MN Pheasant numbers up 75%!?

[Fish_Off]

I see that the numbers are up in Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota, But were up 75% compared to Iowa's 19% or South Dakota's 21%. Are we really going to see this many birds this fall? Maybe some people who live or drive out west a lot can answer this best. Are there really that many more birds this year?

[lawdog]

First of all, everyone needs to remember this about the MN DNR roadside count numbers. The counts are an absolute joke. They have one set day to go out on one fixed route, and no matter the weather or anything else, that's the only day and the only route they can go count. If they happen to encounter birds that day, that's a high count and if they happen not to, that's the count anyway and its low.

75%? No way. Better than last year, ya probably a bit better.

[woody1975]

Anyone who has been driving around in Southern MN will tell you that the DNR has got to be right "this time". I travel about 30 miles to work and back, along with the 100's of miles scouting for geese and can tell you, for a fact, that there are many more pheasants this year than I have ever seen. One day, while going out to set my trail camera, I spotted 70 pheasants. The trip was probably a total of 30 miles. These pheasants were anywhere from chicks that were 3-4 inches tall to roosters that were just starting to get the red patch around their eye and all sizes in between.

Looking forward to a great season.

Good Luck

[Fish_Off]

I was thinking of trying that area out for geese how did you do?

[woody1975]

We "had" a lot of geese around (200-250) and we usually do pretty well, but this year we made the wrong decision, as far as fields go and by the time we figured out where we should have gone, the hunters on the lake had them scared off. Not a big fan of the water hunt for the early season! The best I heard was a few guys on the water shot 10 or 12 otherwise it was a lot of 1,2, and 3 bag limits. There seems to be an influx of hunters in the area, too. Getting pretty competitive. Even had another group of hunters in the field we hunted.

[BDR]

Who know's if they are really up 75% or not. I will make the assumption that they are up significantly. I will be in the field either way.

I do take it as a good sign.

[Snag]

I doubt the 75% is correct, but it would be great if it is. I'm definitely planning on driving a little farther West this year on my trips and taking some weekdays off.

[gspman]

The reports I've heard have been favorable. 75% is a lot though.

[riverrat56]

Woody, shoot me an email at nick_domeier77 @ hotmail.com, I do alot of hunting and fishing around the hanska area, wondering what feilds you were hunting at last weekend. We hunted a pasture by searles on saterday and got 4, hunted way back on the end of the lake by geiger point on sunday, had 3 come in and i went to grab my gun and slipped in the boat, then had 2 on the outside of the decoys and that was it.

[Guest]

I travel alot of gravel roads in my daily ventures and I do believe the numbers are up from last year,but would not agree with the D.N.R. numbers in my area.Its good that they are up as last year was the worst year I have evr had in Mn in the 35 years Ive hunt pheasants.75% up from next to nothing is still close to nothing.This will more than likely be the first time in my hunting life that I will not buy a pheasant license,going back to Iowa.

[OUTDOORNUT]

I think the # of young rooster from last year may have also helped this season's surge. How many times did you pull up on a bird and had doughts it was a rooster. I know our group let a LOT of young roosters live due to the fact the shooter couldn't tell %100 the sex of that bird. Not a bad thing at all though.

My buddy who works for Senca (Green Giant) reports the bird #'s are up a bunch and he puts on 100-150 miles a day around the country side.

[CodyDawg]

If you look at the graph of the DNRs roadside count versus the harvest, they correlate very well. Last year was great for me, so I am very optimistic about this year as well. Even if it is a little high, it sure beats a negative number!

[lawdog]

Quote:

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If you look at the graph of the DNRs roadside count versus the harvest, they correlate very well. Last year was great for me, so I am very optimistic about this year as well. Even if it is a little high, it sure beats a negative number!

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Geez, don't get me started on their "harvest data" for pheasants. How many of you have to tag and register your birds so they get that accurate count??? What a joke. Its almost as made up and artificial as these road side count numbers...

[sheepheadslayer]

last year was my best year in 10 years..... I drive 100 miles every day but i can say that i have not seen anymore than last year.

[Phezhunter]

They are up I have never seen more birds then this year. Not sure if it's 75% but it is way up.

[Rost]

I knew of a DNR pheasant counter in SW MN that would flat out lie about the numbers he saw. Being a big pheasant hunter himself, he didn't want the crowds of people around. So he'd actually report less birds than he actually saw.

I know, I know, not exactly what the DNR wanted when they hired him.

[Roosterslayer05]

well from what iv seen and iv seen allot, the bird numbers are way up. Iv seen pheasents on every road iv been on from Lesuer, to niccolet, to worthington. Dove opener i scared up over 50 birds walking on a cut path. I predict a better year then 2 years ago. Iv hunted 6 of the 7 days so far in september and probly the worst day i saw 8 pheasents and thats because i was around belle plaine where there usually arnt a whole lot of birds.

[ole matty]

the pheasant nbr might be up. there was not that much of pheasant in chisago city/stacy/ wyoming area. went dove hutning. saw 4 pheasant flying acrosss cornsfield and 2 more pheasant flushed when i done hunting, which its amazed me. i only had saw 2 or 3 pheasant last 5 year so nbr might be up and moving up north.

[BDR]

Matty- In that area and even up to Pine city has been very good the last several years. Hard to find land to hunt but if you do it can be real good local spot.

[mistermom]

Hey Brian!

You are correct sir. And if the count can be believed there should be some real good number of birds in Isanti, Pine, and Kanabec counties. I'm looking forward to Charlie and Daisy having some playdates soon!

mm

[Ray Esboldt]

MM, good to see you back in action again. Hope everything is going as well as possible.

OK, just so everyone doesn't saddle up to hunt the pheasants of Pine, Isanti, and Kannabec counties - MM and Brian's statements are relative. I've observed more pheasants than ever in this territory this year. However, it's not even a blip compared to the bad years of Southwestern Minnesota. There's pockets of pheasants, but there is not tons. Just wanted to save folks from canceling their South Dakota trips and booking a couple nights at a hotel in Mora.

[CodyDawg]

Lawdog,

Long time no talk! Actually, call me a sucker, but I believe that driving the miles they drive and doing the survey they do is a lot more scientific than a few anecdotal reports from a few hunyucks.

As for the harvest, same thing. Maybe not perfect, but statistically better than relying on anecdotal reports.

[lawdog]

Hey Cody,

Ya I think they are somewhat of an indicator, but they aren't real scientific is my only point. I don't think the numbers were down as bad as they said last year, and I don't think they are up 75% this year. Of course the other thing is, if you tell people they are up 75% over last year which you said was down 50% from the year before, aren't you really saying they are just about back to normal? You know what they say about statistics and surveys and stuff like this: figures lie and liars figure...

Regardless, I do think it will be a decent year, although it sounds like north of Pipestone and Rock will be better than here maybe. Whatever the DNR says, I'm sure there will be some birds to shoot like there always are, and I'm definitely sure walking a field behind my dogs will be WAY BETTER than work even if there isn't a single bird there!

[CodyDawg]

Lawdog said: "I'm definitely sure walking a field behind my dogs will be WAY BETTER than work even if there isn't a single bird there!"

Codydawg says: A truer trueth has never been spoken.

[Jackpine Rob]

OK boys, looks like the 'Dog is trying to keep us away from Luverne - and you know what that means! Load 'em up and head for Luverne - following is an unauthorized link to the Chamber of Commerce so we can find food, drink and lodging.... You might want to call and book your rooms early.

http://www.luvernemn.com/Default.asp

[gspman]

Ya'll go down there. I'll have the rest of the state to myself.

[BDR]

Ray you are very correct. It is relative to bieng so close to the city. It is not my goto spots. And there is very little public land that gets pounded hard.

[lawdog]

Heck Jacpine, you guys are all welcome. We like taking money from you tourists, especially since you won't kill many of our local birds anyway. Just don't complain when there aren't a zillion pheasants coming out of the three or four WMA's in the county that you all are trying to squeeze yourself into...

[Roosterslayer05]

lawdogs right, there are no WMA's around levurne but i do hunt some private land around there thats full of pheasents. If you cant find private land to hunt around there its not worth it.

[fishing 101]

The numbers are no where near the population we had in 2003. That was a great year here in SW MN. This year looks to be similar to last year. Not a bad year, but it was definitley the fewest amount of birds I shot in the last 7 years and we have all the private land a guy could ask for. If it turns out to be like last year - I am heading North for some fall muskie fishing.