Pheasant hunters in Minnesota should see a few more roosters this autumn thanks to a more mild winter and a decent brood hatch, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reporting Wednesday that their roadside pheasant count was up 19 percent over 2017.
This year's statewide pheasant index was 45.5 birds per 100 miles of roads driven and the survey tally went up in all areas except the south-central region, which decreased by 36 percent from 2017, likely due to late spring snowstorms.
The highest pheasant counts were in the west-central, southwest and central regions where observers reported 48 to 65 birds per 100 miles driven. Hunters should find the best hunting opportunities in these regions, the DNR said.
Minnesota's 2018 pheasant season runs Oct. 13, through Jan. 1. The daily bag limit is two roosters through November and increases to three roosters on Dec. 1. The possession limit is six roosters, increasing to nine roosters on Dec. 1, and shooting hours are 9 a.m. to sunset.
The DNR said this year's survey result is similar to recent years over the last decade but remains 52 percent down from the long term average. Still, the increase was good news after a cold, snowy April and heavy rains during hatching season across some of the state's pheasant range.
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Most hens delayed nesting or re-nested, allowing for an increase despite some bad conditions, said Lindsey Messinger, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist who coordinated this year's survey. This year's hatch was more than a week later than usual in most areas, she noted.
Weather is just one factor in pheasant numbers, with habitat - namely unplowed and undeveloped grassland - by far the biggest factor. Minnesota farmland-area wildlife habitat remains down from recent decades after more land was plowed into corn and soybeans. Habitat can help mitigate the impacts of weather, and the availability of quality nesting habitat is more important for long-term pheasant population trends, the DNR said.
Federal Conservation Reserve Program acres peaked in 2007, rose a little this year but are expected to drop again next year depending on the federal Farm Bill being developed in Washington.
Minnesota's 2018 statewide pheasant brood index increased 28 percent from last year. Regional brood counts increased in every region except the east-central region, where it remained similar to last year, and the south-central region, where it declined by 28 percent compared to last year.
The DNR has been counting pheasants along roads every August since 1955. DNR wildlife managers and conservation officers drive 151 different 25-mile-long routes.
South Dakota last week reported their statewide pheasant survey up 49 percent form a very low 2017.
This year's Minnesota gray partridge survey remained similar to 2017 and was 50 percent below the 10-year average and 93 percent below the long-term average; the mourning dove survey results decreased 7 percent from 2017 and remained below the 10-year average and long-term averages; the cottontail rabbit count decreased 23 percent from 2017 but was 13 percent above the 10-year average; and the jackrabbit index was similar to last year and remains historically low.
