Forecasting Upland Game Birds

Get involved. Support your community. And make an impact in the upland game birds fall forecast. Here's How!

The Upland Game Bird Fall Forecast project aims to provide hunters with valuable insights on ring-necked pheasants and grey partridge populations.

Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) has been conducting hunting forecast surveys since 2012. A new method of survey was conducted in 2020 that involved reaching out to the hunting dog community to assist in gathering data and significantly contributing to annual forecasts. Volunteers are provided survey sheets and a set of instructions and encouraged to survey areas where at least one species of game bird occur. Included in the results are the hours surveyed, the total number of flushes per hour, and kilometres walked.

The survey information helps ACA understand population trends and brood success for pheasants and partridge, as well as heighten the excitement for the upcoming hunting season. It's about the quality of the experience, which isn't easily measured. ACA releases survey results online and on various social media platforms each fall. With this information, more discussions are initiated, such as the importance of different habitat resources needed for game birds to survive throughout the year.

With a big help from all the volunteers and ACA staff who help pull these surveys together, ACA will continue to monitor upland game bird population numbers and give hunters the best chance for a successful hunting season!

Interested in participating in next year's fall forecast? Email: [email protected] 

Questions? View the FAQ page. 

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