Pheasant numbers increased 101% in the southwest corner of the state, leading an index that also marked a sizable pheasant increase in west-central Minnesota but declines elsewhere, according to the latest annual roadside survey by the Department of Natural Resources.
Pheasant population doubles in Minnesota's southwest corner; declines elsewhere
A Minnesota DNR summary of this year's survey said pheasant indices remain well below their long-term averages in most other regions of the state
September 6, 2023 at 2:38PM
In the nine-county corner of Minnesota that is south and west of Redwood Falls, the survey counted 117 pheasants for every 100 miles driven, double the count from a year earlier. The next best result was in west-central Minnesota, where the count was 63 birds per 100 miles, up 38% from 2022. Together, the DNR said, the two regions account for nearly 50% of all protected hunting land in the pheasant range.
According to the DNR, all other areas saw decreases in pheasant numbers: down 11% in the south-central area; down 39% in the central; down 50% in the southeast, and down 63% in the east-central area of the state. The August roadside survey, first conducted in 1955, covers 148 driving routes in the pheasant range, providing an index of relative abundance that shows long-term trends.
"Pheasant hunters certainly have reason to cheer in the southwest region this year,'' said Tim Lyons, a DNR upland game research scientist. The season opens Oct. 14 and runs through Jan. 1, 2024.
A DNR summary of this year's survey said pheasant indices remain well below their long-term averages in all regions except the southwest. They are near or above their 10-year averages elsewhere, except for the east-central area and in the southeast.
According to the DNR, thenumber of pheasants, hens, roosters, and broods per 100 miles all exceeded their 10-year averages in this year's survey. But the index of broods per 100 hens (92 this year) was slightly below the 10-year average. Collectively, the data "suggests good nesting and brood-rearing success in 2023,'' the DNR said in a news release.
In regions where pheasant numbers declined this year, Lyons said the downturns were possibly linked to more severe winter weather and more severe drought during the breeding season.
None of the boat’s occupants, two adults and two juveniles, were wearing life jackets, officials said.
