North Dakota pheasant numbers are showing another positive sign heading into the summer.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department says its 2026 spring pheasant crowing count survey found 23.2 crows per stop statewide. That is up 9% from last year.
Game and Fish upland game management biologist R.J. Gross says overwinter survival for adult pheasants has been outstanding. He says North Dakota can typically lose up to 75% of its pheasant population in a winter, but that has not been the case lately.
The southwest region had the highest count, at 32-point-7 crows per stop. That is up 5% from last year.The northwest region was up 4%.
The southeast region saw one of the biggest jumps. Observers heard 23.1 crows per stop in the southeast, up 24% from last year.
Crowing counts are not a full fall hunting forecast. They give biologists a look at the number of roosters going into the breeding season. Gross says residual grass cover looked good entering the nesting season, and recent precipitation has helped improve nesting and brood-rearing cover across the state. He says with strong winter survival over the past three years and near-ideal nesting habitat conditions, things are looking great for pheasants in North Dakota.
Game and Fish says summer roadside counts in July and August will give a better picture of brood production and the fall hunting outlook.
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