Tree hugger, hardly. Just trying to put a little science into the why of pheasant #'s dropping.
Do not dispute yotes take pheasants. The studies show nest raiders wiping out entire clutches are a bigger problem. With sufficient habitat healthly pheasant populations will remain healthly even with predators around.
If there is healthy habitat, which we don't have as much as we use to. Agree 100% with poor habitat pheasants are more susceptable to predation. Filter strips are easier for predators to do their thing in than the bigger crp fields we use to have.
Do not dispute yotes take pheasants. The studies show nest raiders wiping out entire clutches are a bigger problem. With sufficient habitat healthly pheasant populations will remain healthly even with predators around.
If there is healthy habitat, which we don't have as much as we use to. Agree 100% with poor habitat pheasants are more susceptable to predation. Filter strips are easier for predators to do their thing in than the bigger crp fields we use to have.