2024-25 Eastern Plains Pheasant and Quail Forecast

Colorado's pheasant and quail seasons open statewide on November 9. Purchase your small-game license today.

2024-25 Eastern Plains Pheasant and Quail Forecast

Colorado's pheasant and quail seasons open statewide on November 9. Purchase your small-game license today.

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Video: Fall 2024 Pheasant Hunting Forecast

2024-25 Pheasant and Quail Forecast

Pheasant populations across the eastern plains of Colorado will range from slightly better to significantly better than 2023, depending on local conditions. Generally across the core range in Northeast Colorado, we are now two nesting seasons away from the lasting negative effects of the severe drought of 2020-23 and the severe winter of 2022-23, which severely decreased populations of pheasants. Further, weather conditions in 2024, being fairly warm and dry in May and June, probably helped the hatch and survival of pheasant chicks, which can be hampered by wet, cool conditions right after nests hatch.

One of our best measures of pheasant populations are spring call counts. Every spring in May, CPW personnel conduct pheasant “crow counts” which provide CPW with trend information about male pheasant numbers. Unfortunately, crowing counts provide an index only and make no prediction about future populations because they make no inference about nest success and chick recruitment. However, they do serve as an indicator of abundance of male pheasants going into the nesting season.

In 2024 in northeast Colorado, pheasant call count surveys increased to 20.6/station average, from 12.3 in 2023 – a 65% increase. Bottom line, the breeding population was up in 2024. Combined with good weather condition during the nesting period, we should see a bump in overall population.

In SE Colorado, crowing counts are lower than the northeast, which is very typical for the area. Weather conditions in SE Colorado on average have been fair to decent for the area. At the minimum, we have not seen the severe droughts that the area is prone to for several seasons, however, the lack of widespread habitat is a continued concern for southeast Colorado.

Hunters harvested fewer than 16,000 pheasants in Colorado in 2023-24, which is the lowest on record and an indicator of the severity of the 2020-23 drought conditions prior to severe winter in northeast Colorado. While stripper head harvested wheat stubble has helped slow pheasant declines, the lack of permanent grass cover of sufficient quality, lack of good brood habitat and the generally unfavorable weather has severely restricted bird numbers currently. Compounding matters further is the quality and amount of undisturbed Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands have drastically declined over the last decade. Many of the CRP fields that served as a great buffer against severe winter weather have expired from the federal CRP program and no longer offer habitat. This lack of undisturbed grassland cover will likely limit the upper end of pheasant populations at some point in the future.

Yuma, Phillips, Sedgwick, Logan, Washington, Morgan and SE Weld Counties

NE Colorado (Yuma, Phillips, Sedgwick, Logan, Washington, Morgan and SE Weld Counties)

Spotty is a continuing theme for the northeast portion of Colorado. Populations across the region will be slightly better than 2023. Some areas have increased beyond “slightly better”, but the degree is difficult to predict. The stage was set for today’s low numbers when 3 seasons of drought reduced cover value, and then severe winter with approximately 80 days of frozen snow cover from mid-December through late February 2023, very likely increased winter mortality significantly. The southern reaches of this area recovered faster after the blizzard of 2022-23, so expect better populations there.

CPW receives several reports from landowners during wheat harvest, and the overwhelming reports from landowners in July were observations of few or no broods during wheat harvest. This trend has changed a bit as we entered the autumn period, with increased observations of pheasants in October. As the fall has progressed, it seems that pheasants are spotty, but better in 2024. As we move into future seasons, 2024 should go down as an important step in rebuilding the population.

It is important to note that total CRP acres have greatly declined across the core pheasant range. While some new fields have been established, the relatively low numbers of new fields versus the loss of thousands of acres significantly tilt in the direction of lost acres.

Hunters Note: WIA sprinkler corners are closed to WIA hunting when the landowner is harvesting the associated crop. Harvest is ongoing and with dry weather will progress greatly in the next couple of weeks. This closure is in effect to allow harvesters to work efficiently, and to minimize safety concerns for hunters and harvesters. Corners are posted with closure signs in addition to WIA boundary signs. As of October 28, 2024, corn harvest is estimated to be 95% completed on average, although there are still significant number of fields still unpicked, especially in Sedgwick County.

South Platte River (eastern Morgan, Washington, Logan, Sedgwick)

Bobwhite quail took the brunt of the severe winter the area experienced in 2022-23 as expected. However, with bobwhites, we can see a quick turn-around. Whistle counts returned from a low of 7-8 in 2023 to ~ 16 in 2024, which is very close to “average” for the South Platte. Hunters should expect to see more bobwhites on the South Platte this year. Overall, the hunt should be fair.

East Central Colorado (Southern Yuma, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa Counties

East Central Colorado (Southern Yuma, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa Counties)

Pheasant populations should be similar to 2023. In Kit Carson County, hunters will note a significant loss of CRP acres, which has impacted populations to some degree as well as the amount of land available to hunt. We have seen some new CRP fields in this area, although it is unknown if that trend will continue.

Hunters should note that many areas in WIA in Kiowa County are enrolled primarily for their value for light goose hunting, including some fields that will offer little cover for pheasants and quail.

Baca & Prowers Counties

Extreme SE Colorado (Baca & Prowers Counties)

Pheasants continue to suffer from a general lack of good habitat and drought conditions in southeast Colorado. Some good habitat does exist in the general area around Walsh and Stonington; however, pheasant populations may be somewhat better than in 2023, but still in the poor-fair category. While weather across most of southeastern Colorado was “average” in 2024, the core area around Walsh was drier than optimal. Expect to find moderate to good numbers of pheasants where good habitat exists.

Quail populations are expected to be better than 2022. Bobwhite quail appear to have done pretty well in 2024. The southeast portion of Colorado has not experienced severe drought conditions for a few years, although many localized areas were drier than optimal. Reports on scaled quail are highly variable but improving in 2024. Expect scaled quail populations to be similar or somewhat better than 2023.

Hunter Notes

Obtain Permission

Hunting on private land requires permission. With the exception of land enrolled in Walk-In Access (Colorado Parks and Wildlife has leased WIA lands opening them to hunting), you must obtain permission to hunt private land, whether that land is posted or not.
Leave No Trace

Landowners are very perceptive of the actions of hunters, whether on their land, WIA properties, or their neighbor’s property. Trespassing, leaving trash, carcasses or damaging property leaves a poor image with landowners, while courteous and respectful hunting gives a good image.
Respect Landowners

Fall harvest is a very stressful period for landowners. Interrupting harvest or stopping a combine to ask for hunting permission is not a good idea. Standing at the end of the field waiting for the combine to flush birds is not recommended. Both are likely to draw the ire of the landowner, and are questionable activities at best when considering how important landowner relations are to gaining and maintaining access.
Respect Hunters

Be respectful of other hunters.

Video: Pheasant Hunting Colorado

Pheasant Hunting Colorado

Pheasant hunting strategies for public access lands in Colorado, including expert advice on identifying and analyzing each type of habitat, and predicting pheasant daily movements. In addition to exciting hunting scenes featuring a variety of hunting styles and hunting dogs, this video presents the viewer with stunning scenery of the High Plains of eastern Colorado.

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