Pheasants - Cold?

For the areas of SD I frequent I am not worried. There has been cold and some snow but no major ice that will negatively impact birds IMO. I expect if we get a good spring the hatch will show some very good numbers. Lots needs to happen between now and next fall obviously but winter kill, at least so far, is not on my radar as an issue.
 
I wish I knew exactly the role cold played on pheasants. Certainly the extreme cold can stress them and cause them to burn more calories than normal as their body regulates its temp. But I firmly believe that with adequate thermal cover and easy access to food, a pheasant actually freezing to death would be a pretty rare event.
 
Golden Hour said:
But I firmly believe that with adequate thermal cover and easy access to food, a pheasant actually freezing to death would be a pretty rare event.
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I agree. Not saying they aren't immune to extreme cold but as long as they can find appropriate roosting cover and food, they will generally survive. It's when we get really deep snow that basically removes their roosting habitat and their ability to find food, or a layer of ice, that will result in higher mortality rates.

That being said, it's not even March yet. An ice storm or a catastrophic weather event could still occur. I hope the extreme cold is over though. It seems to be, at least for now.
 
That is how they get the kernels from standing corn...the biggest reason I started planting grain sorghum, was that it is so much easier for them to get to it (a lot less energy needed to try to get it).
 
Pheasants in ND have survived colder weather and more extended periods of cold weather than this. If the cattail sloughs are not filled with snow then the pheasants should have no issue.

SW ND does not have the density of cattail sloughs, but they have more river and creek bottoms that provide pheasants some cover along with a higher density of working ranches - working ranches carry wildlife through tough winters.
 
Sorghum is a great pheasant cover / food source. Rows of corn are good when the snow depth (wind blown drifts) start to cover the sorghum grain tops.

I wish the MN DNR and local wildlife clubs that plant food sources on or near WMAs would use a mix of sorghum and corn.
 
I know this is a pheasant site, but think of turkeys roosting in trees on an extreme cold night. They have mass, but no feathers on their legs like grouse or feathers on their heads like most other birds.
 
BRITTMAN said:
I know this is a pheasant site, but think of turkeys roosting in trees on an extreme cold night. They have mass, but no feathers on their legs like grouse or feathers on their heads like most other birds.
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I have seen turkeys roost in pine trees too. Most of the time they seem to prefer a tall oak with big flat branches, but a big pine might help alleviate some of that extreme cold.
 
Hey all, they should be just fine. It was a cold bugger -40 air temp, but very little wind. So wind chill was not a big factor.
There are plenty cattail sloughs around along with thicker fence lines and tree rows.

Not much snow cover and no ice for them to peck thru for food.

We're in a warming trend, 50 above today and temps not below zero for sometime. The snow is all but gone. I've been seeing quite a few roosters on the road and in some fields. Good sign.

If the weather holds thru March we should have a good carry over. Fingers crossed

Stay well my friends

Greg
 
gjw said:
Hey all, they should be just fine. It was a cold bugger -40 air temp, but very little wind. So wind chill was not a big factor.
There are plenty cattail sloughs around along with thicker fence lines and tree rows.

Not much snow cover and no ice for them to peck thru for food.

We're in a warming trend, 50 above today and temps not below zero for sometime. The snow is all but gone. I've been seeing quite a few roosters on the road and in some fields. Good sign.

If the weather holds thru March we should have a good carry over. Fingers crossed

Stay well my friends

Greg
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Thanks
 
gim said:
I have seen turkeys roost in pine trees too. Most of the time they seem to prefer a tall oak with big flat branches, but a big pine might help alleviate some of that extreme cold.
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They like to roost in trees that are out of the wind, and dead. Old trees that are 70 or 80 years old that have died.
 
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