Midwest pheasant numbers are up in 2023

HARTINGTON — Hunters can finally go out for the Midwest pheasant season.

In some states the opener is a huge deal, as in Watertown my home town, when there was a good pheasant hatch, hundreds of hunters and families came to town, to hunt for the state’s gamebird.

Which meant the hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations and bars did an unbelievable business, as did the bird cleaners, as most of the hunters had no way to freeze their birds once the birds were cleaned I cleaned birds back in the late fifties and sixties and if I did a good job, also received a healthy tip on top of the price I charged for cleaning.

Reports this year indicated, because of the weather we’ve that there were good to excellent bird hatches.

In South Dakota, the Game, Fish & Parks reported, because of the spring and summer rains across much of the state, created ideal nesting and brood rearing habitat for pheasant production.

In the state the seasons are, the Youth Only: September 30 - October 8. Resident Only: October 14 – 16, Traditional: October 21 - January 31 According to the Nebraska Game & Parks the statewide pheasant counts during this year’s July rural mail carrier survey were down 19% compared to 2022. According to surveys, the Panhandle should support some of the higher pheasant densities this fall. The areas of the state that saw increases in numbers from 2022 were the northeast (+39%) and the central (+41%) regions, where pheasant counts also exceeded five-year averages. The habitat conditions are more isolated within these regions, but where quality cover exists, hunters should find better pheasant hunting opportunities. As of mid-August, about 52% of the state is experiencing moderate to extreme drought but more extreme conditions were seen on the northern fringes of the range – the north central and northeast. Results from summer surveys were somewhat mixed across the state but, along with field reports, suggest good winter survival carried over more birds into this 2023’s breeding population.

The Minnesota Statewide, pheasants averaged shows a 10% increase from 2022 and a 26% above the 10-year average. This year’s Youth pheasant season is being held Oct. 21-22, with the regular Pheasant season running from Oct. 28-Jan. 10, 2024.

In Iowa the August pheasant survey had the highest statewide counts since 2015, with the biggest increases coming from southwest, northwest and northeast regions. The statewide average was nearly 23 birds per route; a 15 percent increase over 2022.

“The bird counts were better in northwest and northeastern Iowa. The population in northeast is the highest that region has seen in 24 years, the 2023 August pheasant season for youth is Oct. 2122, with their regular pheasant season opening Oct. 28-Jan. 10, 2024.