Traveling Wingshooter
2009

ost pheasant states are down from recent highs, due to a combination of habitat loss (conversion of CRP acres to crops) and weather. But several states will still offer excellent ringneck hunting.

The only place to start when talking pheasants is South Dakota. The state’s 1.9 million bird harvest last year is over two and a half times larger than its nearest rivals, even though it was down slightly from the 2.1 million bird mark reached in 2007. This year’s surveys show that bird numbers have slipped a bit more, but it’s all relative. South Dakota’s summer roadside survey was the fourth highest in 45 years, and 13% above the 10-year average – even though counts were down 26% from last year.

The state’s top areas will sound familiar to those who have visited South Dakota previously. Top counts in this year’s survey, starting from number one and working down, were the routes around Chamberlain, Pierre, Winner, Mobridge, Huron, Mitchell, and Aberdeen. All those routes are down from last year except Winner, which is slightly higher. However, they’re all near or above the 10-year average, and all those areas should offer excellent hunting.

Second place honors will probably go to Kansas. Although last year saw a drop from the nearly 900,000 birds taken in 2007, this year – with some survey data yet to be reported – looks to be very similar to, if not slightly better than, 2008. The top area of the state will be the northwest. Southwest Kansas also showed a modest increase, but much of that region is still recovering from last year’s drought. The other prime area is the north-central region, which would be an excellent choice for ringneck hunters looking to double up on quail.

Like Kansas, North Dakota's harvest was in the 900,000 range in 2007, then dropped to about 780,000 last year. However, the state experienced its harshest winter in over a decade, along with the loss of about a half-million acres of CRP. As a result, the spring crowing count was down about 25% over last year.

Weather also failed to cooperate during the nesting season, with much of the state cooler and wetter than normal. The result is that there will be fewer birds bagged this year. Although it could still be worth a trip, it’d be a good idea to call ahead and inquire about both bird numbers and habitat in the area you’re planning to hunt.

In Nebraska, this year’s pheasant counts were up in all regions.  Highest numbers were in the southwest, northeast, and the Panhandle, with the southwest being especially good.  Harvest data from 2008 is not yet available, but totals were 366,000 pheasants in 2007.

Brought to you by your friends at Northland Dog Supply. Back to the Traveling Wingshooter Homepage.

And don't forget to check out our Twitter feed and our page on Facebook!