38 NEBRASKALAND • OCTOBER 2016
131,423 birds in 2014 to 166,285 in 2015. And quail harvest
was up by 73 percent, with 52,947 birds harvested in 2014
compared to 91,147 in 2015. The same survey also showed
that resident small-game permit holders increased by 2
percent while nonresident permits spiked upwards by 23
percent.
Populations of pheasants and quail in Nebraska have
increased due to several factors. First, most areas of the state
experienced relatively mild winters in recent years, which
resulted in high overwinter survival. Second, timely rains
early in the spring stimulated growth of native grasses and
forbs, creating prime nesting cover for both pheasants and
quail. Following the hatch, a good number of insects and
plant seeds were available for chicks to advance them into
adulthood. Finally, this quality habitat provided sufficient
cover and food sources, which carried the birds through cold
winter months.
The commissioners saw bird numbers consistent with the
harvest increases while hunting during the Rooster Roundup.
They also saw great habitat. At many WMAs, planting food
plots, grazing, light disking, burning and cedar tree removal
are some tactics public land managers have used to improve
pheasant habitat on their areas. Disturbances such as these
create bare ground, stimulate annual grasses and broadleaf
plants, and improve habitat diversity, which are key factors
in producing and holding pheasants.
"Milo food plots provide a good food source along with
cover and winter loafing areas for birds and deer," said Mark
Commissioner Robert Allen's black Labrador, Moon, retrieves
a bobwhite quail at Grove Lake WMA.
Commissioner Dick Bell hunts for pheasants at the Verona Wetlands Complex south of Aurora. This Ducks Unlimited property offers
nearly 1,000 acres of public access lands.
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN
