2024 Upland Game Seasons Summarized

North Dakota’s 2024 pheasant and sharp-tailed grouse harvests were up, while gray partridge was similar to 2023, according to the state Game and Fish Department.

Upland game biologist RJ Gross said the overall harvest was likely a result of more hunters, more trips and more birds in the population.

“The winter of 2023-24 was mild, and no die-offs were reported. In 2024, we observed an increase in pheasant crows heard during our spring crowing counts and sharptails during spring lek surveys,” Gross said. “Although chick production was decreased by the wet and cold nesting season, the increase in adult density added more broods to the population.”

Last year, 55,401 pheasant hunters (up 3%) harvested 357,018 roosters (up 12%), compared to 53,819 hunters and 319,287 roosters in 2023.

Counties with the highest percentage of pheasants taken were Hettinger, Divide, Burleigh, Williams and McLean.

A total of 21,660 grouse hunters (up 1%) harvested 73,010 sharp-tailed grouse (up 8%), compared to 21,512 hunters and 67,710 sharptails in 2023.

Counties with the highest percentage of sharptails taken were Divide, Hettinger, Williams, Morton and Bowman.

Last year, 21,887 hunters (up 8%) harvested 67,465 gray partridge. In 2023, 20,313 hunters harvested 67,481 partridge.

Counties with the highest percentage of gray partridge taken were Stark, McLean, Hettinger, Williams and Divide.