BISMARCK – North Dakota upland video game hunters shot more pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridges in 2022 than the previous year, the state Game and Fish Department reported Monday, June 12.
Contributed / North Dakota Game and Fish Department
The total harvest boost was likely an outcome of more hunters and good production, said RJ Gross, upland video game biologist for Game and Fish in Bismarck.
“We were somewhat surprised that harvest was up despite slight declines during our spring 2022 surveys and the early end to most upland seasons when winter showed up in November,” Gross said. “The increase in harvest indicates good reproduction, perhaps even better than what we saw during our brood routes. The statewide blizzards that occurred in spring of 2021, combined with spring showers, were followed by a rapid vegetation response, so late-season nesting cover was exceptional.
“In addition, brood survival benefited from a warm and dry late summer with abundant insects.”
Last year, 51,270 pheasant hunters (up 9%) shot 286,970 roosters (up 10%), compared to 47,020 hunters and 259,997 roosters in 2021. Counties with the greatest portion of pheasants taken were Hettinger, Divide, Bowman, Williams and Stark.
An overall of 20,461 grouse hunters (up 29%) collected 62,640 sharp-tailed grouse (up 37%), compared to 15,762 hunters and 45,732 sharptails in 2021. Counties with the greatest portion of sharptails taken were Mountrail, Burke, Bowman, Divide and McKenzie.
Last year, 19,125 hunters (up 36%) bagged 54,553 Hungarian partridges (up 22%). In 2021, 14,013 hunters collected 44,822 Huns. Counties with the greatest portion of Hungarian partridges taken were Mountrail, Ward, Bottineau, Williams and Divide.
North Dakota’s grouse and partridge seasons are tentatively set to open Saturday, Sept. 9. The youth pheasant season is tentatively set to open Saturday, Sept. 30, with the routine season to follow Saturday, Oct. 7. Dates, which are set by guv’s pronouncement, end up being main when authorized by Gov. Doug Burgum.
