2012 Prairie Grouse and Huns Hunting Forecasts SD, NE, KS, MT, ND

2012 Forecast by Larry Brown

The outlook for our native prairie birds (sharptails and prairie chickens) and the well-established import, the gray (Hungarian) partridge, is mixed this year. Severe drought across much of the Great Plains has had negative impacts on habitat. As this report is being posted, landowners—especially from Kansas up to South Dakota—have received permission to cut hay or graze livestock on their Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. A very hot summer may also have resulted in some losses to newborn chicks.

Although last year’s grouse harvest (chickens and sharpies combined) was down somewhat in SOUTH DAKOTA, the estimated 48,000 birds bagged was still above average for the last decade. This year’s spring lek counts were similar to last year for prairie chickens, and well above the long-term average. Sharptail count numbers were down somewhat. Because of the nature and habitats of the birds, brood surveys aren’t a very reliable means of judging nesting success. However, weather conditions, in general, should have been positive for good reproduction. While sharptails have a broader range, prairie chickens are found only in the central part of the state. That region is generally the best for both species. The South Dakota website has an excellent map that shows grouse density at http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/prairie-chicken-ruffed-grouse.aspx

Last year, an estimated 6,000 hunters in NEBRASKA harvested about 17,000 prairie grouse. Like South Dakota, that total is sharptails and chickens combined. This year, the lek surveys remained stable. However, reports from the rural mail carrier survey indicated that prairie chicken numbers are up statewide with the exception of the southwest, where the drought is the worst. The drought will also hurt the special prairie chicken season in southeast Nebraska due to habitat losses. The best region for prairie grouse in Nebraska remains the Sand Hills, where bird numbers are up. That region won’t suffer as much from habitat loss on CRP ground because it has less row crop farming than other parts of the state.

See the reports on Kansas, Montana, and North Dakota plus the full Traveling Wingshooter article

SD 2012 Pheasant Count Up from 2011

PIERRE, S.D. – Annual August pheasant brood counts in South Dakota indicate that the statewide pheasant population is up from last year, and that should equate to an excellent pheasant season this fall.

Results of the survey show that pheasant numbers grew in many areas of the state, due in large part to a mild winter and ideal weather during the nesting and brood-rearing season.

The pheasants-per-mile index for 2012 is 4.21, up 18 percent from the 3.57 index of 2011.

"The mild winter of 2011-12 was the boost we needed for pheasant survival and reproductive potential," explained Jeff Vonk, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.  "It goes to show that, with the combination of good habitat and the right weather conditions, pheasants can be quite prolific.”

Much of the improvement in the pheasant counts came from areas of the state that had a good habitat base.

"Pheasant hunting will be good across most of the state, with the traditional pheasant range once again providing excellent hunting opportunities,” Vonk said.  “More than 1.5 million pheasants were harvested last year, and our counts indicate that this year will be another exceptional year for pheasant hunting in South Dakota.”

Gov. Dennis Daugaard said the pheasant survey is good news for the state.

“Pheasant hunting is important to the economic well-being of South Dakota, and it also helps support the strong outdoor heritage of our state,” the Governor said.

The 2012 Pheasant Brood Survey Report, complete with comparisons for the different local areas, can be found online at http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/pheasant-outlook.aspx

ND 2012 PLOTS Guide Atlas Now Available ( Private Land Open to Sportsmen )

Private Land Open to Sportsmen

Valid through Spring 2013
The annual PLOTS guide locates lands open to hunting through agreements
between the Department and private landowners, as well as public lands such
as wildlife management and waterfowl production areas. Printed guides will
be available in late August from license vendors and county auditors located
around the state.  View list of PLOTS Guide vendors.

View weekly webcast on PLOTS Guide details.

Note: PLOTS maps change frequently as new tracts are added and others
are removed. Maps on this page are the most current available and are
updated periodically to reflect recent changes.

What to do if you find a discrepancy between the PLOTS Guide and
 conditions on the ground? If you find an area listed as a PLOTS tract,
 but that is not marked with yellow triangular PLOTS signs from the
North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the department suggests that
you err on the side of caution and avoid entering the area until you have c
hecked it out with us.

Get the Department’s interactive PLOTS maps in real time -
Note: Turn off popup blocker.
Nonresident hunting restriction. Nonresidents may not hunt on lands
owned or leased by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, including
State Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and Private Lands Open To
Sportsmen (PLOTS), for the first week of pheasant season (October 13-19).
This restriction applies to all types of hunting, not just pheasants. This
restriction does not apply to lands owned or managed by other state agencies
such as state school lands, federal lands such as US Fish and Wildlife Service
Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), or to private lands not enrolled in the
Game and Fish Department's PLOTS program.

Public Use of Game and Fish Department Private Land Open to Sportsmen 
(PLOTS) Lands - PLOTS 30-04-08-01. Public access and use. All Private
Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) property is open only for public
walk-in access for the purpose of hunting within legal hunting seasons,
or as signed. All other activities require written permission from the property
owner. As used in this section, PLOTS is private land enrolled by the
department for purposes of hunting as established under North Dakota
Century Code section 20.1-02-27. Walk-in access for purposes of
this section is defined as an individual traveling by foot with any
legal weapon, equipment, accessories, and provisions for the purposes
of hunting. Hunting weapons, equipment, accessories, or provisions
may not be left unattended on PLOTS without written permission
of the property owner. Any person who violates this section is guilty
of a noncriminal offense and shall pay a one hundred dollar fee.

Using this Guide

Introduction to PLOTS Guide
Private Land Initiative
Using this Guide
Map Legend
PLOTS Regulations

Select map sheet in table below that corresponds to the map number above.

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More Information, Hunting Seasons Info, and ND G&F Website

MN Pheasant harvest low in 2011, grouse and ducks steady

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has completed the 2011 Small Game Hunter Survey. Results are available online.

DNR annually surveys small game license buyers to estimate both hunter numbers and harvest trends. For the 2011 hunting season, DNR mailed 6,500 surveys to small game license buyers and 58 percent returned usable questionnaires.

Pheasant
As expected, pheasant hunters and pheasant harvest declined in 2011 after two moderately severe winters and a cold, wet spring. Overall, the estimated number of pheasant hunters (77,000) decreased 13 percent from 2010. The drop corresponded with a slight decrease in pheasant stamp sales.
An estimated 204,000 pheasants were harvested in 2011, a 43 percent drop from 2010. The number of birds harvested per hunter also fell from 4 to 2.6. Both hunter numbers and harvest were at their lowest recorded level in recent years.

Ducks
Regulation changes, including an earlier opening date, likely are factors that contributed to the number of duck hunters (83,500) increasing 14 percent in 2010 and the year’s harvest increasing 18 percent. The increase in hunters corresponded with an increase in duck stamp sales.
Hunters harvested 730,000 ducks in 2010 but the results for individual hunters increased only slightly, from 8.5 birds per hunter in 2010 to 8.8 birds per hunter in 2011.

Ruffed grouse
Ruffed grouse hunter numbers (93,800) remained unchanged from 2010, and ruffed grouse remained Minnesota’s most popular small game species in 2011. The 2011 harvest of 401,000 ruffed grouse was down slightly from the 10-year peak of 465,000 in 2010 but was still one of the three highest annual harvests of the past ten years.

Grouse populations tend to fluctuate on a 10-year cycle. Minnesota’s grouse population already has begun its cyclical population decline. Harvest results continue to show that even with a declining grouse population, Minnesota has better grouse hunting than almost any other state.

Full DNR article and 2012 season dates

NY State 2012 Ruffed Grouse Drumming Report

During the spring 2012 wild turkey hunting season, DEC conducted the sixth annual Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey. This survey asks turkey hunters to record the number of grouse they hear drumming while afield. The primary purpose of the survey is to monitor the number of birds drumming per hour (i.e., the drumming rate). Changes in the drumming rate illustrate trends in the grouse population when viewed over time and will provide insight into statewide distributions for this popular game species as habitats change both locally and on a landscape scale.
You can view, print, or download the complete 2012 Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey Report (PDF) (779 kB).
We thank all the hunters that participated in the Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey during the 2012 season.

Results from the 2012 Season

During the 2012 season, 157 hunters participated in the Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey. Survey participants reported data from over 1,000 hunting trips across the state, from the lower Hudson Valley in the south, to the Adirondacks and St. Lawrence Valley in the north, and the Lake Plains and Allegheny Plateau in far western New York. They spent over 3,900 hours afield and observed just over 700 grouse (about 0.20 birds/hour). Some general findings from the 2012 season include:

• Hunters participating in the survey averaged about 25 hours afield during the 2012 season. They took about 7 trips afield for the season and spent almost 4 hours afield per trip.
• Survey participants averaged about 4.5 grouse observed per hunter for the 2012 season and had to spend 5 hours afield in order to hear one grouse drumming.
• Almost half of all survey effort took place during the first week of the season (May 1-7); however, the drumming rate (grouse drumming/hour) was relatively consistent (0.24 birds/hour) for the first two weeks of May.
• Overall, there was far more effort expended in the southern grouse season zone (about 83% of the total), but the drumming rate was similar between the two zones (0.21 grouse drumming/hour in the northern zone vs. 0.20 grouse drumming/hour in the southern zone).
• Significantly more effort was expended, and more grouse were observed, on private land than public land; however, public land had a higher drumming rate.
• Survey effort was distributed across major geographic regions of New York State. About 35% of the effort took place in western New York (14% DEC Region 8, 21% DEC Region 9), about 30% in central New York (DEC Region 7), about 25% in the southeastern portion of the State (8% DEC Regions 3, 17% DEC Region 4), and 11% in northern New York (8% in DEC Region 5 and 3% in Region 6).
• We observed the highest drumming rate in DEC Region 6 (0.29 grouse drumming/hour), but Region 7 was also above the annual statewide average of 0.20 grouse drumming/hour.
• The drumming rate was highest in the St. Lawrence Valley Ecozone (0.93 grouse drumming/hour), followed by the Adirondacks-Tug Hill Ecozone (0.25 grouse drumming/hour). The Appalachian Hills & Plateau, Catskills-Delaware Hills, and Champlain Valley ecozones were similar to or slightly above the statewide average.

Comparing 2012 to Previous Seasons

• Since this survey started in 2007, almost 500 turkey hunters took over 6,400 trips afield and spent almost 25,000 hours recording their grouse observations. Over the past six years, grouse numbers increased, peaked around 2009, and have declined since. Whether this is a result of some cyclical fluctuation or is related to the influence of habitat and weather on nest and brood success is unknown.
• From 2011 to 2012 the number of survey participants, and the number of trips and hours afield all increased, but the drumming rate declined from 0.25 to 0.20 birds/hour. The amount of time spent afield to hear one grouse drumming increased from 4.7 hours to 5 hours.
• By almost every measure - total number of grouse drumming, grouse observed/participant, grouse observed/trip, and drumming rate (grouse drumming/hour) - grouse numbers during 2012 were lower than in 2011.
• Only the Champlain Valley and St. Lawrence Valley ecozones saw an increase in the drumming rate from 2011 to 2012, but it is important to note that due to a small sample size in the St. Lawrence Valley, the results from this ecozone are less reliable than in other regions and the increase was not statistically significant. In fact, survey coverage in much of northern New York is inadequate to reliably estimate drumming rates at the WMU aggregate level (e.g., Tug Hill, Northern Adirondacks). In the future, it will be important to recruit participants in this part of the state to produce an accurate index of grouse abundance there.
• The drumming rate in the Appalachian Hills and Plateau and Catksills-Delaware Hills ecozones were similar to last year, while the Lake Plains and Mohawk Valley-Hudson Valley-Taconic Highlands ecozones saw declines in the number of grouse drumming/hour from 2011 to 2012.
• Annual variation in grouse abundance is likely a result of variation in weather, including spring temperature and rainfall and winter snow conditions, and food availability during the summer and fall (e.g., hard and soft mast, insects). Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service indicate that from April 1 through the end of May 2011, average rainfall was about 3.5 inches above normal statewide, and rainfall was above normal in almost every WMU aggregate in the state, ranging from almost 2 inches above normal in the Hudson valley to 5 inches above normal in the East Appalachian Plateau. This may have negatively affected nest and brood success last year.
• In areas with a lack of the early successional habitats on which this species depends, grouse, their nests, and young are more vulnerable to predation and other limiting factors, thus we tend to observe lower drumming rates in these areas.

Drumming Survey vs. Grouse Hunting Log and complete NY DEC article

MN 2012 Initial Pheasant Reports suggest pheasant count may increase slightly from 2011

By Tim Spielman


Minn. — Based on comments and anecdotal reports from the recent DNR roadside counts, it appears officials are optimistic – but probably not overly so – regarding the upcoming fall hunt.

Wendy Krueger, DNR area wildlife manager in Slayton, said pheasant counts this year were better than last year, but not as good as 2010.

During the past few months, the birds have been aided by a mild winter, and, for the most part, a dry spring – over-winter survival was good, as was production this year.

Following a second consecutive harsh winter, last year’s count was down 82 percent from 2010, Krueger said.

“It’s hard to get any lower than that, and it didn’t (in 2012),” she said.

Tabor Hoek, private lands specialist for the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, reports the same.

“Anecdotally, I hear things have improved from last year,” he said.
The state’s conservation officers, some of whom participate in the roadside counts, also have weighed in on the topic, both good and bad.

Read the reports from multiple Conservation Officers

SportDog SD-1850 - Upland Hunter with 2 Collars - For Sale

SOLD

Check it out on Ebay

The UplandHunter™ (Model SD-1850) offers a long list of features and benefits that reflect the company’s dedication to living up to its philosophy of providing hunters with “The Gear You’d Design.”

In keeping with the “upland” theme, the compact, ergonomic transmitter is finished in a bold UplandBlaze™ orange. This rugged, waterproof unit offers eight correction levels that are instantly selectable from the intensity dial. Delivering continuous or momentary stimulation is as simple as picking one of the two prominent buttons on the transmitter’s flat front. Both the transmitter and rugged, waterproof collar-receiver operate on rechargeable NiMH batteries. They also offer low-battery notice so a hunter is never caught in the field with an uncharged system. Together they provide up to ¾-mile of range for control of big-running dogs.

The waterproof beeper unit slides onto the collar strap and provides a tracking signal audible from up to 500 yards. The user can turn the beeper on and off or switch beeper run modes by using the transmitter’s side buttons. Run modes include Silent, a beep every five seconds or a beep every 10 seconds. In all modes, the beeper beeps once per second when the dog points. It also offers a choice of nine different tones, adjustable from the transmitter so the hunter can pick the one he can hear the best or finds most pleasant to the ear. The beeper operates on a long-life, user-replaceable lithium battery.

The UplandHunter™ 1850 can be used as a two-dog unit with the purchase of a second collar-receiver/beeper (Model SDR-BEEP). A toggle switch on the transmitter lets the user program the collars individually. Also available is the SD-AB Add-A-Beeper, which is the beeper unit only. The SD-AB can be added to any collar strap and can be operated with other SportDOG Brand® remote transmitters.

Remote Training Features:

3/4-mile range

8 levels of continuous stimulation

8 levels of momentary stimulation

Rechargeable NiMH batteries

Low-battery alert

Expandable to two-dog operation

All components waterproof and submersible

Beeper Features:

Rugged, waterproof speaker unit

Audible to 500 yards

9 tones to choose from

3 run modes (silent, 5-second beep or 10-second beep)

Long-life lithium battery operation

Beeper can be used independently of collar receiver

SportDog SD-1850 Trainer - Collar/Receiver Information:

Internal antenna system

Rugged design

100% Waterproof collar/receiver

Rechargeable NiMH batteries

User-replaceable, NiMH heavy duty batteries which will last 3-5

Built-in LED battery charge indicator and test light

Weight: 9.6 ounces with collar strap

Receiver Dimensions 3" x 1.5" x 1.5"

Collar Dimensions = 1" wide strap, 27" collar strap fits up to 23" dog neck

SportDog SD-1850 Trainer - Transmitter Dimensions:

Weight - 5.6 oz

Measurements - 2.25 " x 1.25 " x 7.5 (with antenna)

100 % waterproof

Durable NiMH batteries

Low battery Indicator

Built-in toggle switch for an easy dog upgrade

SportDog SDR-BEEP Add-A-Collar

Unlike any other product in the category, this remote beeper does not depend on a training collar to operate. You can use your transmitter to operate the remote beeper by itself, the training collar by itself, or both together if you need them. This is a flexible training/hunting accessory that will fit your style. If you own a SportDOG UplandHunter 1850, the 1850 transmitter will operate all SDR-BEEP training collar and beeper functions remotely and allow you to run a second dog. If you own a SportDOG SD-1800, SD-2000, SD-2500, or SD-3000 system, your transmitter, will operate the SDR-BEEP training collar and the remote locate or "call" function on the beeper. SportDOG Brand, Gear the way you'd design it. 

Features:

Original Collar Receiver/Remote Beeper for the UplandHunter SD-1850

Both the Collar Receiver and Remote Beeper are compatible with SportDOG SD-1800, SD-1850, SD-2000, SD-2500 and SD-3000 Remote Transmitters

Modular design allows use of Collar Receiver and Remote Beeper together or separately

Waterproof Collar Receiver and Remote Beeper

Collar Receiver uses replaceable, rechargeable NiMH battery

Beeper uses disposable CR123A battery

SportDOG 2 Year Warranty

Beeper Tones:

Low Volume Hawk

High Volume Hawk

Bobwhite Quail Call

Triple Beep

Low Volume Beep

High Volume Beep

Double High Volume Beep

High Falling to Low Volume

Double High Falling to Low Volume