Pheasant Survey Down 61%

SLE

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So let's lengthen the season and keep the daily limit at 3. What a bunch of dipshits that passed that law, it's all about the money and screw us that live here and pay taxes.

Exactly what I was saying last night after witnessing the true lack of birds. I figured they'd be down but it's down right non-existent at least in the two areas that I hunted.
 


Kurtr

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If it is like Sodak and all you can shoot roosters that is not a bad thing. In winter they will kill and run the hens off the feed and hens are more valuable than roosters
 

Rowdie

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The drought took care of the hatch around here. A quite of few were around this spring, but haven't seen too many past July. We have a LOT of chicken hawks flying around. What winter didn't get the hawks did, and the drought took care of most of the hatch. I could have mowed my lawn at 5 am all of June it was so dry. No dew at all, none!
 

guywhofishes

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So how does the drought kill chicks? Do they mainly get water from puddles, droplets on grass, etc. and those are simply lacking?

Do chicks raised in "pothole country" have the potholes as an option or do they require rain events every few days?

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I was always under the assumption that wet years killed them too due to constantly being damp/cold.
 

remm

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So how does the drought kill chicks? Do they mainly get water from puddles, droplets on grass, etc. and those are simply lacking?

Do chicks raised in "pothole country" have the potholes as an option or do they require rain events every few days?

- - - Updated - - -

I was always under the assumption that wet years killed them too due to constantly being damp/cold.

I think a lot of it has to do with the bug hatch. The growing chicks depend on eating bugs. No water = no food or drink. Also with no water obviously means less growth of cover grasses to hide in. Bad deal all around.
 


Up Y'oars

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Yes, the lack of moisture also affected the bug population. Less bugs, less eating for the chicks. They end up getting malnourished and die off. Adult pheasants don't live all that long, so a full hunting season could really limit the number of birds for three more years. Yes, it's good to kill off a number of roosters. Positives and negatives to the debate.
 

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