The biological evidence tells us that pheasants have a change in hormones when a nest is hatched resulting in the inability to renest. However, many females lose nests and the renesting instinct is strong in pheasants. They will frequently start nests as late as September. Overall the nesting success each year will graph in a traditional bell curve that shifts annually in height and width as well as the location of the midpoint on the calendar. Folks want to equate immature birds in the late season with a second hatch, but it is the result of either a late first attempt or a renesting. Quail on the other hand have been shown to initiate and complete up to 3 clutches. The percentages of second and third nests are lower than first nests of course. Some of the success of this is the result of males incubating and even brooding one or more of the clutches.
