ST. PAUL – The number of small game hunters in Minnesota in 2023 increased slightly from 2022, but still was 5% below the 10-year average, the Department of Natural Resources said in reporting results from its annual small game survey. Overall, 230,283 small game licenses were sold for the 2023-24 hunting seasons, compared with the 10-year average of 242,688 small game licenses. But similar to the previous year, hunters who did pursue the top small game species (waterfowl, grouse and pheasants) had similar or slightly better success rates compared to the 10-year averages, according to the Minnesota DNR’s small game hunter mail survey.
The annual survey estimates the number of hunters, harvest and hunter success rates for two dozen species. The survey asks small game license buyers if they hunted, what species they hunted, how many days they spent hunting and the amount of harvest by species.
Highlights include:
Ducks: 81,976 state duck stamps were sold, similar to 2022 and 7% below the 10-year average. There were 50,400 hunters, which was 24% below the 10-year average of 66,400 hunters. Overall harvest was 565,700 ducks, down 15% from the 10-year average of 662,200 ducks. 84% of hunters were successful, bagging 13.1 ducks on average, which was greater than the 10-year average of 11.8 ducks.Canada geese: There were 29,700 hunters in 2023, which was 32% below the 10-year average of 43,600 hunters. An estimated 146,800 geese were harvested, 36% below the 10-year average of 228,047 geese. Hunter success was 76%, and successful hunters bagged 6.5 geese on average, similar to the 10-year averages.Ruffed grouse: As estimated 66,800 hunters pursued grouse in 2023, which was 7% less than the 10-year average of 72,100 hunters. They harvested 339,600 grouse, a 34% increase compared to the 10-year average. Hunter success was 73%, which was slightly above the 10-year average of 70%. Successful hunters bagged 6.9 grouse each, which was almost two birds more than the 10-year average.Pheasants: 79,037 pheasant stamps were sold in 2023, which was 2% greater than 2022 sales and about 4% greater than the 10-year average of 76,344 stamps. An estimated 50,600 hunters went afield, which was 8% lower than the 10-year average of 55,100 hunters. Approximately 208,800 roosters were harvested, which was 6% more than the 10-year average of 197,000 roosters. Hunter success was 72%, which was greater than the 10-year average of 68%, and mean harvest was 5.7 roosters, which was slightly above the 10-year average of 5.3 roosters.
The complete survey report is available on the
DNR website.
Minnesota pheasant numbers similar to 2023
ST. PAUL – Minnesota pheasant numbers in the DNR’s 2024 August Roadside Survey were similar to 2023 and 19% above the 10-year average – welcome news after the wet spring and summer, the department said.
A milder winter meant more hens were available for nesting this year, which likely offset chick losses that occurred from wet conditions during the breeding season.
This year’s statewide pheasant index was 52 birds per 100 miles of roads driven, compared with 51 birds per 100 miles of road driven in 2023. Pheasant numbers increased the most in the east central region (increase of 70%), followed by increases in the central (34%), south central (8%), and west central (6%) regions. Though pheasant numbers declined in the southwest (decrease of 29%), the region still had the greatest number of birds at 82 birds per 100 miles and should provide some of the best hunting opportunities in the state.
Minnesota’s pheasant season opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.
Check out the full report and the pheasant hunting prospects map on the
Minnesota DNR pheasant hunting page.
Explore Minnesota seeks Fishing Opener host
ST. PAUL – Explore Minnesota is seeking a host community for the 2025 Governor’s Fishing Opener.
Approaching its 77th year, the Governor’s Fishing Opener is an event established to promote Minnesota’s natural resources, uphold Minnesota’s fishing heritage and shine a media spotlight on the attractions and offerings in the host communities.
This event encompasses significant involvement and has garnered massive media exposure for host communities in the past.
Communities interested in hosting the event can
download the Request for Proposals and application.
The deadline for submission is Friday, Oct.18. For more information, contact Nicole Lalum at (218) 316-3330 or
nicole.lalum@state.mn.us
.
Sportsmen’s Alliance sues FWS over wolves
The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation on Monday, Sept. 9,
filed suit in U.S. District Court
for the Western District of Michigan against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to compel the agency to issue findings on two petitions requesting gray wolf delisting and downlisting under the Endangered Species Act .
The first petition requests that FWS recognize and delist wolves in Western Great Lakes states — Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (including areas in adjoining states). The second petition asks FWS to
downlist West Coast wolves
– wolves in Western Washington, Western Oregon and California – from endangered to threatened.
The petitions serve as a blueprint
for successfully delisting the wolves in accordance with prior court decisions, the Alliance said.
“The ESA is crystal clear in its petition process – FWS must issue a preliminary 90-day finding on our petitions and make a final decision within one year,” said Torin Miller, associate litigation counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “FWS has done neither, and we’re happy to remind them that the ESA’s provisions are not optional.”
NDGF seeks upland game bird wings
BISMARCK – The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is encouraging upland game bird hunters to help with management efforts this fall by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes.
Birds included in the department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, gray partridge (commonly referred to as Hungarian partridge), turkeys and ruffed grouse.
Collecting enough pheasant samples is typically never a problem, but securing enough sharptail and partridge feathers can be.
Game and Fish biologists will take as many sharptail and partridge feathers as they can get because the more collected, the better the data. Biologists can determine sex and age ratios from wings and tail feathers, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production.
Information on receiving wing envelopes is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, or by contacting the department’s main office in Bismarck at (701) 328-6300 or by email at ndgf@nd.gov.
Hunters can also get wing envelopes at Game and Fish District offices in Devils Lake, Jamestown, Riverdale, Dickinson, Williston and Lonetree Wildlife Management Area near Harvey.
Remaining ND turkey licenses available Sept. 18
BISMARCK – The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has conducted its fall wild turkey lottery, and more than 900 licenses remain in 10 units. Unsuccessful applicants will have a refund issued to their credit card.
Beginning at 8 a.m. CDT on Sept. 18, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters are allowed a maximum of five licenses for the fall season.
Resident and nonresident hunters must purchase a license online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
The fall turkey season begins Oct. 12 and continues through Jan. 5.
Licenses remain for the following units: Unit 03, Benson and Ramsey counties and a portion of Pierce County, (11); Unit 04, portions of Billings and Golden Valley counties, (27); Unit 13, Dunn County, (529); Unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and portions of Morton County, (27); Unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward counties, (214); Unit 31, Mountrail County, (24); Unit 44, Slope County, (20); Unit 45, Stark County, (23); Unit 47, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties, (22); and Unit 51, Burke County, Renville County and a portion of Ward County, (27).
DNR seeks input on pheasant, duck action plans
ST.PAUL – The Minnesota DNR is seeking feedback on updated versions of its duck and pheasant action plans through Friday, Oct. 11, the agency said.
“DNR technical experts, with input from conservation and tribal partners, have been working since March to refresh our current pheasant and duck action plans,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR wildlife populations and regulations manager. “The drafts now out for public comment reflect current conditions and public priorities that were identified by input collected on our public questionnaire last spring, both of which will inform our management priorities from 2025 to 2030.”
Each action plan outlines short-term strategies to help meet long-term conservation goals. The five-year plans enable the DNR and conservation partners to more frequently assess and adjust activities in response to changing conditions that impact pheasants and ducks.
The short-term action plans support longer-term strategic plans, including the Long-Range Duck Recovery Plan and the National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan.
Drafts of the plans are available on the DNR website. Public webinars will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1, during which staff will explain proposed plan updates and take comments. The duck plan webinar begins at 6 p.m. The pheasant plan webinar will follow at 7 p.m.
An online questionnaire also provides an opportunity for people to share their thoughts through 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. In addition, written comments may be submitted to the Wildlife Section, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
The DNR initiated the plan updates this spring by collecting public input on management priorities and evaluating progress on the 2019-2023 plans.
More information is available on the
waterfowl management webpage
at
mndnr.gov/waterfowl
and the
pheasant management webpage
at
mndnr.gov/pheasant
.
DNR licensing changes coming in March
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota DNR is in the process of modernizing the system used to offer fishing, hunting, trapping and recreational vehicle licenses and registrations, including watercraft and off-highway vehicles.
The new system will include a mobile app and make it easier for customers to buy licenses, register their harvests, access safety training programs and more.
Learn more and sign up for project updates on the
DNR’s FAQ webpage
at
dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/els.html
.
DNR seeks upland bird hunt details
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota DNR is inviting upland bird hunters to voluntarily log details about their hunts this fall.
“We’re excited about working with bird hunters to improve our understanding of what they’re seeing in the field,” Nate Huck, resident game bird specialist, said in a statement. “Their information will complement our existing monitoring efforts.”
Right now, the DNR monitors upland game bird harvest – grouse, woodcock, pheasants, prairie chickens and partridges – using a once-a-year small game harvest survey. While the information collected this way is useful in estimating the total hunter effort and harvest of upland game birds, it does not provide specific, localized or season-long insights.
Starting this fall, hunters can use what’s called an upland bird hunting diary. The diary is available in electronic form using web browser or app versions that are available on the
DNR website
at
mndnr.gov/wildlife/sightings/upland-field-log.html
. Hunters can also print off a paper version of the diary and enter their hunts online.
Participating hunters will be asked to report information specific to each hunt including date, location, whether the hunt was on public land or private, if the hunt was on a wildlife management area, if the hunt was on a hunter walking trail, if the hunter was using a Walk-In Access program area, the species pursued, if the hunter was using a dog, the total hours hunted, the number of birds flushed, the number of birds harvested, the age of their harvest for pheasants and ruffed grouse, and the sex of their harvest for ruffed grouse.
More information for hunters and instructions on how to participate are available on the
DNR website
at
mndnr.gov/wildlife/sightings/upland-field-log.html
.
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Publish date : 2024-09-14 00:19:00
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