2006 Minnesota Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook-

Hunters harvested 585,000 birds in 2005, the highest number is 40 years. Hunters can expect to find roughly the same amount of birds in the field as last year, according to the Department of Natural Resources' August Roadside Survey. The best hunting should be in the southwestern part of the state, with observers finding 242.2 birds per 100 miles. There were also significant increases in the population from 2005 in central and west-central Minnesota, with 113 birds per 100 miles observed in both regions.

Over all pheasant populations are up slightly up in Minnesota compared to last year, which is good news for the Minnesota pheasant hunter. The best opportunity for harvesting pheasants appears to be in the Southwest region, although good opportunities will likely also be available in the West Central and Central regions. Population indices for ring-necked pheasants in 2006 were similar to last year. The winter of 2005-06 was average to mild throughout Minnesota’s agricultural zone, and spring weather was warm and dry. Overwinter survival of farmland wildlife in 2006 was probably above average, and reproductive success was moderate.

Hunters at the opener will find most crops are still in the fields. At the start of October, the soybean harvest was slightly behind the five-year average, with 19 percent of the crop picked. More than 80 percent of crops were mature and ready to be picked; now, it's a matter of weather suitability. The corn harvest was at 4 percent, slightly behind the five-year average. Corn is also ahead of schedule and ready to be picked.

Although the pheasant index (113.8 birds/100 mi) was similar to last year, it was 75% above the 10-year average, but remained 58% below the benchmark years of 1955-64 (soil-bank years with marginal cropland in long-term set-aside, a diversified agricultural landscape, more small grains and tame hay, and less pesticide use). Adult pheasants indices increased from 2005, which reflects improved overwinter survival from last year, whereas reproductive success was similar to last year. Overall, the size of the fall population will be close to 2005 levels. The best opportunity for harvesting pheasants appears to be in the Southwest region, although good opportunities will likely also be available in the West Central and Central regions.

Habitat conditions in the pheasant range continue to maintain their highest levels since the mid-1990s. Over 1 million acres of habitat are currently enrolled in farm programs (e.g., CRP, CREP, RIM, WRP), and another over 650,000 acres of habitat are protected as Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and Waterfowl Protection Areas. Within the pheasant range, protected grasslands account for about 6.1% of the landscape. The average number of pheasants observed per 100 miles was similar to 2005 and 75% above the 10-year average. The pheasant index was similar to the long-term average, but remained below the benchmark years of 1955-64 by 58%. Total pheasants observed per 100 miles ranged from 29.8 in the Southeast to 242.2 in the Southwest . Changes from last year were not significant in any region. The range-wide hen index (hens/100 mi) increased 21% (95% CI: 7-35%) from last year , and varied from 5.2 hens/100 miles in the Southeast to 41.2 hens/100 miles in the Southwest. The cock index also increased this year, up 49% (95% CI: 26-72%) from 2005. The 2006 hen:cock ratio was 1.6 compared to 2.0 in 2005 and 1.3 in 2004. Given the above-average fall population in 2005 and likely above-average overwinter survival, the spring breeding population should have been higher than average.

Data from spring pheasant surveys, conducted as part of a CRP/pheasant study, indicated unusually high breeding pheasant populations, with a 95% increase in hen indices from 2005 (Kurt Haroldson, MNDNR, unpublished data). These surveys were conducted on 36 study areas located in Lincoln, Lyon, Cottonwood, and Jackson Counties in the Southwest; Pope County in the West Central; and LeSueur, and Rice Counties in the South Central region during April 20 – May 27. The number of pheasant broods observed per 100 miles increased 13% from last year, 77% from the 10-year average, and 35% from the long-term average (Table 2). The brood index continues to remain below the benchmark years (1955-64). Regional brood indices ranged from 5.2 broods/100 miles in the Southeast to 37.8 broods/100 miles in the Southwest. Average brood size in 2006 (4.8 ± 0.1 [SE] chicks/brood) was similar to last year (5.0 ± 0.1 [SE] chicks/brood), the 10-year mean (5.0 chicks/brood), but below the long-term average (5.6 chicks/brood; Table 2). The median hatch date for pheasants was June 8 (n = 663), the same as last year and 1 day later than the 10-year average (Table 2). The distribution of estimated hatch dates for observed broods was unimodal and approximately normally distributed, which suggests that many early nesting attempts were successful (vs. wide-spread nest failure, which often leads to an extensive renesting effort and a bimodal peak in hatch dates). Average age of broods observed was 8.2 weeks (range: 1-16 wks).

A high range-wide pheasant index was expected given the mild winter and warm, dry weather during the reproductive season. The combination of relatively high hen numbers and average reproductive success led to a large pheasant index for 2006. In addition the increase in the cock index indicates higher than average carryover from the 2005 reproductive season. Overall, the size of the fall population will be similar to 2005 levels. The best opportunity for harvesting pheasants appears to be in the Southwest region, although good opportunities will likely also be available in the West Central and Central regions.

"It should be a very good season,'' said Matt Holland, Pheasants Forever's director of conservation programs for Minnesota. "The conditions we've had (over the winter) were pretty much ideal. Based on the conditions, it should be up from last year."

Holland noted hunters are finding huntable populations in areas where birds were scarce in past years. "We're seeing good numbers in the (prairie-forest) transition zone,'' he said. "With these winters, those birds are able to move north and take advantage of those habitats."

Minnesota Pheasant Hunting Locations