2010 South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook Forecast Report - WinterSpring

March 24, 2010 by Chris Hitzeman

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 the 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 the snow has melted they have access to a whole new batch of food from what was folded over and lying 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 the 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 the 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 equalizer though as these birds can really rebound.