"Even though heavier snow cover did come in late winter, the birds were likely in good physical condition to handle the snow depths and cold conditions," Lobner said.

One real indication of winter's impact is the number of pheasants seen in spring. In southeast Wisconsin, birds were everywhere this spring.

"I saw and had reports of many birds on the roadsides in late winter and early spring," Missy Sparrow said. "Several were dead (most likely killed by cars), but many were alive."

Even in Pierce and St. Croix counties, which are about as far north as there is any pheasant management, the winter had a negligible impact.

"Our Winter Severity Index (WSI) was 63," said Harvey Halvorsen. "That's the third mild winter in a row. There were no ice storms, and no lingering snow depths over 6 inches, so our birds came through just fine."

SPRING COUNTS
Biologists get a better idea of how many pheasants made it through the winter by conducting surveys of crowing roosters in spring. Like ruffed grouse drumming counts, these are done by driving predetermined transects and stopping every half-mile to note the number of birds crowing. Crowing counts provide an index of the pheasant population, not an accurate tally of actual numbers.

Although the results had not yet been tabulated, Scott Hull said early reports suggested 2007 crowing counts were up over 2006. Last year, observers heard 2.9 crows per square mile, compared with 3.2 in 2005. The number of crowing roosters heard is multiplied by an assumed sex ratio of 2.5 hens per rooster. The estimated number of hens (7.25 last year) per square mile is above the 20-year average of 6.0.

Crowing counts in 2007 were up 30 to 40 percent in western Wisconsin, according to Harvey Halvorsen. Missy Sparrow said crow counts in Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties were about the same as last year. In Green and Rock counties, Brian Buenzow reported that spring crowing counts were similar to last year near Beloit and Monroe, and a little higher near Evansville. Overall, he thought the counts would come out about the same as last year. He did caution that late-spring weather might have hurt production somewhat.

"Pheasant broods need warm, dry weather when they first hatch," Buenzow said. "The cool, wet weather we had in early June might have hurt us a little. Some areas north of Madison and toward Fond du Lac got 4 or 5 inches of rain in one storm."

As long as they are brief and chicks have a chance to dry out afterward, thunderstorms probably don't hurt pheasants too much, unless they are accompanied by golf ball-sized hail, Buenzow said. But all-day rain and temperatures in the 50s for several days on end can take their toll on young chicks.

HABITAT VS. CROPLAND
For the past 50 years or so, Wisconsin farmers have juggled croplands and set-aside land in an ongoing tug-of-war between the demands of agricultural markets and those of conservation efforts. With corn prices at an all-time high, many farmers are plowing under prairie planted in the last decade for wildlife habitat. This trend, more than anything else, may very well have a devastating effect on wild pheasant numbers.

When former CRP land is cropped, the loss of habitat hurts in several ways. First, hens must use second-rate nesting cover. Next, the broods that do hatch are more vulnerable in narrow strips of cover than they are in dense stands of prairie grass, which also harbor many more nutrition-rich insects, which are a critical element in the diet of young birds. Finally, essential winter habitat is lost, leaving birds more exposed to storms and predators. CRP land is less important as winter cover in areas where large cattail marshes and shrub-carr brush are available. In some places, though, prairie grass provides the only winter cover. When it's removed, the birds are pretty well doomed.

Fortunately for conservation, Congress did not allow farmers to get out of CRP contracts early without paying a penalty, so most of those who have current contracts will keep them until they expire in the next few years. Last spring, Scott Hull alerted pheasant biologists across the state to the significant changes coming in CRP.

"The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has released data on the 2008-2010 CRP re-enrollment process," Hull said. "In Wisconsin, there were 236,809 acres eligible for re-enrollment. To date, CRP contract holders holding 119,443 acres (50.4 percent) have paid their compliance fee and have indicated they are willing to consider re-enrolling or extending their contracts. Acres with compliance fee payments do not represent final approval to stay in the program, however. The actual number of acres re-enrolled will likely go down even further after mandatory field checks."