2022 Upland Game Seasons Summarized

North Dakota’s 2022 pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge harvests were up from 2021, according to the state Game and Fish Department.

Upland game biologist RJ Gross said the overall harvest was likely a result of more hunters and good production.

“We were somewhat surprised that harvest was up despite slight declines during our spring 2022 surveys and the early end to most upland seasons when winter showed up in November,” Gross said. “The increase in harvest indicates good reproduction, perhaps even better than what we saw during our brood routes. The statewide blizzards that occurred in spring of 2021, combined with spring showers, were followed by a rapid vegetation response, so late-season nesting cover was exceptional. In addition, brood survival benefited from a warm and dry late summer with abundant insects.”

Last year, 51,270 pheasant hunters (up 9%) harvested 286,970 roosters (up 10%), compared to 47,020 hunters and 259,997 roosters in 2021.

Counties with the highest percentage of pheasants taken were Hettinger, Divide, Bowman, Williams and Stark.

A total of 20,461 grouse hunters (up 29%) harvested 62,640 sharp-tailed grouse (up 37%), compared to 15,762 hunters and 45,732 sharptails in 2021.

Counties with the highest percentage of sharptails taken were Mountrail, Burke, Bowman, Divide and McKenzie.

Last year, 19,125 hunters (up 36%) harvested 54,553 Hungarian partridge (up 22%). In 2021, 14,013 hunters harvested 44,822 Huns.

Counties with the highest percentage of Hungarian partridge taken were Mountrail, Ward, Bottineau, Williams and Divide.