Mid Season Report

November 15, 2017 by UGUIDE South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

After 4 weeks of harvest reports and various conversations we are observing some interesting trends for the 2017 pheasant season.

1.  Hunters are reporting seeing "lots of hens" during their hunts.  This is abnormal to see early season but more common late season.  Possibly this is an indication of a poor hatch but a strong carryover of 2nd year birds.

2.  Across the board at all camps our harvested bird per person number is down.

3.  Crop harvest is late and there are still many cornfields still standing which is not unusual but usually favors the late season hunters when crops are harvested by week 7 and then some snow is needed in the stubble fields to concentrate birds in remaining cover.

4.  Cover is good going into winter and will help bird numbers in 2018 nesting season unlike the 2012 drought which stressed birds in the fall and winter and overall numbers reflected that in 2013.

5.  The drought of 2017 was the inverse of 2012.  This year we were dry early and wet late.  Crops were saved but the late moisture was not as beneficial to late hatch nesting success.