The reports are in the upland game outlook for a few western states. If you are thinking about going out and hunting birds this fall here is a few snapshots of what the bioloigsts predict the bird hunting will be like this fall. This will give you a tastse of what the over all western outlook is.
For your specific states please visit the links in the article and if your state is not listed then please check out your respective state’s 2023 upland game report. Many of them have specific guidance on food sources and land scapes to checkout when pursuing the birds of your choice this season.
Idaho
Idaho Fish and Game biologists predict that the upland game season in 2023 should be similar to that of 2022. With all the bad press out there about heat over the past summer, its good to hear that the drought conditions in the southern part of the state have improved over the past summer.
However, in the panhandle area that was not that case, and they did not see much improvement in terms of precipitation the past summer. Also the Upper Snake regions faced similar dry conditions.
The rainfall in the southern part of the state means that the birds will have more insects to feast on and should help statbilize populations.
Utah
The upland game forecast that Utah put out is a great resource for any hunter. They give you some very specific mountian ranges and areas to go look for specific birds if you are looking for a new place to hunt or are a new hunter. You can check it out here.
Here is a quick snapshot at what Utah’s upland season should hold.
Dove: The dove populations have gone up thanks to all the snow Utah received this past winter.
Forrest Grouse: The states biologists are tracking above average spring hatches of new birds for grouse populations.
This is not including Sage-grouse and Sharptail grouse however, who while they are expected to slightly increase, the hard winter impacted new hatch survival rates.
If you want the best chances of finding grouse, try finding any local berries in their habitat.
Chukars and Huns: Both populations should be having a better year than last year with biologists citing an above average hatch season in the central part of the state but a slight decrease in the northern part of the state.
Cottontail Rabbits: Where’s my rabbit hunters at? It loos like the north has positive outlook in terms of rabbit populations with the southern part of the state is having struggling numbers. Let’s let them recover in the south and head for the north if you are dead set on a good rabbit hunt.
Oregon
What can you say about Oregon? It’s a very unique state from the coastal regions on the west to the high desert beauty of the western part of the state. It has unique weather patterns and other environmental factors that can greatly affect the animals that occupy it.
The biologists have looked at the game birds harvest rates based on a five year average. So here is what they stated based on that average.
Upland Game Overall: As a whole, upland game birds harvest rates had slightly increased with a few exceptions. Pheasants were down 7% and ruffed grouse where down 25%. Grouse, Quail, and Partridge were above the five year average.
Dove should be on the upswing with in increase of 43 percent over the previous year as estimated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Montana
The overall outlook for Montana looks good due to a cool and wet spring/winter that results in good vegetation and insect numbers for the birds to eat.
Pheasant: It should be about the same as last year because of a decent hatch and wet spring resulting in good food sources for the birds.
Forrest Grouse: The bioloigsts expect an average year of harvest for grouse numbers across western Montana.
Partridge: There should a decent population of partridge for harvest this year.
Sharptail and Sage Grouse: Down from historical averages.
Arizona
Overall you can expect a decent season thanks to a wet spring.
White-Winged Dove: While the nation is experiencing a decline of white-winged dove, it’s expected in AZ to a decent season with biologists seeing positive signs on their Dove Call Index.
Gambel’s Quail: This season hunters should see an increase in quail. The numbers have increased over last year.
Rabbit: It’s not looking good for rabbit populations. As you might guess historical drought conditions have taken an impact on the rabbit population and the numbers are not increasing. It’s best to give the rabbits a break this year.
Upland bird hunting is a exptremely fun and lasts much longer than big game seasons. So if you find yourself bored after deer season this year, get out and chase some birds and bring a kid hunting with you to ensure future generations are being passed the torch.
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