South Dakota’s 2017 Pheasant Brood Survey Results Are In

By Ammoland Editor Joe Evans

PIERRE, S.D. -(Ammoland.com)- The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) has completed the annual pheasant brood survey and the results show a significant decrease in the statewide pheasants-per-mile (PPM) index from 2016.

The 2017 statewide PPM index is 1.68, down from last year’s index of 3.05.

“While this news is disappointing, it is not unexpected,” stated Kelly Hepler, GFP department secretary. “The difficult winter weather and subsequent drought conditions in various parts of the state will result in hunters having to work harder at trying to take home their daily limit. Even with these conditions, the pheasant hunting opportunities in South Dakota continue to be the best in the country.”

From late July through mid-August, GFP surveyed 110, thirty-mile routes across the state’s pheasant range to estimate pheasant production and calculate the PPM index.

The survey is not a population estimate, but rather compares the number of pheasants observed on the routes and establishes trend information.

Survey routes are grouped into 13 areas, based on a local city, and the index value of each local city area is then compared to index values of the previous year and the 10-year average.

“Weather conditions and …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand