How does taking roosters affect population?
- Thread starter JHoch00
- Start date
I can't remember exactly where I read it, but a good ratio of roosters to hens is 7-8 hens to 1 rooster. This was mainly for breeding purposes. Meaning, 1 rooster can breed with 7-8 hens.
In addition, the roosters are generally stronger birds which will out-compete the hens for food during a tough winter.
In addition, the roosters are generally stronger birds which will out-compete the hens for food during a tough winter.
KBell
New member
Several studies conducted over different states list the ratio of hens to roosters at 4 or 5 to one.
One must remember that the birds do naturally disperse in spring as fights and expansion to other cover happens.
Two things I have never seen in a study that are worth mentioning:
1. Often stated you cannot hunt roosters out of an area. Disagree--have done it and not proud of it. One must always leave a few for seed.
2. Roosters are much more wary than hens. It is desirable to have these natural "lookouts" within a bunched up wintering group of pheasants. The roosters are the sentry and provide more survival of hens to spring in my opinion.
So I conclude by saying please use your hunting common sense. When the weather, hunting pressure or hatch provide you with few to fewer birds ease up on them. I believe we often forget they "fight for survival" 365 days a year--not just during the hunting season against us.
One must remember that the birds do naturally disperse in spring as fights and expansion to other cover happens.
Two things I have never seen in a study that are worth mentioning:
1. Often stated you cannot hunt roosters out of an area. Disagree--have done it and not proud of it. One must always leave a few for seed.
2. Roosters are much more wary than hens. It is desirable to have these natural "lookouts" within a bunched up wintering group of pheasants. The roosters are the sentry and provide more survival of hens to spring in my opinion.
So I conclude by saying please use your hunting common sense. When the weather, hunting pressure or hatch provide you with few to fewer birds ease up on them. I believe we often forget they "fight for survival" 365 days a year--not just during the hunting season against us.
mustistuff
Banned
two cents
for one, you might be able to hunt all the pheasants out of a ditch for a short period but not for long. hunting has very little to do with the rooster survival rate. some studies indicate that a rooster can handle up to 26 or 27 hens. if the ratio of roosters gets too high, they tend to fight more than breed leaving some hens unmolested. as far as them being wary, how birds do we hunt that walk around like the own the place, dress in bright colors and constantly running their mouth off here i am come shoot me, not many. it may not be manly to hunt hens but their survival instincts surpass those of their lovers. years ago i was lamenting the fact to a farmer, while we had killed many birds on his place, roosters seemed to be getting scarce, he laughed and said we we kidding ourselves. he said come back a month after the season is over, we'll take a ride around the farm and i'll show you over a 100 roosters right from the truck. as long as they are pressures they will spread out, find some other hiding place till the heat dies down, that's what mostly happens to you roosters
cheers
for one, you might be able to hunt all the pheasants out of a ditch for a short period but not for long. hunting has very little to do with the rooster survival rate. some studies indicate that a rooster can handle up to 26 or 27 hens. if the ratio of roosters gets too high, they tend to fight more than breed leaving some hens unmolested. as far as them being wary, how birds do we hunt that walk around like the own the place, dress in bright colors and constantly running their mouth off here i am come shoot me, not many. it may not be manly to hunt hens but their survival instincts surpass those of their lovers. years ago i was lamenting the fact to a farmer, while we had killed many birds on his place, roosters seemed to be getting scarce, he laughed and said we we kidding ourselves. he said come back a month after the season is over, we'll take a ride around the farm and i'll show you over a 100 roosters right from the truck. as long as they are pressures they will spread out, find some other hiding place till the heat dies down, that's what mostly happens to you roosters
cheers
double trigger
Member
Agree with this advice, in a year like this ease up on the scarce birds!
dead pheasants forever
Member
Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm skeptical that you could hunt out all the roosters in an area so much that the hens can't find mates. I thought the studies on this said it wasn't possible. Even if you think all the roosters in an area have been shot, there are ALWAYS a couple wily ones left that run like mad half a mile out, fly out the end before you can open your car door, hang out next to the farmstead where hunting isn't allowed, etc. There's enough research on pheasants that you'd think you'd hear about biologists finding hens that didn't nest because they couldn't find a mate if it were true. In areas where pheasants are no longer found, I'll bet it was because the hens died off because they didn't have enough cover to make it through winter and avoid predators or couldn't nest because of bad weather.
KBell
New member
Each year hens are not able to nest for a variety of reasons. It is a myth that they all nest. Condition, habitat, lost nests, competition just to name a few. As I said earlier I personally have(and not proud to admit it) have hunted birds out of a vicinity when younger and not to savvy!
I mean the kind of hunting where I pounded it often in all types of weather and conditions. I think most of you are aware that deep snow groups and creates more vulnerability for the birds regardless of what "hunting month" it is. We coincidentally refer to these days as "awesome" or great hunting days. The same goes for dispersing the birds from suitable cover to non-existent cover during sub-zero temperatures. Don't kid yourself--you are not doing them any favors.
I believe the reasoning for not posting the obvious is because we "hunters" do not like reading or hearing about the obvious. Game managers do not share readily what we experienced hunters already know. It's equivalent to shooting all but two quail from a covey during a severe prolonged winter. Only a damn fool would tell you that what you did was okay.
I learned long ago that the birds we hunt must survive 24 hours a day seven days a week. Not just on Saturdays or Sundays when goofs like me chase them around. There are limits to what we hunters "inflict" before the effects of it are realized. A common sense approach to wildlife management by all of us "hunters" would be a very beneficial thing in my opinion.
I mean the kind of hunting where I pounded it often in all types of weather and conditions. I think most of you are aware that deep snow groups and creates more vulnerability for the birds regardless of what "hunting month" it is. We coincidentally refer to these days as "awesome" or great hunting days. The same goes for dispersing the birds from suitable cover to non-existent cover during sub-zero temperatures. Don't kid yourself--you are not doing them any favors.
I believe the reasoning for not posting the obvious is because we "hunters" do not like reading or hearing about the obvious. Game managers do not share readily what we experienced hunters already know. It's equivalent to shooting all but two quail from a covey during a severe prolonged winter. Only a damn fool would tell you that what you did was okay.
I learned long ago that the birds we hunt must survive 24 hours a day seven days a week. Not just on Saturdays or Sundays when goofs like me chase them around. There are limits to what we hunters "inflict" before the effects of it are realized. A common sense approach to wildlife management by all of us "hunters" would be a very beneficial thing in my opinion.
double trigger
Member
Each year hens are not able to nest for a variety of reasons. It is a myth that they all nest. Condition, habitat, lost nests, competition just to name a few. As I said earlier I personally have(and not proud to admit it) have hunted birds out of a vicinity when younger and not to savvy!
I mean the kind of hunting where I pounded it often in all types of weather and conditions. I think most of you are aware that deep snow groups and creates more vulnerability for the birds regardless of what "hunting month" it is. We coincidentally refer to these days as "awesome" or great hunting days. The same goes for dispersing the birds from suitable cover to non-existent cover during sub-zero temperatures. Don't kid yourself--you are not doing them any favors.
I believe the reasoning for not posting the obvious is because we "hunters" do not like reading or hearing about the obvious. Game managers do not share readily what we experienced hunters already know. It's equivalent to shooting all but two quail from a covey during a severe prolonged winter. Only a damn fool would tell you that what you did was okay.
I learned long ago that the birds we hunt must survive 24 hours a day seven days a week. Not just on Saturdays or Sundays when goofs like me chase them around. There are limits to what we hunters "inflict" before the effects of it are realized. A common sense approach to wildlife management by all of us "hunters" would be a very beneficial thing in my opinion.
Well said KBell,
This is not unlike trout fishing on streams during low water/hot temp periods. Sure you can catch fish during these times, but the stress you put on them by forcing them to expend energy unnecessarily can easily lead to a fish's death. A similar situation is when pheasants are hunkered down trying to survive the most extreme weather. At times like this you have to ask yourself if its worth it, especially during low population years....
dead pheasants forever
Member
That's a fair point. I do think you can hurt a population by hunting them hard in cold, stressful conditions, but not just because you're shooting roosters. You're probably endangering hens just by flushing them out of thermal cover, especially towards the end of the day. They can't feed in extreme conditions and are already running low on energy. Also, I think hens get more stressed than roosters in cold weather.
mustistuff
Banned
cold weather
this is absolutely true for quail as they seem to need each other for heat, don't think it applies to pheasants nearly as much
cheers
this is absolutely true for quail as they seem to need each other for heat, don't think it applies to pheasants nearly as much
cheers
