How's the hatch?

[jmez]

Talking to guys in eastern SD sounds like a good hatch for the pheasant. Weather has been great. Gusy seeing lots of birds.

The sharpies are already flying and about half grown. About a month ahead of where I normally see them.

 

[KurtR]

I have been out and about a lot for work. Seeing more birds than I have for a bunch of years. I saw more huns in one day than I had seen the rest of my life combined. 21 pairs this was about 2 weeks ago hope they all have good hatches.

Ducks sound down again this year hopefully some of that rain in Canada helped them.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

How about the chukar guys, we going back to back great years?!?

 

[wowzers]

About eight more came out of the grass after these two brave souls. Pretty warm dry spring here so I would think the hatch was good.

 

[cmahoney]

Last weekend scouting for Antelope saw some chukar and heard a bunch more. The Mormon crickets are off the hook.

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[cmahoney]

How about the chukar guys, we going back to back great years?!?

I believe so


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[spur60]

Hatch for pheasants looks good so far in eastern SD and western MN. Ducks remains to be seen. I will say this spring is the most wood duck pairs I've ever seen around southeastern SD. Neat to see some westward expansion in their breeding grounds. Buddy is a waterfowl biologist and expects gadwall and BWT hatch to be above average for SD, with most other species down. Goose hatch was all over the place due to the cold snap we had in may. Some areas I've seen lots of young with bigger broods, other areas the hatch was a bust.

 

[RockAndSage]

Last weekend scouting for Antelope saw some chukar and heard a bunch more. The Mormon crickets are off the hook.

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Any idea of how Mormon Crickets impact chukar, quail, sage hen, etc? Haven't ever heard anything about it, but are they more bird food, or would they damage bird habitat?

 

[KurtR]

Hatch for pheasants looks good so far in eastern SD and western MN. Ducks remains to be seen. I will say this spring is the most wood duck pairs I've ever seen around southeastern SD. Neat to see some westward expansion in their breeding grounds. Buddy is a waterfowl biologist and expects gadwall and BWT hatch to be above average for SD, with most other species down. Goose hatch was all over the place due to the cold snap we had in may. Some areas I've seen lots of young with bigger broods, other areas the hatch was a bust.

I ran a test with the chief policy officer of delta 3 weeks ago and he said the bw teal are down the most up there and prairie canada from the early surveys he has saw. i hope some of that rain make the next surveys more optimistic. I hope our resident ducks stick around a little bit

 

[Jason Snyder]

The chukar hatch should be very good. Lots of young grasshoppers in late May early June. Good nesting and hatching conditions.

 

[cmahoney]

Any idea of how Mormon Crickets impact chukar, quail, sage hen, etc? Haven't ever heard anything about it, but are they more bird food, or would they damage bird habitat?

I know they are chukar food but I’ve never seen a chukar eat one like a grasshopper and I can’t remember when I first heard chukar eat them. Here is what Grok says:

Yes, chukar partridges do eat Mormon crickets. Chukars are omnivorous birds with an opportunistic diet that includes insects, especially during the fall and winter when plant material is less abundant. Mormon crickets, being large and abundant in the western United States where chukars also reside, are a known food source for these birds. Studies and observations confirm that chukars consume various insects, including grasshoppers and crickets, as part of their diet, particularly when foraging in arid and semi-arid habitats where Mormon crickets are prevalent.


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[RockAndSage]

I know they are chukar food but I’ve never seen a chukar eat one like a grasshopper and I can’t remember when I first heard chukar eat them. Here is what Grok says:

Yes, chukar partridges do eat Mormon crickets. Chukars are omnivorous birds with an opportunistic diet that includes insects, especially during the fall and winter when plant material is less abundant. Mormon crickets, being large and abundant in the western United States where chukars also reside, are a known food source for these birds. Studies and observations confirm that chukars consume various insects, including grasshoppers and crickets, as part of their diet, particularly when foraging in arid and semi-arid habitats where Mormon crickets are prevalent.


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Man, AI does some cool stuff sometimes. Thanks for sharing.

 

[cmahoney]

Man, AI does some cool stuff sometimes. Thanks for sharing.

Ya I’m excited for the birds this year


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[Mtaylor]

Last weekend scouting for Antelope saw some chukar and heard a bunch more. The Mormon crickets are off the hook.

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There have been a big hatch of Mormon crickets from Washington, down through western Idaho into Nevada and over in eastern Idaho! Lots of food for the birds!!

 

[WRO]

There have been a big hatch of Mormon crickets from Washington, down through western Idaho into Nevada and over in eastern Idaho! Lots of food for the birds!!

I was driving 51/225 to elko a few weeks ago and had to slow down because the road was so greasy with dead crickets.