The North Dakota Game and Fish Department uses indexes to frame population estimates for waterfowl and upland game. While a census is an exact count, the resources needed for an exact population count aren’t a wise use of agency time.
The department uses indexes compared to past years and long-term to track trends, which aren’t as intensive but provide a useful comparison and population estimate. Here is a look at what was found during the 2023 counts.
Spring counts for pheasants, waterfowl out of North Dakota show growing pheasant numbers
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- Tags: Hunting, North Dakota, Upland Birds, Waterfowl
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