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Little Change Seen For Minnesota Pheasant Hunters

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota pheasant hunters this fall should find similar conditions to last year, but the long-term decline in the rooster harvest is expected to continue, the Department of Natural Resources said Monday.

The DNR's annual roadside survey shows a 6 percent increase in the pheasant population from 2013 despite a severe winter, a slow start to spring and heavy rains in June. But DNR researcher Nicole Davros cautioned against direct comparisons because last year's roadside survey probably undercounted pheasants due to a late hatch.

Minnesota pheasant hunters are expected to kill about 224,000 roosters this fall, which is less than half the harvest during the 2005-2008 seasons when hunting was exceptionally good.

The loss of grassland acres protected by the Conservation Reserve Program is the main reason for the long-term decline, Davros said. The DNR expects more grassland to be converted to cropland as farmers' CRP contracts continue to expire over the next few years. Even though crop prices have fallen below their highs of recent years, many farmers are finding it more profitable to put their land back into production than keep it fallow in the CRP.

This year's statewide pheasant index was 28.7 birds per 100 miles of roadside driven. The highest counts were in southwest, south-central and west-central Minnesota, where observers reported 28 to 62 birds per 100 miles. The DNR said hunters should find good opportunities in these areas. But the overall 2014 pheasant index is 58 percent below the 10-year average and 71 percent below the long-term average.

Minnesota's pheasant season opens Oct. 11 and runs through Jan. 4.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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