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North Dakota's pheasant population down; grouse and partridge remain steady

North Dakota Game and Fish Department release annual Upland game brood survey.

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North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate pheasants were down from last year, while sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge numbers were about the same. (Photo by Craig Armstrong, amateur outdoor photographer from Dickinson)

State Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said the annual upland late summer counts results were as expected, with indications that pheasant populations dropped from last year. On a positive note, sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge numbers remained steady.

The North Dakota roadside surveys, conducted in late July and August, come after a unusually warm and dry winter gave way to a drought ridden summer — leaving many outdoorsmen concerned with the quality and quantity of birds come opening day.

"There have been some bad years, but this one really seemed to be one for the record books. By the time summer rolled around, I was pretty sure we were going to have a low bird count," David Riddle, an avid pheasant hunter from Marmath, N.D., said. "The numbers I'm hearing are not surprising, but are significantly better than I anticipated."

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's numbers released on Thursday, Sept. 9, show total pheasants observed per 100 miles being down 23% from last year, while broods per 100 miles are down 30%. The average brood size of six remained nearly unchanged, providing a final summary based on nearly 300 surveys across 102 brood routes.

“Recent weather patterns have shifted toward a drier period, particularly this year with a warm, open winter and exceptional drought across much of the state,” Kolar said. “Hunters should expect to find similar numbers to 2020, with the exception that there will be fewer acres of typical grassland cover to walk.”

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Observers in the northwest counted eight broods and 68 pheasants per 100 miles, down from 10 broods and 80 pheasants in 2020 — with an average brood size of six.

Results from the southeast showed three broods and 24 pheasants per 100 miles, down from five broods and 42 pheasants in 2020 — with an average brood size of four.

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicated six broods and 59 pheasants per 100 miles, down from seven broods and 65 pheasants in 2020 — with an average brood size of seven chicks.

The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed three broods and 24 pheasants per 100 miles, compared to three broods and 22 pheasants last year — with an average brood size of five.

Kolar said sharptail hunters should expect to find mainly adult grouse this fall, saying numbers along the Missouri River are still high compared to long-term averages. According to Kolar, hunters who can find cover should have average to good hunting. The eastern part of the state had fewer sharp-tailed grouse, with only isolated hot spots.

“Many rangelands that hold grouse on an average year will be too open to hunt this fall, and most grouse will likely be found in shrubland and woodland draws and/or near riparian areas,” he added.

Sharptails observed per 100 miles are up 2% statewide. Brood survey results show observers recorded two sharptail broods and 19 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was six.

Although partridge numbers have shown a slight increase, Kolar said most of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. Partridge densities in general, he said, are too low to target.

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Partridge observed per 100 miles are up 9%. Observers recorded one partridge brood and 10 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 10.

The grouse and partridge seasons open Sept. 11 and continues through Jan. 2, 2022.

The pheasant season opens Oct. 9 and continues through Jan. 2, 2022. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Oct. 2-3.

James B. Miller, Jr. is the Editor of The Dickinson Press in Dickinson, North Dakota. He strives to bring community-driven, professional and hyper-local focused news coverage of southwest North Dakota.
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