Upland Gamebird Hunting Forecast Update
by Dave Smith
Here’s a quick update to our 2015 Upland Gamebird Forecast. Some state fish and wildlife agencies conduct late summer roadside/brood surveys for certain species, providing a better picture of upland gamebird production than is available at press time in late July.
These survey results were recently made available and confirmed our hunch – this looks to be a very promising season!
Upland gamebird populations, as expected, responded favorably to excellent conditions during the nesting and brood-rearing season in many states. Here are the results of roadside and other late summer surveys from the respective state wildlife agencies.
PHEASANT
In South Dakota, the statewide pheasants per mile index for the 2015 pheasant brood survey increased 42% (2.68 to 3.80) compared to 2014. This population index is lower than the 10-year average but nearly double that of 2013 when hunters harvested just under a million pheasants. It marks a second straight year of substantial gains.
Iowa is back in the discussion of top pheasant states with a 37% increase from last year and its highest population index since 2007 at 24.0 birds/route. Significant increases were reported in all northern regions and the Central and Southeast regions. Likewise, summer brood counts in Kansas revealed a statewide 51% increase, attributed to increased rainfall this spring and summer. Nebraska pheasant hunters should see much better numbers this fall as numbers were up 83% and 132%, respectively, in the state’s best two regions for pheasants – the Southwest and Panhandle. Finally, in Minnesota, the 2015 pheasant population index increased 33% from 2014 as a result of a mild winter and relatively favorable spring and summer weather.
Read the full forecast from the fall issue.
BOBWHITE QUAIL
In Texas, the bobwhite rebound is officially in full swing! The combination of above-average rainfall and cooler summer temperatures have resulted in vegetation and insect abundance like we haven’t seen in many years, particularly in South Texas and the Rolling Plains. Reports from South Texas sound the most dramatic, according to Robert Perez, Texas Wildlife & Parks’ quail authority, with broods observed all summer long, multiple age classes, and large-sized broods. Conditions in the Rolling Plains were outstanding as we reported in the magazine but this region was hit the hardest by the drought and may still be another good year away from a quail boom.
Read the full forecast from the fall issue.
SHARPTAILS, HUNS, AND PRAIRIE CHICKENS
This should be a great year for prairie grouse and Huns! Sharp-tailed grouse production was excellent in Nebraska, particularly in the Sandhills. In North Dakota, sharptail populations are stable with an overall 4% decline but 6% increase in broods observed, and Huns are up by a whopping 22%. In Montana, sharptail and Hun populations are expected to be very good in the northeastern and central regions due to a warmer than usual spring and good moisture. The Clearwater region of Idaho is the Hun sleeper this year with a staggering 189% increase from last year and one of the three highest Hun counts in the last 25 years!
Read the full forecast from the fall issue.
CHUKARS
The 2015 Nevada Chukar Forecast revealed the population to be 8% above the long-term average and 6% below last year. Moderate to substantial increases were observed in the Santa Rosa, Pine Forest, Izzenhood, and Rock Creek survey plots. As noted in the magazine, the May and June rains likely turned things around after a very dry winter. Chukar production was excellent in the Clearwater region of Idaho and very good in southwest Idaho.
Read the full forecast from the fall issue.
