pheasant season opens today across the state of North Dakota....

Many hunters brave the cold weather as they head out for the first time this hunting season.

Reporter Kate Schell travels to Braddock to find out how the bird population and weather impacts opening day.

It's opening day of pheasant season..

For the Feist family and their friends it's also the first day of yet another yearof hunting traditions

But already they say, this year is different..

(Mike Feist/Pheasant Hunter) "This is the coldest I've seen it. I've been hunting for 30 years and this is the coldest I can ever remember." Depite the cold temperatures and wind, these hunters are giving it their all and making some adjustments

(Mark Feist/Pheasant Hunter) "When the weather is a little tougher we probably hunt more cattails. Its a lot harder to find the birds they are just not out in the sun like they normally are." So this year, people are having to HUNT harder for the birds. According to Game and Fish, the pheasant population declined greatly during the harsh winter and wet spring

(Greg Link/ND Game and Fish) "Statewide we are probably down 50-percent, but it impacted parts of the state in different ways." (Mark Feist/Pheasant Hunter)" Now with this weather and stuff, we knew that wasn't going to help. We thought it would be better than it was today, but yeah it was pretty disappointing." Mike Feist says last year was far from disappointing. He says birds were everywhere

(Mike Feist/Pheasant Hunter) "I mean I'll be honest with you. We were done hunting by ten in the morning." This morning at 10-only one pheasant had been caught. But, that number doesn't have the hunters down..

(Mark Feist/Pheasant Hunter) Its just nice to get out and we're still having fun." (Mark Feist/Pheasant Hunter) "We enjoy coming down here and hunting..being with friends and family and we'll get some birds, but we are going to have to work." They will be working with not only a smaller population of birds, but also working against the weather..

In Braddock with KX News, Im Kate Schell.

Pheasant numbers are down from previous years, but Game and Fish says there are still plenty of birds to be caught.

In the past 14 years, the state has seen the bird population fluctuate quite a bit. 1997 had the lowest number of harvested pheasants... And ten years later in 2007the state saw the highest number.

According to Game and Fish, it was in the 1940's that the state last saw those high numbers like in 2007. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list