Months of persistent drought in 2012, a cold, wet spring in 2013 and a reduction in habitat have impacted pheasant brood counts, according to a report released last week by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department.
Where Day County was once a destination for pheasant hunters, it seems in recent years the majority have been only passing through, headed to counties further west and south. That equates to millions of lost revenue for the county.
Unlike their West River counterparts, most Day County and northeast South Dakota livestock producers aren’t culling their herds due to drought and/or the specter of high feed prices.
Hay prices have jumped dramatically as drought in many of the nation’s key hay-producing areas has decimated the supply.
The future of South Dakota’s pheasant population is at a crossroads. Through April 6, agricultural producers and landowners can enroll eligible land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) during a general sign-up period, and their decisions will affect pheasant populations in the region.