South Dakota Pheasant Numbers up 47%

Hot off the press. Sigh of relief for S.D.

https://gfp.sd.gov/news/detail/1197/

Well, you have to keep in mind that there’s percentage increases and then there’s the actual counts.

In many areas the pheasants counted per mile were up, but the actual number of birds counted per mile still hovers at somewhere between a 10 and 20 year low in most areas.

All that CRP that got ripped up because everybody was going to make big bucks farming all that marginal ground back when commodity prices were high. Now they’re all cryin’ in their beer because they can’t get land enrolled again due to the cap and they’re losing their @ss trying to farm that marginal ground.

Pheasant numbers aren’t going to rebound over any sustained period until the CRP cap is raised and enrollment goes back to something that approaches the 20 year average.

Grouse

At first glance, this is positive. After reading the report, roosters are actually down 11% from last year. The main increase is in hens and the broods. Part of the report also mentioned “Some survey routes increased at a level of magnitude beyond realistic biological capacity”. Essentially meaning some of the increase in numbers is just due to more favorable survey conditions this year.

Either way, great to see the number be a substantial increase. But you always have to take these reports with a grain of salt.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it was down SO far last year because of the severe drought that there was really no other way to go but up if they got adequate rain this season (which they have).