Honest thoughts on next year?

[MNpurple]

With 2 feet on the ground over Christmas (unfortunately lacking wind to blow it off the fields), many cattail sloughs filled in, and now 3-6 expected in SW Minnesota. What are your honest feelings on bird survival this winter? Driving around I see lots of birds along the roads and see 100 acre fields, pure white with about 12 birds gathered around one spot where they must have found something to eat. Thats not a good sign at the beginning of January and the extended doesnt look like much of a thaw. THats 2-3 weeks for sure with little food. Unless they are by a standing cornfield, I see a heavy loss this year. Or, maybe I dont give them the hardiness credit they deserve.

[CRAZYEYES]

I had high hopes with a lot of standing corn left and lots of unplowed fields this year that if we had a mild winter next year the bird numbers would be back up again. Last week when I went out to the SD border I saw a lot birds already standing on the roads and bunched up in open fields scratching which isnt a good sighn this early. The cover is pretty full of snow where I was near canby and they said tonight on the 6 o'clock news that they were going to get something like another 6 inches tonight. Unless we have a big thaw which is not in the forecast things dont look good. They are amazingly tough birds but theres a lot of winter left and a couple more good snowfalls with this persistent cold it could be bad news.

[CaptainBly]

We got another shot of snow. Mainly 4-6 SE SD, but from Webster to Marshall sounded like 7-12, Webster on the higher end. Winds are supposed tp pick up to around 30-40 mph tonight too. Hopefully the birds didn't bury themslves to tight tonight. But the weather sounds like it may warm up some talking highs into the 20-30's possibly by tues or wed. Hope they are right.

[ac777]

Well its snowing and blowing down here now. I think we will have a good year again next year, It may not be tremendous, but the birds I shot at the end of the season, had plenty of food in there gizzards and people in our area dump corn along the roads so that helps. Another plus is that more coyotes are being shot by some people I know, and lots of them. Every coyote shot is less pheasant and deer eaten so thats another plus.

[CaptainBly]

A group of guys I know have gotten 17 so far. Haven't been home to go with yet.

[lawdog]

I don't know how a single pheasant will survive down here right now. We have had two GIANT blizzards and all the cover is beyond toast. Its just brutal out again today and last night... Makes me sick.

[Joe15]

Ya i feel bad for em. Sad to say but I talked to a local dnr officer the other day and he said by tomorrow 75% will probably be dead

[Basseyes]

We've had some very mild winters. The soups been pretty thick with pheasants because of that. Now there's just going to be a lot more thinner wiener water for supper. In areas with great cover and food supplies there'll be enough hold overs. But in the areas with marginal habitat that have held good numbers of birds it's going to seem like ghost towns for the pheasant hunter next year.

Just the way nature works. Numbers rise and fall with habitat conditions and weather patterns.