North Dakota Outdoors: Fall Preview

North Dakota Outdoors:  Fall preview

Over the past several years, wildlife managers have often characterized present-day hunting opportunities as “the good old days.”

That’s a generalization meant to put hunters in the frame of mind to appreciate the current bounty of ducks, deer, geese and pheasants, but for some species it’s the absolute truth.

North Dakota has likely never had better overall hunting for white-tailed deer or Canada geese – not since statehood, probably not even since the first human presence in the area. There have been other times when pheasant and duck numbers were higher than they are today, but for pheasants that was more than 40 years ago, and for ducks it was long before biologists began keeping records in the late 1940s.

At the same time, not every game species is at the top of its population curve. As we approach another fall during a period that will likely be remembered as “the good old days,” sometime in the future, here’s a look at what hunters can expect for bird hunting in 2005.

Upland Game
For a sports team, potential means nothing until it is proven, and that’s sort of the case for sharp-tailed grouse this year. Even through spring numbers were down a bit from last year, the potential exists for a good year for sharp-tailed grouse because conditions for reproduction were favorable. Above-average precipitation in mid-summer meant more cover for birds, and temperatures during the critical brood rearing time were not as cool as last year, which should mean better survival of young birds.

Last fall, grouse hunter numbers last year dropped more than 23 percent, from more than 29,000 hunters to around 22,000. Nonresident hunter numbers declined nearly 35 percent. The result was fewer hunters and a lower harvest.

Thanks to a mild 2004-05 winter, sharptails came through in pretty good shape. Spring counts were down due to low production last year, but the decrease was less than expected.

The same poor reproduction that hit sharptails in 2004 also affected Hungarian partridge. Partridge numbers had been gradually increasing, but last year the number of broods observed fell 40 percent from 2003. Not surprisingly, the harvest was off more than 40 percent as well, and hunter numbers declined more than 25 percent.

Each spring, rural mail carriers cooperate with Game and Fish and report Hungarian partridge seen on routes during a three-day period in April. Those numbers were not good, either, with a statewide drop of more than 22 percent.

While grouse and partridge are not near peak populations, the potential for 2005 is at least a little better than last year.

It’s a different story for pheasants, which have recently been at “good old days” numbers. Harvests the last two years were the highest since the late 1940s, and crowing counts this spring were up about 5 percent statewide from last year. As long as reproduction isn’t a bust, well have the potential for another peak pheasant season.

Waterfowl
The fall flight of ducks should be better than last year. A big reason is better water conditions in Canada – up 56 percent from last year and above the long-term average.

The 2005 water index in North Dakota was down 8 percent from 2004, but remained 21 percent above the 1948-2004 average. Numbers of breeding ducks in the state remained high. The 2005 duck index was down 4 percent from 2004, but was still the seventh highest on record. Each of the top seven years for breeding waterfowl numbers in North Dakota has occurred since 1995.

Even better news came from the summer waterfowl survey, which indicated record reproduction across the state. Game and Fish Department waterfowl biologists equate that to a record fall flight from North Dakota this year. Coupled with improved water conditions in Canada, this should mean another good duck season, particularly for locally raised birds.

Hunters should find plenty of geese as well. Distribution and overall population of resident giant Canada geese is at or near an all-time high, and the Canada goose subspecies that migrate through North Dakota are also in good shape.

The snow goose population is also much higher than it was in the good old days. Still, snow geese are often difficult to hunt because of their wariness. This year, predictions are for an improved fall flight from last year, with more young birds.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be another good fall for bird hunting ... at least on paper. My advice is to get out and experience these good old days as much as you can. They likely won’t last forever.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@state.nd.us 

Photo credits to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.