South Dakota Pheasant Forecast

I heard they are forecasting a 45% drop due to drought conditions in spring. Lack of cover and insects. I’ve also heard that Western MN the numbers look good.

What are you hearing or seeing?

brood counts are about 1/2 is what I read too. I got friends going out for opener. how they do will tell me if I should go out in December or not.

Maybe 45% of people will decide not to go out because of this

I hear you Reef…. I don’t mind working for birds and enjoy less people but this concerns me. I just found the SD 2017 Brood report and read the whole thing – it’s brutal. Since 1990 South Dakota has lost 4.9 million acres of CRP – an average of 500 acres per day. And it’s showing. This is the lowest brood survey in over a decade. With all the land lost – it’s hard for your average Joe like me to do door knocking with any success.

The good pheasant habitat remaining is becoming more scare. Getting very close to only good hunting for the very rich at massive Pheasant Lodges with mostly released birds.

Very sad

Most discouraging thing for me is that almost anything capable of being hayed has been mowed and rolled.