Photo by Ron Sinfelt

You may not believe this, but pheasant populations have gained ground in Indiana. Hunters are experiencing numerous flushes, great fall pageantry, and most importantly, full bag limits of pheasants. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, unbelievably, where there is abundant habitat that supports pheasants, they can be found in large numbers, thereby offering a wealth of hunting opportunities. The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife's (DFW) Game Bird Habitat Areas are great examples of how habitat influences pheasant numbers.

Because of the habitat found on these areas, wild pheasant populations have prospered tremendously. Located in several counties in the upper one-third of the state, these islands of pheasant prosperity provide pheasant hunters with the primary ingredient in pheasant hunting, and that is pheasants.

Dave Spitznagle is the property manager at Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA). Willow Slough has wild birds on its property, and Spitznagle knows that habitat is essential to keeping them there.

"It doesn't take a whole lot of habitat, because if they're given a toe hold, or slight chance, they will make it," Spitznagle said. To help the pheasants throughout the year, there are several pheasant-habitat "ingredients" that must be considered.

"There are several things we address when it comes to providing the correct habitat. There is nesting cover, good brood cover. This ensures that more chicks survive. Also, we have fall and winter cover to provide adequate food. Another important element of habitat is escape cover," Spitznagle said.

In the so-called glory days of a bygone era, before modern farming techniques reduced the amount of habitat that supports pheasants, wild ringneck population levels (along with bobwhite quail population levels) were large and stable. Unfortunately, nowadays pheasant and quail numbers have diminished significantly to all-time lows.

The distinguishing factor that most influences how many pheasants are going to be present is the availability of good habitat. Harsh winters can take their toll, but overall habitat is the key variable that most influences wild bird population levels.

"It's sort of like the movie Field of Dreams," said longtime Indiana-pheasant hunter Jim Whitted of Valparaiso. "If you build it, they will come." And "build it" is exactly what Indiana's DFW has done on the Game Bird Habitat Areas.

The Game Bird Habitat Areas are used to facilitate the coveted Reserved Pheasant Hunts in Indiana. If you're lucky enough to get drawn for one of these hunts, you will experience firsthand the magic of good pheasant habitat. This writer was lucky enough to get drawn for one of these hunts a few years back, and I can tell you the birds are there! At the end of our first drive, we pushed up at least a dozen birds. I have never seen so many wild birds get up at one time.

Everyone in our hunting party limited out with two (wild) birds on this superb public property. There were three of us in the hunting party, so that comes to six pheasants in one hunting effort for the group. Not bad for public land, wouldn't you agree?

If you have never heard of the Reserve Pheasant Hunts before, they are hunts offered through the DFW by random drawing on Game Bird Habitat Areas, which are located in the northern one-third of our state. Prospective hunters desiring to get in on this action must correctly fill out an application card, and mail it in time to meet the deadline for the drawing. If you are picked for the hunt, you will be notified of your success by mail. Applications for the drawing can be found in the Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide.