How are the Birds Doing?

pheasantaddict

pheasantaddict

New member
How are the pheasants doing around the state? (Worst Winter Ever) I'm continuing to feed the birds and they seem to be in good shape. The weather has to break soon.
 
Went out coyote hunting Sat. (nc IA)was surprised by the pheasant #s and there condition. Don't know how much more of this they can take though. (forgot the word pheasant bleubijou)
 
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I think the birds are a lot more resilient than we realize. The biggest threat to bird numbers is the spring hatch.
 
Would'nt worry to much about the yotes, they will find everything else that dies. When we had are bad winter kill on the deer in Gunnison, the temp did not get over -20 degrees for 29 straight days. Add the 50 inches of snow that fell to quickly and did not let the deer reach their wintering grounds. Needless to say the coyotes were well fed. I hope it breaks soon for you guys!!!!!:eek:
 
PF was running around the area today handing out bags of corn for people to feed in the shelter belts.
 
went from Sioux Falls to Watertown on 81 and saw fair number of birds. Mid to late afternoon they were scratching in some fields and hitting the shoulders of the roads for grain. 4+ more inches of snow this weelend. Tho they are not getting many breaks, they seem to be hanging in there.
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Tabc, Inc.
 
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South Dakota here.. Pierre, SD reports. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of Pheasants on the side of the road scrapping up salt. there had to been 150 birds on a 20 mile stretch road.

they are salting up for this upcoming storm we are having this weekend.
 
birdman652001 said:
South Dakota here.. Pierre, SD reports. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of Pheasants on the side of the road scrapping up salt. there had to been 150 birds on a 20 mile stretch road.

they are salting up for this upcoming storm we are having this weekend.
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That can't be all that great for them.
 
moellermd said:
That can't be all that great for them.
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for food wise no.. but at least they are active and alert... I dont think we'll lose that much. it will be interesting to hear the Game Fish and Parks results for this year count. these birds have tolerated worst weather than what we are gonna get this weekend.
 
Read a study once on pheasants that were intentionally starved and they lasted as long as 2 wks so if their beaks weren't frozen etc. most of them will make it. I read an interesting theory that in Texas we might be poisioning our quail with corn that is contaminated in deer feeders. This is a theory, NOT PROVEN, Corn that contains a mold is often passed off in livestock feed and the birds eat it around the feeders. Those that believe this have switched grains or are feeding peas which they say are gobbled up by the wildlife. Something to think about. I believe he said the peas were cheaper than corn and well tolerated by the wildlife.
 
I need to clear up something about the bad corn theory. They are not supposed to use the bad grain in the feed to start with but after it is made and sits around and gets wet, etc. some of it becomes moldy and is not checked again after processed and bagged.
 
well when the corn isnt harvested in the time frame when it should be, all the corn that does fall down before the harvest, can get moldy sitting in damp ground for quite a time. these can often kill animals such as deer, raccoons and pheasants.
 
I drove from Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis on Tuesday of this week and didn't see a single pheasant. On the drive back Wednesday I saw 2 roosters and 2 hens. Just a few years ago I could make that same drive and literally see hundreds of birds because they would stick out like sore thumbs with snow on the ground. I can't tell you exactly what this means as far as next years bird numbers but I can tell you that it gives me a really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I would go out and feed the birds around here but to be honest with you I don't know if I could find a bird to feed. I will say that the birds I saw looked absolutely healthy with full plummage and big long tail feathers...I just didn't see very many. We are going to need a very, very good hatch.
 
Out yote hunting this weekend. Seen a fair number of birds. Look to be in good shape:). Also seen three spots where the predators had pheasant on the menu:mad:
 
I think he was wondering about IA anyway, so I was down in nth central IA this weekend. They are hurting there. no way to find waste grain in any fields yet. the birds on the RR may do OK. The rest seem to be aimlessly wandering on highways and gravel roads. Numbers seem to be down from before by a good amount, and the old man has been putting on tons of miles yote hunting and has been commenting the same down there. The next few days should put up a few small bare spots in the filed tops to help the ones getting through. I saw just as many huns as pheasants, which does not say much. I think it will be more pockety so to speak then last season, but there will be birds.
 
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