Killer rain

Sorry to hear that Ken, I hope your other spots fared better. I know around here last year when things got killed off big time. Some spots came trough better than others. I think habitat with heavy cover makes a big difference........Bob
 
Hey Ken, sorry to here about the birds in your area. With all the ice, will it have an impact on us getting together for some training in a week? (weather permitting)
 
Well nothing better today, still the same 2.Went for a tour after work and saw 8 hens in one spot that had at least 50-60 birds, another had 4 hens and there were a hundred easy. I wouldn't worry but there is no more tracks suggesting different. looks like about 80% or more loss in 2 days. Just by these 3 surveys. I am going to check a bunch of others this weekend. The one spot has 20 acers of corn standing, that I just checked, where the 8 hens were. Not a track all along the whole field.:mad: It doesn't matter what the cover was in that rain, every thing got wet, bummer.
 
Dakotazeb said:
Hey Ken, sorry to here about the birds in your area. With all the ice, will it have an impact on us getting together for some training in a week? (weather permitting)
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My pen birds are fine, I put all of them in the shed during the rain. We are planing on training. Actualy going to check the field in about a 1/2 hr. I will let you know. but I think the rain actualy helped that situation. Let you know later.
 
Really sorry to hear about the birds man! I can't hardly stand to hear any of the reports coming from up north & in some parts of the mid-section of the country right now...Maybe some kind of miracle will happen & things won't be quite as bad as feared or suspected! :)

Either way, guess pheasants are a calculated gamble just like the rest of things in farm country...FC, I applaud your intense habitat & release efforts! It's hard work, but in the LONG-run it will pay off again!!!

I have friends/acquaintances (two brothers who both are farmer/preacher/& professional hunting guides) in ND who have worked really hard for many years to enhance their and others land & released countless supplemental WILD-brood stock over the years...Sooner or later in places like ND/SD/MI/ect. you know it's bound to happen again (severe bird reduction or near wipeout), that's just part of the game - but try looking on the brighter side, a quick bounceback is much easier if all of the proper habitat is already set in place (without that it is going to be an awful long-haul process) - FC, you are way ahead of the game!!! :thumbsup:

Is it really any surprise how many incredibly-good pheasant-hunting hot-spots follow the exact same pattern/scenario, once you happen to dig around & start looking at things really close...Hey, them Chinese roosters didn't get over here on their own in the first place! Nothing really worthwhile & lasting in life ever comes cheap or easy!!! Here's to a warp-speed comeback for all your local MN roosters FCSpringer!!! :cheers:
 
This probably is not going to encourage anyone. Last year North East Montana had a Winter that would make this one your having seem mild. Lots of -30 and colder weather from Dec thru Mar with snow and wind. All CRP was flattened under heavy wet snow in OCT.
Never had the pheasant population SD has had the last few years. However Limits were fairly easy the years before.
Last Fall there were birds, limits took a lot of work. Point is, even after that There were birds to hunt. The ranch where I hunt, the owners estimated 200 survived in the grove and cattle feeding area. That was it they figure there were no other survivors.
 
4 more hens came back, bringing the total to 5 hens and 1 rooster. Which now looks like a 75% or more loss, after doing alot of touring and glassing in the areas I hunt. Not as bad as I thought but bad enough. HHR you are right it is work taking care of a bunch of birds. I must admidt it is getting old. I keep birds for training always but when you want to do the release thing, now the incubator comes out and 4-5 hundred birds instead of 50. OH well, I am a glutten for it I guess. I took the last 3 years off from it because they were doing so good, so I am needless to say not looking forward to it.:D At least I have everything but food to do it I guess. It will help a bunch if the rest make it through winter. Some areas south of here may be OK as it was warmer longer while it rained and it did not freeze as it fell. But they did get more snow then us so who knows what the hunting wil be like till next fall I guess. It might be a year to just leave em be in some areas and take a couple hunting trips else where.
 
Sorry for your loss of birds Ken, I know how it is, we had it happen here last year. Really bad news.........Bob
 
:D Never ever thought I would be so happy to see so few a # of birds. Now I have 2 roosters, bringing the total to 7. One Rooster I named Bob, he has no tail, get it? bobtail. Anyway just happy to have something. They could lead to30 or so next year, and if left alone bring the #s back after a couple good years. Like I said if released birds have wild friends, they do well. Even just a few.:thumbsup:
 
AWWW GEEE, I thought you named Bob after me.........Bob
 
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