By DOUG SMITH, STAR TRIBUNE
October 07, 2014 - 8:49 PM
Hunters might find more pheasants this season than expected based on sightings.
Some wildlife managers are cautiously optimistic Minnesota’s pheasant hunters will encounter more ringnecks than had been expected when the season opens Saturday.
“I think they will find more birds than last year,’’ said Dave Trauba, Department of Natural Resources area wildlife manager at Lac qui Parle in western Minnesota. “I’m not saying it will be like 10 years ago when we had a lot of birds. We’re not there yet. But I think hunters should see more birds.’’
Trauba bases that hunch not only on the DNR’s August roadside survey, which showed a 6 percent increase in the pheasant index, but on the observations of his crews in the field.
“They are seeing birds,’’ he said.
Bill Schuna, DNR wildlife manager in Slayton in southwestern Minnesota, also is optimistic.
“My gut feeling is there are more birds than last year,’’ he said. “I think we’ll be pleasantly surprised.’’ His area includes Worthington, site of the Governor’s Pheasant Opener.
Schuna saw a variety of age-classes of pheasants last weekend, including some late-hatched birds that hunters might have difficulty identifying as roosters, he said.
Though the 2013 harvest was the lowest in 27 years, some hunters reported better than anticipated success, thanks perhaps to a late pheasant hatch. And wildlife managers think a late hatch could help again this fall.
“I think they’ll find birds,’’ said Randy Markl, DNR area wildlife manager in Windom, who believes the pheasant population in his area likely is similar to 2013. “Last year was better than a lot of people thought it would be,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, plenty of standing corn will greet hunters, likely providing a refuge for roosters. Only 5 percent of corn and 23 percent of soybeans were harvested as of Monday.
Will hunters return?
The big question for wildlife officials and the tourism industry is how many pheasant hunters will show up. Last year, the DNR estimated only 62,000 people hunted pheasants, down 15,000 from 2012 and the fewest in 27 years. And the agency sold only 74,668 pheasant stamps — the lowest since the stamp program began in 1983.
Governor’s opener
About 100 hunters will travel to Worthington on Saturday for the Governor’s Pheasant Opener. All will hunt on private land, to keep public lands available in the area for other hunters.
Doug Smith •
