Peace Garden News

North Dakota's upland game bird hunting statistics for 2024 show notable increases in pheasant and sharp-tailed grouse harvests, as outlined by the state Game and Fish Department. Gray partridge harvest levels remained similar to those of 2023.

According to RJ Gross, an upland game biologist, the rise in the overall harvest can be attributed to an increase in the number of hunters, more frequent hunting trips, and a larger bird population. "The winter of 2023-24 was mild, and no die-offs were reported. In 2024, we observed an increase in pheasant crows heard during our spring crowing counts and sharptails during spring lek surveys," Gross stated. He added that "although chick production was decreased by the wet and cold nesting season, the increase in adult density added more broods to the population."

Data indicates that 55,401 pheasant hunters in 2024, a 3% increase from the previous year, harvested 357,018 roosters, a 12% increase from the 319,287 roosters harvested by 53,819 hunters in 2023. Counties leading in pheasant harvests included Hettinger, Divide, Burleigh, Williams, and McLean.

The sharp-tailed grouse harvest also saw a rise, with 21,660 hunters—an increase of 1% over 2023—harvesting 73,010 birds, up 8% from the 67,710 harvested by 21,512 hunters the previous year.