BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – If you listen closely, there are fewer pheasants in the field this spring than last year.
According to North Dakota Game and Fish, the crowing number of pheasants is 23% lower this year than it was last year. But that number isn’t as bad as it may sound. The survey is based on how many birds they can hear, and that’s not always a good indication of how many birds there will be this fall.
“All signs are pointing to positive, but nothing’s ever for sure when you’re dealing with wildlife populations. The only thing that concerns me is the cold. It’s been pretty wet in the southeast part of the state, down there it could be really tough because a lot of cover is underwater for the most part,” said R.J. Gross, upland game management biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
The next count Game and Fish will do is to count the broods, which will last until the end of August. R.J. Gross expects to have a good idea of how many birds are out there by mid-August, and there will be definitive numbers by Sept. 1. The season opens October 8th.
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