Most of the best pheasant hunting occurs on private ground, but some public-access lands hold fair numbers of birds, too. Ongoing public programs are building momentum toward improved habitat for pheasants and better hunter access to private lands Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

The dog quivered anxiously staring hard into a patch of weeds and short brush alongside a field of corn stubble. The morning sun glistened off the wet grass, as frost was now melting rapidly. As the hunter neared, a cock pheasant flushed madly from the cover amid a shower of moisture spray and the sound of pounding wings.

The dog lurched after the rising bird in a fray of excitement. In a fluid motion, the hunter shouldered his shotgun, swung it smoothly to the left, and gently squeezed the trigger. Boom! The rooster tumbled, and the dog proudly mouthed his prize.

It had been a good morning. This was already the third rooster of the day for the happy group of hunters, and there was plenty of action left. Like the day before, they would all enjoy a great day afield and return home with a savory bounty from the wild for a delicious evening meal.

Unfortunately, the scenario above is one that was played out many years ago and is seldom experienced by pheasant hunters in Illinois today. There still remain plenty of birds out there to hunt, and many people have some great times afield, but pheasant hunting in Illinois is nothing like the "good old days" of yesteryear.

Backgrounder on the Birds The Prairie State's pheasant population has taken a serious downturn from back in the day. However, it's not just Illinois that has suffered. Many of the other 39 or so states that hold pheasant populations also have seen some decline; however, the Prairie State has not rebounded quite as well as some of the surrounding and Western states.

People are sometimes surprised to learn that ring-necked pheasants are not native to North America. The birds actually are an import from China. Numerous stocking attempts were made in the late 1800s -- most of which were largely unsuccessful. Fortunately, in 1882, a stocking of around 26 ring-necked pheasants was successful in Oregon, and they were soon flourishing in their new country.

Pheasant populations peaked across the country in the 1940s, and great hunting was enjoyed throughout the 1950s and 1960s. But new farming practices in the 1970s brought about major changes to pheasant habitat and subsequent reproduction. This trend continued until 1985 when the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was established. Since then, many pheasant-holding areas across the country have rebounded nicely. CRP provides incentives for landowners and farmers to leave their land fallow or plant it favorably for wildlife.

Unfortunately, Illinois is not one of those areas in the country where landowners have responded well to the CRP. In fact, our state has fewer than 200,000 acres enrolled in the CRP, and the prospect of that number growing is bleak.

The problem with enrolling more lands in CRP is the current value of land. Urban developments and farming pays much better than CRP. Farmland often rents for as much as $100 per acre or more. That same land enrolled in CRP would only pay about $30 per acre.

Yet, states nearby have much more land enrolled in the CRP -- Kansas has 3 million acres; Iowa, nearly 2 million acres; North Dakota, 3 million acres; South Dakota, 1.5 million acres; and Montana, 4 million acres.

Adult pheasants can be adaptable to their habitat to a limited degree. Unfortunately, the average lifespan of a ring-necked pheasant is usually only two years or less, so being somewhat adaptable is of little benefit.

The loss of nesting habitat is the most significant influence affecting Illinois' pheasant population. These ground-nesting birds need vast undisturbed grasslands for nesting and the rearing of broods. As more and more land is stripped of its native grasses, pheasants will continue to decline.

Hunting actually has little effect on pheasant reproduction because of the limited lifespan of the bird and the fact that only roosters may be harvested. Pheasants are polygamous, and males will breed prolifically with multiple females. Most experts agree that even if 90 percent of the males were removed from the population each year by hunting, the remaining males would still be able to breed virtually all of the females.