LINCOLN, Neb. -- Information gathered during spring and summer small game population surveys, including the August roadside brood count, suggest Nebraska’s 2005 pheasant and quail seasons should be about the same as last year, according to Scott Taylor, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s upland bird specialist.

Taylor said the survey indicated pheasant populations increased in the western half of the state, while those in the east declined or held steady.

Regionally, the Southwest had the highest average counts in the state and showed improvement from 2004. The Northeast was the next best region, despite moderate declines from last year. According to the surveys, the Southeast remained stable, while the Central, Sandhills and Panhandle regions had small to substantial gains.

Taylor said ”Overall, we expect good hunting conditions throughout much of our pheasant range, with many hunters in western Nebraska enjoying a noticeable improvement over last year.”

Taylor said while quail numbers have improved since the severe winter of 2000-01, numbers remain below the long-term average over most of the state. He said quail numbers improved noticeably in the Northcentral region, where survey indices are at their highest levels since the early 1990s.

“Along with the Northcentral, the eastern Platte and Republican River drainages are the general areas with the highest quail densities where suitable habitat occurs,” he said. “The Southeast also provides widespread hunting opportunities, but populations remain well below average.”

Taylor said it is hard to get a good idea about grouse numbers because they are difficult to census with standard roadside surveys, but grassland habitat conditions have significantly improved throughout western Nebraska since last fall and spring lek counts were similar to 2004, when hunters enjoyed good to excellent success. He said prairie chicken numbers in southeast Nebraska remain strong and a limited number of permits are available to hunt in the area.

The surveys show cottontail numbers appear to be slightly lower than last year across much of the state, but they are still well above long-term averages. “The Southeast and Central regions offer the highest cottontail densities, but wooded habitats statewide can provide excellent hunting for this underutilized species,” Taylor said.

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