LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say the April Rural Mail Carrier Survey number came in higher than last year for pheasant, cottontail rabbits and wild turkeys in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says that if spring and early summer weather proves out moderate, production of young should be good this year.

The increase in pheasant numbers was highest in the Southwest region. The increase in wild turkey numbers was highest in Panhandle and Southeast regions. The Central and Southeast regions saw the greatest increase in cottontail numbers.

The survey was conducted April 3-6 as 424 rural mail carriers observed species while traveling nearly 177,000 miles of rural roads in 87 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Go online at outdoornebraska.gov/upland to view the entire survey report.