State wildlife officials say there is a much larger pheasant population in North Dakota this year due primarily to milder conditions after a three-year stretch of harsh winters.
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Photo: ND Game & Fish
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Hunters are taking to the fields in North Dakota as pheasant season begins.
The season that opened Saturday runs through Jan. 6. Pheasants are big business in North Dakota _ tens of thousands of hunters kill at least half a million birds in a typical season.
State wildlife officials say there is a much larger pheasant population in North Dakota this year due primarily to milder conditions after a three-year stretch of harsh winters.
In the long term, though, many officials are worried about a drop in the pheasant population as more land in conservation programs is cultivated for crops.
AP/Paul Jurgens