The north-central South Dakota town of Mobridge historically ranks as one of the top pheasant-producing areas in all of the United States.
Over the past 10 years, the local pheasant index has averaged 6.75 birds per mile, double or triple the ringneck populations of many other areas in the nation's best pheasant hunting state.
But on the brink of this year's pheasant hunting season, opening Saturday, Mobridge stands as one of the places hardest hit by 2017's severe drought. Bird numbers — stunted also by a winter of habitat-damaging snowfall — have shriveled to one-third of the 10-year average and stand at less than half of last year's levels.
"The drought was pretty severe everywhere, but there it was worse," said Travis Runia, senior upland game biologist for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
Further south along the Missouri River, pheasant meccas like Pierre, Chamberlain and Winner suffered comparable losses and the state is bracing for what could be a repeat of 2013. That's when low, preseason brood counts dashed enthusiasm for the hunt and nonresident hunter participation plunged by 20 percent.
Even if this season's turnout sinks by only half of the 2013 drop-off, South Dakota would lose $15.6 million in economic activity in its most important hunting season. In past years, around 20,000 Minnesotans have been drawn to South Dakota's pheasant hunt, joining 65,000 to 75,000 hunters from elsewhere in the country.
Leading into this year's hunt, the South Dakota Department of Tourism has confronted the reality of fewer pheasants with an upbeat information campaign.
"Still the nation's best pheasant hunting," one flier announced this week. "Even though the pheasant brood count is down this year, South Dakota still boasts the highest bird counts in the nation."