The number of pheasants in South Dakota is on the rise in 2018.
According to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department’s annual pheasant brood survey, pheasant numbers experienced a 47-percent increase from the 2017 numbers.
The 2018 statewide pheasants-per-mile index is 2.47, up from 1.68 last year.
The GFP surveys 110, 30-mile routes across the state’s pheasant range to estimate pheasant production and to calculate the pheasants per-mile index. This year’s report showed 85 of the 110 routes had a higher pheasants per-mile index than 2017.
The non-resident pheasant hunting season begins on Oct. 20.
You can find the full report on the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department’s website.