Scary

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gripper39
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Scary

Post by gripper39 » Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:23 pm

I was looking at the Pheasant count in South Dakota and it is down from 4.19 to 1.52. Seems like a very drastic drop to me and it is even more concerning because the report from the DNR said in other words not to worry. Numbers don't lie hoping it is not a replay of what has happened here in Illinois when I was growing up enjoyed good bird numbers now I hunt the same places and see no pheasants at all. Just quail which is fine by me but It is scary to see the decrease in what is supposed to be the pheasant capitol. So does that mean there is no hope for the future of pheasant hunting?

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Re: Scary

Post by Neil » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:15 pm

The loss of habitat due to less CRP is going to hurt, but it was mostly the weather. The birds are still plentiful in comparison to anywhere else, and should come back some.

It is why it is called hunting and not shooting.

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birddog1968
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Re: Scary

Post by birddog1968 » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:20 pm

Believe it or not pheasant are not well adapted to weather extremes on the prairies so you will see big swings from year to year.

.....and more steady smaller swings in true native prairie grouse.

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Bossman27
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Re: Scary

Post by Bossman27 » Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:11 am

I figured I would see the the massive decline in wild pheasant hunting in my lifetime, I just didn't think it would come so soon.

The weather had an impact on the pheasants, but the declining habitat is also impacting the pheasants and will impact their ability to bounce back. Pricing are going to go way up because hunting land is at a premium in the Dakota's these days.

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Re: Scary

Post by polmaise » Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:33 am

We don't have that problem as all ours are reared.

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birddog1968
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Re: Scary

Post by birddog1968 » Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:53 pm

polmaise wrote:We don't have that problem as all ours are reared.
I wouldn't call half a dozen states that each dwarf Scotland individually, loaded with wild pheasant, that see cyclic swings in population, a problem.

But hey that's just me :lol:

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markj
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Re: Scary

Post by markj » Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:10 pm

They wll stock them fields with pen raised you can bet on that.

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Re: Scary

Post by Neil » Thu Sep 05, 2013 8:05 pm

markj wrote:They wll stock them fields with pen raised you can bet on that.
You really believe that, if you do, how about some facts to bavk it up. I mean it is nonsense to think some agency releases a million + pheasant6 each year.

There is no doubt there are a lot of birds released each year on the preserve, but you are nuts to suggest it is through out the state. Think about it.

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ezzy333
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Re: Scary

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Sep 05, 2013 8:34 pm

Neil wrote:
markj wrote:They wll stock them fields with pen raised you can bet on that.
You really believe that, if you do, how about some facts to bavk it up. I mean it is nonsense to think some agency releases a million + pheasant6 each year.

There is no doubt there are a lot of birds released each year on the preserve, but you are nuts to suggest it is through out the state. Think about it.
Neil, as I understand it they probably do release over a million. I think they raise a lot and I know they buy a lot from MN. We have people here in Wisconsin that raise that many.

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Re: Scary

Post by Ms. Cage » Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:54 pm

The state of S.D. has been releasing birds for many years, Indain reservations included. Think about it , SD's number one cash crop.

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Re: Scary

Post by Neil » Fri Sep 06, 2013 1:56 am

Guys,

This is black helicopter stuff.

The SD Game and Fish denies it in writing, so you guys think they are lying, and not even a low level employee blows the whistle.

Now the put and take preserves release a lot of birds, but the state is not stocking the public and ranch lands.

Neil

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Re: Scary

Post by cjhills » Fri Sep 06, 2013 6:27 am

Ms. Cage wrote:The state of S.D. has been releasing birds for many years, Indain reservations included. Think about it , SD's number one cash crop.
The shooting preserves start shooting wild birds the first of Sept and are required to replace them. The hunting lodges that advertise all wild birds are releasing or they would be out of birds in a few weeks. Everybody has stories about state releases but I haven't seen any documentation to back the stories. Don't know about the reservations but I doubt it their pheasant population is generally quite low. More sharp tails
Easy to tell a released bird, In many years of hunting, I have never shot one in SD except near a shooting preserve.
Not even close to the number one cash crop. Do you think farmers pay $5,000+ an acre to raise pheasants. Plus, if you believe pheasants forever they would only last a few days.
Bird populations in general are dropping all over the west mostly due to cold wet springs,habitat loss and Summer drought. Pheasants rebound quickly and will recover with favorable weather. But we have been in the is weather pattern for quite some time. don't look for it to change soon
If SD was doing some under cover stuff to entice hunters why not just exaggerate the count nos. ..............Cj

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Bossman27
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Re: Scary

Post by Bossman27 » Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:29 am

I shot two banded birds in one year out there in 2011. One was a $25 gift card to use within a certain city limits, one got me a $30 gift card to an appliance store.

They release those, they may release more...its tough to say if a city does it on their own behalf.

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windswept
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Re: Scary

Post by windswept » Fri Sep 06, 2013 1:31 pm

The state of South Dakota DOES NOT release any pheasants.
Private reserves release a lot and there are many farmers that do because they charge groups to come in and hunt their land.
Trust me, the state doesn't release any birds.

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birddog1968
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Re: Scary

Post by birddog1968 » Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:57 pm

State law says any lodge or shooting preserve must release up to what they shoot.....or 600 first year 1200 there after, all roosters. It states at no time may a hunting operations take exceed what they stock.

As far as state stocking......lol.....that'd be the best kept secret ever. If they did it'd be well known.

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markj
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Re: Scary

Post by markj » Tue Sep 10, 2013 2:53 pm

You really believe that, if you do, how about some facts to bavk it up. I mean it is nonsense to think some agency releases a million + pheasant6 each year.
Man, best just go and see for yourself. Farmers will release pen raised, why? To make folks that pay more than 100per day to hunt something to hunt. Think about it.

Public land will get no help, only pay to hunt shops. They been doing it this way for many years now.

I know one farm bought a million birds already. Heck places around here go thru thousands of birds each season starting sept 1 going to march 31. I been on quail hunts where they released 2 or 3 thousand birds, cost 100 per gun no limit :) I use a 410

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