Annual ND pheasant-crowing counts up considerably from 2023

BISMARCK, ND (KFYR) – Upland game biologists just finished the statewide annual pheasant-crowing counts.

The number of roosters heard crowing this spring was up considerably from last year, due in part to a milder winter.

“Statewide, pheasants are up 37% compared to last year. Last year, there were a little over 14 crows per stop. And this year it’s right around 20,” said RJ Gross, North Dakota Game and Fish upland game biologist.

The May 1 through June 10 survey is made up of one hundred 20-mile routes spread across the state, and Game and Fish personnel stop 10 times on each route and listen.

“On each stop, you’ll stop, get out of your vehicle, walk a little ways away from it, and you’ll count the number of crows, pheasant crows that you hear for two minutes and you’ll do that ten times . We try and do it three times throughout the period, once early, middle and late, just so we can try and catch that peak crowing,” said Gross.

And when you break the numbers down into the four districts, the areas where there’s more habitat have more pheasants growing.

“The southwest had the most pheasants herd per stop at 28, a little over 28. Not quite as good as what we were back before the 2017 drought, but a really good increase. The northwest had one of its all-time high crowds per stop right above 20. The southeast we had an increase of 26% compared to last year. Looking at number of crows per stop, that was right around 13 to upwards of 16. The northeast, which is not a traditional habitat, we had an increase of 50% from three crows per stop to five crows per stop,” said Gross.

While pheasant crowding counts are up statewide, the main indicator for how the fall is going to be for pheasant hunters is the late summer roadside brood counts that start July 20 and go through August.

“The stars are aligned. Pheasants should be in very good body condition with that really easy winter. Should have large clutch sizes. As long as we don’t have any major rain events the next couple of weeks because we’re in catch peak right now, the fall should be outstanding for young birds,” said Gross.

The pheasant crowing count survey is an index of the rooster population, not a total population count of roosters going into the breeding season.