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Pheasants Forever's 2010 forecasts

Yeah this stinks! I can see how they would be down with mother nature and the Turkey population exploding. Also, their habitat is disappearing. I can't blame the farmers but every year there is less and less hunting ground as the farmers are bulldozing everything and planting more and more.
 
1100011CS said:
Good thing I'm going to South Dakota twice this year. Might be the only pheasants I see.
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How many seats you have in that vehicle? :wink:

FWIW - if there are any of our Cyclone brethern farmers in SD or KS being adversely impacted by this apparent overrun of pheasants - feel free to ask for help. At the same time, any farmers in the central Iowa area having deer issues and would like a bow hunter ..... :yes:
 
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DaddyMac said:
State by state

Pheasants Forever's 2010 Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Sounds like Iowa is expected to be pretty bad this year. Not surprising. Wonder if the DNR has any intention to reduce the daily or possession limits and help things bounce up.
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How much of last year's shortfall was due to the late harvest? That shouldn't be the case this year with the way that crops are progressing - even if bird counts are down, they might be more accessible for a greater portion of the season than they were last fall.
 
TykeClone said:
How much of last year's shortfall was due to the late harvest? That shouldn't be the case this year with the way that crops are progressing - even if bird counts are down, they might be more accessible for a greater portion of the season than they were last fall.
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Not sure I'm following? If anything, wouldn't late harvest and crops in the fields help the population? More cover, more food?

This year's decline were on top of two previous years big declines.

Edit: you're not talking about projections, but harvest numbers. Gotcha
 
DaddyMac said:
Not sure I'm following? If anything, wouldn't late harvest and crops in the fields help the population? More cover, more food?

This year's decline were on top of two previous years big declines.

Edit: you're not talking about projections, but harvest numbers. Gotcha
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More cover & more food = good - but when the hunting ground is next to a corn field, it's tough to find a bird.

Last fall, once the nearby fields were harvested, we did see birds often enough - but that was a short window between the corn leaving and the snow getting out of hand.

I am apprehensive as well about actual bird numbers this year because of the harsh winter last year.
 
TykeClone said:
More cover & more food = good - but when the hunting ground is next to a corn field, it's tough to find a bird.

Last fall, once the nearby fields were harvested, we did see birds often enough - but that was a short window between the corn leaving and the snow getting out of hand.

I am apprehensive as well about actual bird numbers this year because of the harsh winter last year.
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I didn't run into much corn in my pheasant hunting - only go a few places and it wasn't an issue. Didn't talk to too many who had problems either.

Definitely made my bow hunting an impossible task, however.

Glad to see the crops are supposedly maturing and drying out very early this year. Hopefully they'll get the crops out.
 
Really depressing as the population has decreased so much in the last 5 years. Habitat and weather seem to be the major factors. I believe Iowa is almost 99% private land, not much the DNR can do, baring a major federal set aside program. Lower bag limits don't do much either because 1 rooster can service 12 hens and their lifespan is usually 1 to 2 years.
 
Our group hunts the same land year in and year out. The farmer always gives us first dibs for opening day. Talked to him last week, and he said the flock looks to be intact, although he said many more hens than roosters. That is bad for this year, but good for the next.
 
2020cy said:
Really depressing as the population has decreased so much in the last 5 years. Habitat and weather seem to be the major factors. I believe Iowa is almost 99% private land, not much the DNR can do, baring a major federal set aside program. Lower bag limits don't do much either because 1 rooster can service 12 hens and their lifespan is usually 1 to 2 years.
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That's a good point. It also reminds me of a talk a PF biologist gave at Ike's one evening. Said that he tries to clear every rooster he can off his property before winter really hits. The key is hens, not roosters. The hens will get bred, and all those roosters are doing is keeping much needed food from them during the winter months.
 
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