I'm in Minnesota but I get around a bit. Our peak years for Huns were some of the lowest points for pheasants recorded. Winters were pretty harsh with fairly dry springs. Huns like a more arid environment than MN normally produces so it was to be expected that populations would decrease as the weather returned to normal. I had hopes that global warming would reverse the trend but, alas, that belief seems to be a fantasy and I will have to settle for pheasants.
Farming practices changed which didn't help much. The hayfields that were used to feed cattle were converted to crop land when prices took off which limited nesting and summer cover. Pastures were similarly converted which wasn't a boon. That which wasn't put into crops was enrolled in CRP which had an emphasis on pheasant cover rather than Huns. Huns can use pheasant cover but it is less than optimal and barely maintains a viable population.
Huns served their purpose, they provided hunting opportunities in areas when such opportunities would otherwise be lacking. I do miss seeing them as regularly as I used to but it is a little more of a thrill now as they are often unexpected. If I really want to hunt them, it is not a long drive to Montana, the Dakotas, or Manitoba or Sasketchewan to chase them. I've done it in the not so distant past and will do so again in the not too distant future.
