Upland game bird hunters should have slightly improved hunting opportunities compared to last year, with pockets of good hunting and some areas where it may be harder to meet the bag limit. The season for most upland game bird species begins Sept. 1.
“Our varied weather has directly affected bird habitat, resulting in good production in some areas and pockets of poor production in others. But, overall we are seeing some improvement in production over last year,” said Gary Hammond, FWP Wildlife Division bureau chief.
Hammond said that beyond the natural habitat available for birds, the number of birds fluctuates based on the previous winter’s weather, the timing and nature of spring precipitation, and vegetative growth.
“Mild winters are typically favorable to upland birds, while severe winters may result in a loss of adult birds and can suppress spring production,” Hammond said. “The next hurdle is spring. Wet, cold springs can be detrimental to upland bird productivity, especially if those conditions occur during the egg laying period.”
FWP biologists report they are seeing about the same or slightly more birds than last year and credit the improvement to a generally mild winter and well-timed precipitation this spring.
Across much of the state, good early-season precipitation fell in April, May and into early June, with the exception of the southern portion of FWP Region 3 in the Dillon area where there was very little precipitation this spring.
Brood survival rates this year were best in areas that didn’t dry out too rapidly. For example, all upland bird species in northeastern Montana are trending upward from last year. In the southeastern portion of the state, bird populations are very similar to or somewhat better than they were last year. The only exception is sharp-tailed grouse, which are somewhat lower than they were last fall.
Turkey populations should be similar to last year in all areas of the state, and the major pheasant producing regions report good over-winter survival and production. Hun populations are up in eastern Montana, but down in the southwestern and southeastern portions of the state.
Hammond cautions that even the most accurate bird forecast can be misleading. Birds tend to be widely distributed in wet periods when there may be more birds, so hunters may have trouble locating them.
“In dry years, when bird populations may actually be lower, the concentration of birds near wetter environments can give hunters the impression birds are abundant,” he said. “This is what makes birds so fascinating and frustrating and what keeps hunters so hooked on bird hunting.”
The FWP 2003 Upland Game Bird Outlook table below is a “dip stick” approach for hunters eager to anticipate what they might find in the field.
“These are trends observed in the field by FWP biologists,” Hammond said. “They can be helpful in a general sense, but the best information will be found by scouting your bird habitat in advance of the hunt.”
2003 UPLAND GAME BIRD OUTLOOK CHART
Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7
Turkey
8+
5+
3=
6=
6=
8=
8=
Sage Grouse
5-
5+
5 +
8+
6+
Sharptailed
Grouse
6=
2 -
7+
5 -
Huns
3+
3+
4 -
5-
5 -
7+
6+
Chukars
4 -
Blue grouse
6+
4+
5=
6+
5+
Ruffed Grouse
6+
4+
4=
6+
5+
Spruce Grouse
6+
4+
5=
6+
Pheasants
5=
3+
3=
5+
5+
7+
7+
In the table, the numbers in the cells represent the size of the population in 2003 compared to the 2002 population, using a scale of 1-10, with 10 being high. A plus sign represents an increase, a minus sign is a decrease and an equal sign means the numbers are about the same as in 2002.
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