasant range will still provide quality hunting opportunities.


From 2003 through 2010, the statewide pheasant-per-mile index was at levels not seen in the previous 40 years. The index this year is 46 percent lower than the 2010 index and 41 percent lower than the average of the past 10 years.

"We observed abnormally high mortality of hen pheasants during the brutal winter of 2010-11," explained Jeff Vonk, Secretary of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department, "The loss of that reproductive potential inhibited the ability of our pheasant population to rebound to the record levels that we have enjoyed in recent years."

Declines in the counts were consistent across the state and most pronounced in eastern South Dakota, where winter's grip was tightest and grassland nesting habitat is diminished.
"We knew this day was coming when important pheasant habitats provided by the cover in Conservation Reserve Program fields were lost," Vonk said.

CRP enrollments in the state are currently at 1.17 million acres, down from 1.56 million acres in 2007. The reduction equates to over 600 square miles of grassland habitat.

"On the other hand, we were pleasantly surprised how well pheasants responded in central South Dakota, where abundant moisture from winter snow and spring rain allowed grasslands to flourish and provide the essential habitat for excellent pheasant production," Vonk said.

The counts in the main pheasant range are similar to or higher than the counts in 2002 when hunters bagged 1.2 million pheasants. Pheasant hunters harvested 1.8 million pheasants in 2010.

"All things considered, pheasant numbers in much of the traditional pheasant range of the state are still good despite the declines in the counts," Vonk said. "Much of South Dakota will continue to provide a premier opportunity to hunt pheasants."

2011 Pheasant Brood Survey Results by Area

	Pheasants per mile (PPM)			Difference of 2011 PPM with
City Area	2011 Survey	2010 Survey	10-yr. ave.	2010 Survey	10-yr. ave.
Chamberlain	11.51	17.00	15.70	-32%	-27%
Winner	7.16	8.42	7.41	-15%	-3%
Pierre	9.15	13.95	8.50	-34%	8%
Mobridge	5.73	10.85	6.35	-47%	-10%
Aberdeen	2.56	6.48	6.65	-61%	-62%
Huron	3.00	6.88	7.87	-56%	-62%
Mitchell	2.83	5.84	6.27	-52%	-55%
Yankton	0.63	1.45	1.51	-57%	-58%
Sioux Falls	0.79	1.45	2.38	-46%	-67%
Brookings	1.13	2.25	4.47	-50%	-75%
Watertown	1.68	2.99	4.86	-44%	-65%
Sisseton	0.58	2.33	1.97	-75%	-70%
Western SD	3.28	4.27	2.67	-17%	32%
STATEWIDE	3.55	6.54	6.04	-46%	-41%
NOTE: Comparisons are valid only between years within each local area.

See Complete SD DNR Article

MN Walk-In Access WIA Program Maps Available

2011 will be the first year for Walk-In Access in Minnesota.

The DNR has put out their initial map index of the properties that are participating in the program.
Most of the properties are in the Southwest part of the state.

Download The Index Map












The DNR will be providing the full maps and GPS data files at a later date.

MN Wildlife Management Area GPS files

The MN DNR has put out GPS data files in both Garmin and Lowrance formats showing the locations of all the WMA's

Data File Download Page

Kansas 2011 Pheasant Crowing Count

The spring pheasant survey results can represent two important life stages for pheasant populations in Kansas. Spring surveys can indicate over-winter survival for a population. Often winter can be a bottleneck for some upland game populations. However, in western Kansas winters are often much more mild than more northern latitudes and pheasant survival is usually high throughout much of Kansas. When this is the case, spring surveys can also reflect the previous breeding season success or production for the population. In the 2010 breeding season Kansas experienced high production for much of the pheasant population, which is carried over into the 2011 Pheasant Crow Count because of a fairly mild winter in western Kansas. Other regions in the south-central and north-eastern part of the state showed declines, likely due to extreme weather events (e.g., hail storms) during the nesting and brooding period, or not enough precipitation prior to the 2010 breeding season. North-east Kansas has had some severe winters recently, combined with inclement weather during the breeding season, and the population has declined as a result.

Overall, western Kansas has one of the strongest breeding populations of pheasants in its history this year (Figure 3), which is reflected in extremely high crow counts for 2011(Figure 1). However, breeding season climate conditions are not very favorable for 2011 (extreme drought), and the 2011 fall pheasant population may not continue to increase like it has in recent years in western Kansas. Figure 3 shows the interpolated breeding density of pheasants across their habitable range in Kansas. Those areas of high percentage cropland in western Kansas show the highest densities of pheasants. This year many of those same areas are seeing problems with winter wheat growth, which may impact nesting success in those areas. Poor wheat development can lead to early harvesting, which could add to the decline of successful pheasant nests and broods. The drought will also cause a decline in brooding conditions, possibly negatively impacting brood survival. Our late summer brood surveys (July and August) will provide better projections of fall populations.

Get The Full Report

Preseason Training Camp - Ruffed Grouse, Pheasant

I dropped my English Setter off at the trainer the other day.  When we got her three years ago she was a fully finished dog so this training is mostly for fitness.  Like most people I live in the ‘burbs and beyond the daily walks there isn’t too much of a chance to get in some bigger off leash workouts and with the high grouse drumming counts this spring I wanted to make sure she was in shape right at the start of the season.

In talking with Jerry Kolter, breeder / trainer / trialer, we decided to go with a combination of free running and atv roading.  Jerry had Tina the first six years and used her as one of his string when he did guided ruffed grouse hunts so he his familiar with Tina and how she can best be brought into full fitness.  On the plus side Tina weighed 4 pounds less than she did last summer and I think is in better shape to start with.

Now that the dog is rounding into shape what about the weak link in the team?  Yeah, that would be me.  I’ve been riding my bike but due to work travel, weird illnesses, wet weather and a lack of motivation I’ve ridden only about one half of what I had in last summer.  To make up for it I’ve been trying to eat better ( 2 brats instead of 3, the small basket of onion rings instead of the large.. it’s all relative ).  Lift some weights.  I was finding my arms were getting tired just from shooting three rounds of trap.  I even did my first run in over five years today.  This is all a far cry from the days when I was fairly fit and never gave a thought to having to get into shape for the hunting season.

One of the things driving the desire to get in better shape is that I have some high school neighbor boys who want to hunt and after seeing them come home from their football two-a-days I know I have to pick it up so they don’t leave me huffing and puffing.

So there you go, the dog is working out, I’m working out and now all we need is for the seasons to start, the weather to play nice, and rest will be up to the hunting gods. 

Northwoods Bird Dogs