NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/736554
32 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2016 Pheasants for All An Interview with Nebraska Game and Parks Upland Habitat and Access Program Manager John Laux Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus Pheasants are clearly the prized game bird in our state, and that hasn't changed even though our numbers have. Historically, pheasant hunting brought a huge boost to our state's rural economies, but this is pretty localized today. Still, the tradition of pheasant hunting is very strong in Nebraska. People still want pheasants, and the build-up around the species is great. In this regard, pheasants are also very important for habitat conservation efforts in Nebraska. Pheasants utilize different habitat types throughout the year – from weedy transitional areas to heavy grass. A wide variety of grassland birds and other wildlife species rely on grasslands in different stages of succession, so when you manage for pheasants you benefit many other species at the same time. Absolutely – there's a lot of overlap. This is a big opportunity with our state's new five-year pheasant management plan, the Berggren Plan for Pheasants. While the pheasant on the plan's cover is a larger indicator of what the priority of the plan is, the habitat goals outlined in the plan benefit the entire grassland ecosystem, from grassland birds to pollinators. Pheasants were introduced in the early 1900s and quickly became established throughout much of Nebraska. Populations peaked in the late 1950s and have declined ever since. Pin-pointing the direct cause of pheasant population decline can be challenging; however, we know that weather events and habitat loss have contributed significantly to the problem. Agricultural land use changes over the years have greatly reduced the amount of suitable pheasant habitat in our state. Pheasants thrived in the early-mid 1900s because they were placed in ideal habitat. Farming operations were small and more diversified. Crop fields were weedy, providing ideal brood cover and winter food sources. Crop rotations included small grains. Many areas were left undisturbed each year. Grasslands were more abundant and were grazed haphazardly when conditions allowed, and haying was a slow process that provided sufficient time for birds to nest. Fast-forward to today's landscape and there are some drastic differences. Advances in ag technology have made o Q: How important is pheasant hunting to Nebraska? bi Q: So your management of pheasants can help nongame birds as well? i kl b Q: When and what caused the pheasant decline in Nebraska?