New multi-state project underway through 2028
We know that more habitat equals more birds, but there is a class of related of questions biologists have had difficulty answering – what might be called the “how much is enough?” questions. For example:
- How much more nesting or winter cover do we need in our state to increase pheasant numbers by 25%?
- If we lose half of our CRP acres in this county, will our pheasant numbers also decrease by 50%?
- If we can raise $100,000 for habitat improvements, where should we spend it to produce the most additional birds?
Answers to these questions require a reliable mathematical model (or models) relating habitat variables to pheasant population size.
A partnership including Pheasants Forever, Inc., the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, the Ohio State University, and numerous state wildlife agencies are building and testing such models. Historic counts of pheasants in North Dakota, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Ohio are being used to relate habitat characteristics with pheasant abundance by researchers at OSU. While these models are being completed, new counts are being collected across the pheasant range so that the accuracy of the models’ predictions can be tested. This work is expected to run through 2028.
Some count data are being collected with automated recording units (ARUs), which record pheasant calls and other wildlife sounds near the sample point. If you encounter an ARU in the field, please do not disturb it – the data they collect are critical to our study.
The results of this effort will be used by the partners to more effectively restore and maintain pheasant populations across their range.
Current Project Partners:
- Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
- USDA-Farm Service Agency
- The Ohio State University
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- New Mexico Department of Wildlife
- North Dakota Game and Fish
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources