Higher pheasant numbers have more hunters calling Aberdeen

News of higher pheasant numbers in South Dakota and Brown County has sparked interest from would-be hunters who are making their October plans, said Casey Weismantel of the Aberdeen Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Our emails and phone calls have increased basically since they came out with the numbers,” Weismantel said Friday.

He also discussed the higher bird numbers at last week’s Aberdeen City Council meeting.

The top question people have when Weismantel attends travel shows is how the local pheasant numbers are going, he said. According to the recent state Game, Fish and Parks report, the number of birds in Brown County is up 61 percent, he said.

“From what I’m hearing, it’s a solid 61 percent, if not more,” said Weismantel, reporting that, even before the numbers were released last week, he was hearing from lodges that they were seeing considerably more birds than in recent years.

A winter that was cold but didn’t have an abundance of snow meant there was food and cover available for pheasants, he said.

“As long as they can ... peck and scratch at the food, they’re good to go,” said Weismantel, pointing out that last spring was ideal for hatching conditions.

He said he hopes the reported higher numbers, combined with the fact that Brown County has more Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program acres — free, public walk-in land — than any other South Dakota county means the hunters will make the Aberdeen area their destination when they finalize their plans.

The convention and visitors bureau has hunting, lodging and other tourism information available on its website,huntfishsd.com.

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