Species Reports
Ring-necked Pheasant
The 2024 range-wide total pheasant index (52.1 birds/100 mi) was similar to 2023 (51.2 birds/100 mi; Table 3, Figure 2A).
Range-wide indices of hens and broods increased (32% and 10%, respectively) compared to 2023, whereas the rooster index remained similar (Table 3). The number of chicks per brood (4.2) and broods per 100 hens (76.9) declined from 2023 (Table 3). The total number of pheasants, hens, roosters, and broods per 100 miles all exceeded their 10-year averages, but the index of broods per 100 hens and chicks per brood declined by 21% and 12%, respectively, from the 10-year averages (98.8 and 4.7, respectively; Table 3). All range-wide indices in 2024 were below the long-term averages (Table 3).
The index of chicks per brood in 2024 (5.0) is 12% less than the 10-year average (4.7) and 25% less than the long-term average (5.6; Table 3). This suggests that nesting and brood-rearing in 2024 was not as successful relative to last year (2023).
Despite the relatively stable index statewide, trends in the pheasant index varied among regions. The pheasant index increased the most from 2023 in the East Central region (70%), followed by the Central (34%), South Central (8%), and West Central (6%) regions (Table 4). Indices declined in the Southwest (-29%) and Southeast (-9%) regions (Table 4).
Pheasant indices remain well below their long-term averages in all regions but are near or above their ten-year averages except for the East Central and Southeast regions (Table 4). The Southwest (81.8 birds/100 mi) and West Central (65.9 birds/100 mi) regions had the highest indices, followed by the South Central region (58.6 birds/100 mi). These regions should provide the best hunting opportunities in the state.
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