Forecast: Wyoming pheasant hunters haven’t had much to cheer in recent years. They may get a little relief in 2016.
“I feel we had a better hatch success and chick survival than in recent years. My prediction is higher bird numbers and better hunting in 2016, as compared to the past three years,” says Bart Kroger, Worland wildlife biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department near Cody and the southern portions of the Big Horn Basin, the location of perhaps the state’s best pheasant hunting.
Without systematic surveys of pheasants in the state, wildlife biologists are left to do a bit of guessing. “We started out this spring with good moisture, but by June things dried up, so I’m not sure how that will affect birds and their distribution,” says Kroger. “There is plenty of good cover along the Bighorn River and other major tributaries, and these are the places where most birds can be found.”
In the Northern Bighorn Basin, on and around Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area, hunters will probably find numbers are less than last year, hewing to the average of the last several years, says Greybull wildlife biologist Leslie Schreiber. “We’ve had a very dry, hot August stressing some upland game birds,” says Schreiber.
In the North Lander district, nearly all pheasant hunting is put-take of pen-raised birds, says Greg Anderson, North Lander wildlife biologist. “We will have similar pheasant hunting opportunity in my district as in years past,” he says. “We will be planting farm-raised birds on our Sand Mesa and Ocean Lake wildlife habitat management units twice a week starting the first weekend in November through the first weekend in December.”
In southeastern Wyoming (Laramie, Platte, Goshen counties), Wheatland wildlife biologist Martin Hicks reports that hunters will see pheasant numbers similar to last year’s. “Spring crow count numbers increased compared to 2015 but hot, dry conditions coupled with hail events within the core pheasant areas prevented an overall increase in the population,” he says. Goshen County, as usually, will produce the most birds, but the best hunting will be on private land. Walk-in areas in the three counties will be stocked with pen-raised birds from November to mid-December.
Season Dates: Varies by region, see link below
Daily Bag Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Possession Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Helpful Links: