North Dakota Sportsman

From North Dakota Game and Fish Department

The number of roosters heard during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2026 spring pheasant crowing count survey was 23.2 crows per stop, up 9% statewide from last year.

“Overwinter survival of adult pheasants has been outstanding. Typically, we lose up to 75% of our pheasant population each winter, but that has not been the case as of late,” said RJ Gross, Department upland game management biologist.

By region, observers heard 32.7 crows per stop in the southwest, up 5% from 2025; 22.2 crows per stop in the northwest, up 4%; and 23.1 crows per stop in the southeast, up 24% from last year. The count in the northeast, which is not a primary region for pheasants, was 9.3 crows per stop, up 43% from 2025.

Crowing counts are just one part of the picture, providing a glimpse of the population going into the breeding season. But Gross expects more good news as the peak of the pheasant hatch approaches.

“Entering the nesting season, residual grass cover looked good,” Gross said. “We have received ample precipitation that has led to increased growth in nesting and brood rearing cover across the state. Combined with high overwinter survival over the past three years and near ideal nesting habitat conditions, things are looking great for pheasants in North Dakota.”

Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of roosters heard crowing. The number of pheasant crows heard is compared to previous years’ data, providing a trend summary.

As always, the late summer roadside counts conducted in July and August will give a better idea of brood production and the hunting outlook for fall.

𝘿𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣

More sad news on the wildlife front, Numbers are down again. Whats going to be done to increase these numbers? People preach grass grass grass, yet i look out my front door and see more grass than ever before but much of it is widely unproductive and void of wildlife. Maybe we should put some more emphasis on predator management? City ducks can nest in your flower bed and hatch a nest, but birds with prime habitat cant? Just some food for thought. Maybe we need more city ducks!

From North Dakota Game and Fish Department -

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 79th annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.4 million birds, down 9.5% from 2.66 million birds in 2025 and 2.9 million in 2024.

The 2026 breeding duck index dipped below the 1948-2025 average for the first time since 1993, according to John Palarski, department migratory game bird supervisor.

In these spring waterfowl surveys, Palarski said they’re counting a portion of what remains of last year’s fall flight. Duck production in North Dakota has been poor in recent years and midcontinent duck populations continue to decline.

“Waterfowl here in North Dakota have to have those wetlands in order to nest. But many species like mallards, pintails and blue-winged teal that are upland nesting ducks, also need grass,” he said. “And so, we've seen a couple million acres of grass in the form of CRP come off the landscape in recent years. Between those declines and wetland loss due to drainage and consolidation, that's going to impact our ability to produce ducks into the future which has acute impacts for waterfowl hunters here in the state, but also has continental impacts, because North Dakota is the Duck Factory.”

Historically, duck numbers in North Dakota paralleled wetland conditions closely. In the heydays of North Dakota duck hunting from 1994-2016, the breeding duck index frequently topped 4 million birds, but it is unlikely for that to happen again, even in the wettest years, until habitat availability improves.

Indices for individual species were variable. Mallards (up 6.8%), pintails (up 23.7%) and green-winged teal (up 20.9%) indices increased from 2025 while blue-winged teal, gadwall, widgeon and most diving duck species decreased. Although mallards are up from 2025, they’re still down 15.3% from their long-term average.

Palarski and crew covered more than 1,800 miles of transects counting wetlands and waterfowl down to the species and social grouping on both sides of the road. This spring, the wetland count was similar to last year but 34.9% below the long-term average.

As always, the July brood survey will give a better idea of duck production and insight into what to expect this fall.

For the full story, watch this week’s North Dakota Outdoors Webcast with John Palarski.

𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙐𝙥 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚 6-7

North Dakota’s free fishing weekend is June 6-7.

All residents 16 and older can fish any North Dakota water without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year.

The weekend provides a great opportunity to try fishing for the first time or take someone new.

Information on regulations, where to fish and what equipment is needed is available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

2025 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝘼𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮

North Dakota’s 2025 upland bird harvests were down for pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge compared to 2024.

“We were not surprised by a decrease in pheasant harvest in the fall of 2025 based on decreases of chicks in our late summer roadside counts. Chick production was negatively impacted by the cool, wet nesting season and these juvenile birds are often what make up a significant portion of a hunter’s bag. However, adult pheasant densities remain high due to good survival from the mild winter,” said RJ Gross, North Dakota Game and Fish Department upland game biologist.

Gross said given the number of roosters remaining on the landscape post-season, access was likely the most limiting factor for pheasant hunter success.

Last year, 53,008 pheasant hunters (down 4%) harvested 344,975 roosters (down 3%), compared to 55,401 hunters and 357,018 roosters in 2024.

Counties with the highest percentage of pheasants taken were Hettinger, Divide, Williams, Stark and McLean.

A total of 18,241 grouse hunters (down 16%) harvested 55,539 sharp-tailed grouse (down 24%), compared to 21,660 hunters and 73,010 sharptails in 2024.

Counties with the highest percentage of sharptails taken were Divide, Hettinger, Mountrail, Adams and Bowman.

Sharp-tailed grouse were down 38% in last year’s summer roadside brood counts.

“In addition to cool, wet weather in June, which is unfavorable for chick survival, we suspect sharptail may have been impacted by West Nile virus because they declined from spring surveys to late summer surveys. Those declines appeared to have hampered the rebounding population, and the 24% drop in sharptail harvest reflects this,” Gross said.

Last year, 18,343 hunters (down 16%) harvested 50,445 gray partridge (down 25%). In 2024, 21,887 hunters harvested 67,465 partridge.

Counties with the highest percentage of gray partridge taken were Stark, McLean, Hettinger, Williams and Divide.

“Although hunters harvested fewer pheasants in 2025, we are optimistic after yet another mild winter, that the high pheasant population should carry through to 2026,” Gross said.

However, since much of the fall forecast depends on nesting and brood-rearing success, hunters should stay tuned.

Looks like she’s ready to pop! Fawns are starting to drop.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.

North Dakota’s 2026 deer season is set, with 39,100 licenses available to hunters, 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 3,200 from last year, the lowest total in 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗔 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗬.

If you’re local you’ve seen the numbers, heard the news. If you’re not local you may have no clue just how bad it’s getting.

While all habitat is hurting bad, all across the state. This week we have been working hard punching in trees. These trees will be a foundation for high quality deer habitat. Increasing winter thermal cover and browse availability. While it’s no simple solution, the best solution in my eyes is sweat equity. I will also encourage anyone who enjoys seeing wildlife to participate in a habitat improvement project. These don’t have to be huge projects. Plant a single tree. Plant a couple trees in a corner. It all adds up and creates pockets of habitat and food that just might help get a deer through winter.