Submitted Photo State Game and Fish Department migratory bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks from North Dakota to be about 26% above last year’s fall flight. Photo from NDGF.

There’s never a shortage of experts and predictions for fall football. New coaches and players are analyzed, armchair quarterbacks provide expert analysis of who will advance to the playoffs and Super Bowl even before the season kicks off.

Different than fall football forecasts are fall hunting season previews, where biologists and scientists relate the latest findings. But just because a population is up or down doesn’t necessarily parallel “success” in the field.

So, no matter what you may or may not be finding, here’s what the Game and Fish Department preseason numbers tabulated.

Pheasants

Upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said the annual upland late summer counts showed mixed results.

“We observed an increase in pheasant and partridge densities and reproductive rates with average brood size and age ratios, while sharptails decreased in density but had improved reproductive rates from 2021,” Kolar said.

Total pheasants observed (49 per 100 miles) are up 9% from last year and broods (5.3) per 100 miles are up 8%. The average brood size (6.2) is up 7%. The final summary is based on 278 survey runs made along 100 brood routes across North Dakota.

Observers in the northwest counted 11 broods and 96 pheasants per 100 miles, up from eight broods and 68 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was six.

Results from the southeast showed five broods and 39 pheasants per 100 miles, up from three broods and 24 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five.

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicated five broods and 48 pheasants per 100 miles, down from six broods and 59 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five chicks.

The northeast district generally contains secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state.

Waterfowl

State Game and Fish Department migratory bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks from North Dakota to be about 26% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the Department’s annual mid-July duck production survey.

According to Mike Szymanski, Department migratory game bird management supervisor, the Department’s 75th annual breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of 3.4 million ducks in the state. This year’s breeding duck index was the 23rd highest in the 75 years of the survey, up 16% from last year, and 38% above the long-term average.

The number of broods observed during the Department’s July brood survey was up 36% from 2021, and 5% above the 1965-2021 average index. The average brood size was 7.2 ducklings, up 11% from 2021. The long-term average is 7 ducklings per brood.

“Production appeared to be very late this year with many nests hatching throughout all of July and into August,” Szymanski said.

Following the severe drought of 2021, wetland conditions across the state varied from good to excellent in May. Szymanski said the wetland index skyrocketed 616%, marking the largest single-year percentage increase on record.

Even so, he warned in early September that it was getting dry on the landscape.

“Wetland habitat conditions in the state have dried up substantially from a very wet spring and continued to dry through August,” Szymanski said.

No matter what our survey numbers found, there will be wins and losses along the way, and here’s hoping for a Super Bowl season outdoors for you and our faithful football fans.

Leier is a NDGF biologist and a Williston native. He began his career at Lostwood NWR and was a game warden in Bottineau.