Number of pheasant hunters, and harvest, plunges

[Fish Felon]

by Doug Smith


Minnesota's pheasants and pheasant hunters are hitting rock-bottom.
Just 62,000 pheasant hunters went afield last fall, and they bagged only 169,000 roosters. That's the fewest hunters and lowest harvest in 27 years. Hunter numbers declined 19 percent and the harvest was down 32 percent from 2012.
Hunters likely were responding to a huge loss of habitat, poor nesting weather and a corresponding large drop in the ringneck population in recent years. Last year, the pheasant population dropped 29 percent, and the state has recently lost more than 100 square miles of grassland habitat in the pheasant range.
"It's likely the result of people seeing poor reports…and they just don't bother buying a license,'' said Lou Cornicelli, DNR wildlife research manager. "It's not like deer hunting, where regardless of density, most hunters buy a license.''
Cornicelli said the reduction in pheasant harvest was primarily due to the decline in hunter numbers.
"The average number of birds killed per person (2.7) wasn't that far off from 2012 (3.3),'' he said. "Maybe they (the 15,000 hunters who skipped the season) should have bought a license.''
The number of other small game hunters also was down, according to the DNR's annual small game survey, released Monday:
*An estimated 77,900 people hunted ducks, a decrease of 5 percent from 2012. They harvested 782,800 ducks, nearly the same as last year.
*An estimated 81,100 people hunted ruffed grouse, a decrease of 11 percent from 2012. They killed 288,000 grouse, a 16 percent decline from 2012.
*Small game license sales fell by about 5,500, to 258,581.
Individual hunter success rates were comparable to 2012. Pheasant hunters harvested an average of 2.7 pheasants in 2013 compared to 3.3 pheasants in 2012. Duck hunters harvested an average of 10.2 ducks in 2013 compared to 9.1 in 2012. Ruffed grouse hunters harvested an average of 3.6 grouse in 2013 compared to 3.7 in 2012.
The DNR annually surveys small game hunters to make estimates of both hunter numbers and harvest trends. For the 2013 season, 7,000 small game license buyers were surveyed of which 3,589 surveys were returned and usable.
The complete report is on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/publications/wildlife.

[Fish Felon]

What Cornicelli said in this article might be one of the most arrogant things I've heard coming out of a DNR officials mouth.

Maybe they should have bought a license? Are you out of your mind?

Maybe after buying a license a year before and not shooting chit for birds (or seeing chit for birds) and after the roadside counts predicted numbers to be down, they decided to hang it up.

They were right. Average birds per guy were down...and that's even with a lot less hunters afield creating less competition, giving the guys more cracks at birds. Guess what, if 20,000 extra guys were out there and the pheasants they shoot wouldn't be there for other guys to shoot later. By having less hunters that bird per hunter is probably up a half bird to a bird.

What an idiot.

I'm normally not a DNR hater but the crap they have been spewing lately has been either arrogant, ridiculous or incompetent.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Kind of surprised to see there were more people that hunted grouse than ducks. Grouse hunting is boring.

[gimpfinger]

I for one hope the roadside numbers stay low for a few more years. Less birds = less hunters which means I don't need to drive around half the day looking for barney free spots.

your mom...

[Fish Felon]

MN is still a premier grouse state. We have tons of quality habitat since you rarely see woods plowed under to plant row crops. Pheasants...not so much...


The other thing that is comical about what Cornholecelli said is that if the bird per hunter had jumped from 2.7 up to 3.3 he'd be giving himself the toot-toot-salute for a 22% increase.

But when it drops that much it's 'pretty much the same.'

[h2ofwlr]

Kind of surprised to see there were more people that hunted grouse than ducks.

Not really surprising considering the equipement needs of a Grouse or Pheasant hunter VS for a waterfowler - on average there's a much bigger investment needed for waterfowling.

And the waterfowlers in that report are bonafide killers in camparison to the the Pheasant and Grouse killed per person.

[Fish Felon]

Whoops my bad, for some reason I thought you were talking grouse to pheasants not grouse to ducks.


I've done more upland hunting than in years past. It's nice, simple, pure hunting. All you need is a pair of boots and a shotgun. I agree with fowler on the gear thing. The waterfowl hunter I was 15 years ago would scoff at the waterfowl hunter I am today with the lack of gear I use.

Plus grouse is about the only damn thing you can hunt under a small game license that doesn't require a stamp or "permit" (which is the same thing).

[HnkrCrash]

I'd have way more spent in grouse hunting than I do for waterfowl hunting.
ATV: $7000
.22: $200
.22 Ammo: $50
Beer: $500

[Nershi]

You hunt grouse with an ATV and a .22?

[HnkrCrash]

^
You're right, forgot a couple of things
Helmet: $150
Blaze Orange Vest: $20

Safety first