Long Live Pheasant Season….
It was not the best season for many but it was memorable to say the least. We all hunt for different reasons…my reasons are to be with family and friends, challenge myself, develop new skills, tie ourselves to the land and be closer to wild things and wild places than most. I love wild places. I love wild things. I love being able to participate in wildness. Sometimes we hunters feel we were born too late…yet Nebraska is one of the few states that still offers plenty of these wild places and wild things. From the Missouri River, to the sandhills and west to the Pine Ridge, any one of us can participate in this wildness. If you did not get the hunt you wanted this season, take a camping trip during turkey season to some of these areas and enjoy Wild Nebraska. Take family and friends, share camp fires and envelop yourself in the rich history of our state!
Get em’ out there!
Rawly
Last Pheasant Hunt of 09 Season with my My father-in-law with my pointer Jake and my brother-in-law with his lab Lady after a hard hunt. No birds this time but we sure had fun trying!
Since the pheasant hunting here in Nebraska is so poor – we hunt, with success, in South Dakota on their AMAZING public lands.
Chad
No doubt there are some areas in South Dakota with great pheasant hunting, as there are in Nebraska. I won’t sugar coat it, we have had our ups and downs with pheasant numbers. Of they many key elements for pheasant numbers, habitat is critical. The wheat fields, weedy end rows, draws, etc. in South Dakota look a lot like Nebraska’s agricultural format of the 1960′s. We continue to work with landowners to improve their overall habitat. Many landowners in NE do want to farm for wildlife and we are working to help make that happen.
Rawly
I think we need to release phesants right before the season opens .I know its not profitable for the state but after buying a permit for forty yrs.and hearing in the future there will be birds .well the future is here for me I don’t have many yrs to go . its not profitable for me to not hardly get any birds . prices goes up every yr gas dog food vet bills and so on . I think you need to take another approach .thanks
Tim
Thanks for the thoughts. It is hard to not want this when you see it successful in other states. The problem is that states with the most success in pheasant stocking are those with good pheasant habitat statewide. We are very cautious about how we spend the hard earned dollars generated by hunters. Releasing birds into mediocore habitat usually results in well fed coyotes, fox, etc. with little success given to the overall pheasant population or the hunter. I have also talked with many hunters who had good success in various parts of the state. Believe me, I am as frustrated as you but we need to work together on the habitat solution so that we can support healthy pheasant populations well into the future. Our Agency is working with landowners and outstanding organizations such as Pheasants Forever to increase the quality and quantity of pheasant habitat across NE. Lack of good pheasant cover compounded with our recent winter does not bode well for good pheasant numbers. We need to work with landowners to improve pheasant habitat so that we can sustain healthy populations, even through tough winters or cold wet springs. It is not so much about pheasants for tomorrow but rather pheasants forever! No excuses from me as I want more birds as much as you do. Our biologists and partners are working to make that happen. Thanks again for your thoughts and don’t lose hope.
Rawly