My buddy retiredguy holds to the belief that roosters this time of year bunch up simply because of the circadian, or daylight hours, cycle that provokes their hormonal breeding urge.
He theorizes, in other words, that the breeding urge in pheasants is triggered not by cold weather but by wintertime sunlight hours. I never gave this relationship any thought before he voiced his opinion, but now the more I think about it the notion does seem reasonable.
After all, we are moving into late January now. Historically this is the time of year when late-season hunters driving county roads often come across large groups of pheasant roosters and hens. The birds congregate in big flocks and, well, we don't have to watch them through binoculars to know what happens when roosters and hens get together.
Due to this winter's warmer temperatures, retiredguy's "circadian cycle trumps cold weather" theory is difficult to test, and it's because except for areas and pockets where populations are normal the pheasant numbers in Kansas are generally down statewide.
It could be that the only luck you have is to flush two or three roosters from one spot. And I hope you do. But that small group might be the only breeding roosters in the localized area where you're hunting.
Might as well shoot one of 'em anyway; fried up he'll taste just as good.
