Pheasant hunting to be fair around Utah this fall

Not much has changed with respect to the number of pheasants holding around Utah's agricultural interests.

Predictions are that this year's hunt, which opens statewide on Saturday, will be similar to last year's. Meaning, of course, numbers haven't increased much.

Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, suggested that hunters concentrate their efforts in areas that still have suitable habitat for pheasants.

Most of Utah's pheasant hunters participate during the opening weekend. And, he said, those who are persistent and hunt on weekdays are usually successful in harvesting some birds.

Pheasant hunting will be fair at best throughout Utah this fall.

In Box Elder County in the Northern Region, fewer pheasant chicks survived because of dry spring conditions, but hunters can still find healthy, isolated pockets of pheasants throughout the county. In Cache County, pheasant populations appear stable and are similar to last year.

Waterfowl management area personnel report fair pheasant numbers at the Salt Creek and Public Shooting Grounds waterfowl management areas and good numbers at the Ogden Bay and Farmington Bay management areas. A late pheasant hatch was noted at the Ogden Bay area. At most of the management areas in northern Utah, habitat for pheasants is improved over last year.

In the Central Region, pheasant populations are similar to last year throughout the region.

In the Northeastern Region, fair hunting is expected in both Duchesne and Uintah counties.

In the Southeastern Region, biologists have seen fewer pheasants in the region this year. Hunting will be difficult.

And, in the Southern Region, incidental sightings and brood counts in Millard County were higher than last year but are still well below numbers that were found in the county a decade ago. There are some reports of birds in the Escalante Valley and Washington Fields areas. Pheasant numbers are low in Garfield and Kane counties, and hunters should expect a poor hunt in those two counties. The Sevier Valley population seems to be increasing from last year, and a fair hunt is expected in that area.

The Utah quail hunt will also open on Saturday.

There are two species of quail in Utah — Gambel's, a native of southern Utah, and California, which are scattered around the state.