Anyone seeing any roosters?

[dean nelson]

Releasing pen-raised birds where there are wild ones is a waste of time and money. 60% of pen-raised birds are dead within the first week 25% are left within a month and generally less than 5% within a year. Pen-raised hens average 3 Broods for every 100 released vs 30 Broods for every 100 wild birds. In the end it just doesn't even come close to remotely justify the cost and time it would take to attempt and this has been proven again and again and again and it's the reason why pheasants forever is completely against it.

 

[NG3067]

Where can you find wild hens to release? I realize that releasing pen raised hens isn't very economical, but doing nothing is even less productive. I realize that habitat is key, but flooding an area combined with predator control should help stimulate a low population.

 

[Kurtr]

Buy them as chicks then let them go if they live they live and are wild if not they are dead.

 

[Duckslayer100]

Where can you find wild hens to release? I realize that releasing pen raised hens isn't very economical, but doing nothing is even less productive. I realize that habitat is key, but flooding an area combined with predator control should help stimulate a low population.

Raising and releasing penned birds as a way to support or supplement wild bird populations is a waste of money IN COMPARISON to allocating those same dollars toward habitat improvements. The problem is that raising birds is a lot cheaper for the Average Joe to do, versus setting aside tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for land and habitat improvement.

Wild pheasants came from some where. Eventually, released birds can turn into wild birds generations down the road, but your percentage of success is crazy low. That's what Dean is getting at.

It would be one thing if there were still a few million acres of CRP on the landscape, intermixed with ample tree rows, cattail sloughs, and other marginal farm ground turned fallow. Then there's plenty of habitat that can safeguard these relatively weak pheasants, and improve the chances of some surviving the seasons to reproduce.

But on North Dakota's current landscape, which in some areas can't even support the wildlife already there (remember, habitat is not for JUST pheasants -- big game, small game, non-game animals all intermix on the same ares) it's the equivalent of releasing a bunch of walleye fry into an acre pond in a neighborhood. Will some survive? Possibly. But probably not enough to make a difference for anglers hoping to bring home a few fish for dinner. And certainly not enough to reproduce and make a sustainable population in that pond.

I realize that's probably an apples-to-oranges comparison, but I think it parallels the thinking process. If a group or groups of people wan to invest their money in raising and releasing pheasants, more power to them. Especially if they have habitat to support them. But don't expect it to reverse the downward trend we've experienced in the past 5-10 years. That's going to take a lot more money and effort than simply raising and releasing birds.

To put things in greater perspective, I encourage anyone to read this article: http://www.grandforksherald.com/spo...new-normal-north-dakota-crucial-habitat-wanes

You can't deny the data and the trend. We've lost more than half of our peak CRP acreage since 2007 and, surprise surprise, our yearly take of pheasants has precipitously dropped. Last year North Dakota hunters harvest just over 300K roosters -- the lowest bag since 2000. By comparison, in our peak CRP year in 2007, we harvested more than 3 TIMES THAT AMOUNT.

How long do you think it will take to make up that 600K bag difference? How many raised-and-released birds is that going to take if our habitat status remains unchanged -- or gets worse?

 

[Up Y'oars]

Bird counts are down; way down. FACT. Coyote population is up; way up. FACT. Hawk population is up also. FACT. the sum of the figure is the circle of life has to swing other ways for all to be better. Throw in some cooperation from mother nature, too.

Go hunt some coyote. Their pelt prices are up this year.

 

[Bfishn]

If only there was a season on hawks and owls.

 

[WormWiggler]

If only there was a season on hawks and owls.

Interesting post, what are the natural predators of protected birds of prey? why are they protected? Seems like more biology / ecology that is possibly run amuk. Treehuggers like to talk about a balanced ecosystem, is protection of a species that is not endangered good for the system. I like seeing hawks, eagles, owls, robins, meadowlarks, etc. but is their protection based on science or emotion?

 

[Fritz the Cat]

This year when we harvested our alfalfa it was rare to see a nesting pheasant. Back in 2007 they were everywhere. This is a property with no CRP within miles.

In 2007 I left 20 acres of sweet clover standing and it was nuts. 200 birds would flush out of that field everyday. In the spring of 2008 we paid dearly. It was horribly dry and couldn't get the sweet clover stumpage worked in. The field next to that one was supposed to be in the same rotation and supposed to have a stand of sweet clover for the 2008 hunting season but it completely failed. There was nothing. Nothing on either field. And no birds either.

Mother nature giveth and mother nature taketh away.

 

[Duckslayer100]

This year when we harvested our alfalfa it was rare to see a nesting pheasant. Back in 2007 they were everywhere. This is a property with no CRP within miles.

In 2007 I left 20 acres of sweet clover standing and it was nuts. 200 birds would flush out of that field everyday. In the spring of 2008 we paid dearly. It was horribly dry and couldn't get the sweet clover stumpage worked in. The field next to that one was supposed to be in the same rotation and supposed to have a stand of sweet clover for the 2008 hunting season but it completely failed. There was nothing. Nothing on either field. And no birds either.

Mother nature giveth and mother nature taketh away.

So you're saying...if you build it, they will come??

 

[3Roosters]

Bird counts are down; way down. FACT. Coyote population is up; way up. FACT. Hawk population is up also. FACT. the sum of the figure is the circle of life has to swing other ways for all to be better. Throw in some cooperation from mother nature, too.

Go hunt some coyote. Their pelt prices are up this year.

I will second the Hawk comment! We hunted the Esmond, Anamoose, Drake, McClusky, Mercer area Saturday/sunday. A few years ago, I owned a hunting shack in McClusky area so hunted that area fairly regularly. Bird numbers are down. Our usual tried and true locations of yesteryear did not produce anywhere near what we experienced a few years ago. Not even close. Other areas, same thing. Birds are down in that area. Although there is still corn and beans standing, we were not seeing birds even on posted land, farmers yard birds, or even ditch parrots on gravel roadside. It will be interesting to see once corn and beans are off. One thing we did notice was the number of hawks...seemed to be everywhere. While we didn't run across any coyotes, hawks were a different story so besides the lack of habitat, I believe predators are having a big impact as well. Loss of habitat, less than ideal weather, and predators are creating a perfect storm the last number of years. Hope it turns around that is for sure.

 

[shorthairman]

If you release 600K roosters and they all get harvested in that same season then it will only take a year to make up that difference!:::

Some studies I read years ago said it was less than 10% of released birds survive up to a year in the wild. Also, it will still take some time to build up a bird population even if you have cover...there has to be birds around to populate it.

I get pretty worked up when it comes to pheasants because in my mind there are never enough of them, and there can never be too many of them! I think Habitat first, then predator control. The SW part of NE is very similar to where I am in NC NE. A lot of center pivot fields. If there is a big difference in the farming I would say that we have corn and soybeans and SW has corn and wheat. The reason I feel SW has pheasants and NC doesn't is because they do not disturb most of their corners. Approximately 28 acres of every 160 acre pivot is not farmed because the pivot does not hit the corners. Here the corners are mowed and baled, or grazed...no cover. I hunt SW NE a couple times a year, and most of our walking is corners and we always get some birds.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

So you're saying...if you build it, they will come??

I read your Brad Dokken article. It's another call to get more money into the Farm Bill. Brad Dokken says 2007 was the last banner year. I agree. Where we all depart is thinking you can bank pheasants into the following year.

Spring of 2018 we had no rain April May and the first two weeks of June. No dew, no aphids no pheasant chicks. How would miles of CRP change that?

 

[Bfishn]

I read your Brad Dokken article. It's another call to get more money into the Farm Bill. Brad Dokken says 2007 was the last banner year. I agree. Where we all depart is thinking you can bank pheasants into the following year.

Spring of 2018 we had no rain April May and the first two weeks of June. No dew, no aphids no pheasant chicks. How would miles of CRP change that?

The CRP would be better than your sweet clover scenario above. The land i hunt is mostly CRP with some slough areas and then a few small fields that rotate between flowers, wheat etc. We shot 21 birds Saturday and saw over 100 and this isn't a giant chunk of land. Yes there was no hatch last year, but because of the CRP there is always some birds around and they recover much faster because of it. With no cover there are no birds and therefore no recovery period.

No cover + bad weather = No birds
Good Cover + Bad weather = Some birds
Good Cover + Good Weather = Pheasantnado

 

[Migrator Man]

I read your Brad Dokken article. It's another call to get more money into the Farm Bill. Brad Dokken says 2007 was the last banner year. I agree. Where we all depart is thinking you can bank pheasants into the following year.

Spring of 2018 we had no rain April May and the first two weeks of June. No dew, no aphids no pheasant chicks. How would miles of CRP change that?

There would be more birds to start with if there was more CRP.

Looking back on 2016 it was the best year for me personally. Limits were easy and felt guilty shooting so many birds but that winter most of the remaining birds died anyways so in he end it didn’t really matter how many I shot that fall.

 

[D-Racer]

Echo the comments made about hawks........do not recall seeing as many as we did this past Saturday. Also agree on the "pockets" statement, as we ran into completely different situations within 30 miles of each other considering pretty much the same type of cover. My son and I picked up 6, which made my GSP very happy.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I read your Brad Dokken article. It's another call to get more money into the Farm Bill. Brad Dokken says 2007 was the last banner year. I agree. Where we all depart is thinking you can bank pheasants into the following year.

Spring of 2018 we had no rain April May and the first two weeks of June. No dew, no aphids no pheasant chicks. How would miles of CRP change that?

So aside from planting sweet clover (which as you say, only works once in awhile) what's the solution? There's clearly a trend between suitable habitat and birds. It's the great equalizer. Mother Nature can be pretty horrendous at times, but habitat buffers her blows. The flip side is to get rid of habitat. Then when the weather turns south and everything is exposed, well, here we are.

A logical, thinking person can't deny a direct correlation between disappearing CRP and dwindling game numbers reliant on those acres (i.e. deer, pheasants, etc.).

 

[guywhofishes]

even the crappiest little wetlands/sloughs retain enough moisture to produce millions of creepy crawlies around their perimeter - even during short term droughts

burn/drain/tile those and there's no where for drought-stressed critters to go

naw.... that would never happen

 

[espringers]

big old fields of weeds like kochia and tumble are pretty awesome for raising and shooting pheasants in.

 

[bigv]

I am no expert on pheasant health but i don't think one needs to be to analyze the problem. CRP is king. With so many acres lost, many animal species is in decline. Pheasants, deer etc. Some have mentioned coyotes. Coyotes actually have little impact on pheasant populations and may actually benefit them as they tend to keep coon and skunk species away. So I have read. Be sure to kill coons/skunks any chance you get. Also weather plays a huge part. If too dry in spring the chicks can get dehydrated and die. They live off of the dew or water that gathers on the weeds/plants. Yet then again if too wet nests can die or drown. For such a hardy bird it sure is ironic how easily they suffer. Pheasants are prolific breeders having multiple hatches. I know that putting out birds is a very low success rate but....if even a few survive to breed wouldn't that be a start??

 

[shorthairsrus]

Der is 25million more acres in CRP - then when i first started hunting pheasants the 70s. We still managed to get some. Put your beer down get out of the truck and tell momma your buying a shorthair -- I will guarantee you will see birds flying -- they may not be in range - but that rangy shorthair will pop em up.

PS --- were taking them out of some deep deep cover -- my suggestion is run a springer or tow into the cover and have a couple shorthairs up on the edge -- when they creep up (cause they cant fly out of that stuff) - the shorthair will pin em. And yes you will need to get your @ss in the $hit to get a shot. Careful.