The number of roosters heard crowing during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2024 spring pheasant crowing count survey was up 37% statewide from last year.

The primary regions holding pheasants showed 28.8 crows per stop in the southwest, up from 19.5 in 2023; 21.5 crows per stop in the northwest, up from 16.6; and 16 crows per stop in the southeast, up from 12.8. The count in the northeast, which is not a primary region for pheasants, was 5 crows per stop, up from 3.3 last year.

Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified 20-mile routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of pheasant roosters heard crowing over a 2-minute period.

The number of pheasant crows heard are compared to previous years’ data, providing a trend summary.