Party hunting pheasants in Iowa?
- Thread starter remy3424
- Start date
Chestle
Well-known member
Life may well be tougher for pheasant than quail, I agree.
But as you just pointed out, it’s conditions that make the difference. In the great years we hit the perfecta. Mild winter, great nesting cover , good dew for the chicks, etc, etc, etc
Bad years have problems in those areas
It’s not the number of hens.
But as you just pointed out, it’s conditions that make the difference. In the great years we hit the perfecta. Mild winter, great nesting cover , good dew for the chicks, etc, etc, etc
Bad years have problems in those areas
It’s not the number of hens.
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I see nothing wrong with large groups hunting pheasant in wide-open grain fields as long as the group understands the plan and the safety concerns. And I am against using alcohol during the hunt but I am curious as to how you would know that alcohol and unlicensed hunters were in the group unless you were in the group yourself. Finally, I have seldom been in a situation where everyone getting a limit is an issue. If you have this problem, maybe you should re-evaluate what your real problems are.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
The beer cans left along the roadside where they park and people sitting on their tailgate drinking a beer are generally a pretty good indicator that alcohol was involved. Plus I live in the real world. The illegal hunters come from the game wardens. This year the warden here ticketed the first 6 people he checked for various reasons on opening day. Some don't even have a hunters safety card. Most are poachers road hunting. I actually had a large group of residents and non residents walk through my yard this year on opening day. Less than 20 yds from where my wife was hanging clothes on the line. I have a nice wind block surrounding my property. When I went out and jumped all other them, they said we aren't hunting just walking back to our trucks. Well, they are carrying guns and trespassing. Must have been about 12-15 of them, some were teenagers with parents and grand parents.
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westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Here read through this. I had to search it to find the exact numbers but 178 birds in 2 days.
Pheasant Slaughter near Liberal
Stopped by a local farmer to get permission to hunt some of his circle corners, on Friday afternoon. I had hunted his corners last Dec. He said stick around and go with his group. He put on a big two day feed that was great for the group of 50+. Not having a place to hunt I went along. It was an...
Chestle
Well-known member
We may need another chapter in the UPH Rule book. The "Proper Way To Pursue Pheasant" rules chapter. It can be right before the "Rules For Claiming a Triple".
I've hunted pheasant alone, with 2-3 good friends, in medium size groups and in large groups. Almost always with one or more of my dogs along. Private ground, public ground, preserves...every which way but loose. Good Times, Bad Times...you know I've had my share...
But through all that, I've just let other people do what they like to do. I see no point in categorizing and then denigrating other sportsmen for the method they choose to chase pheasants.
Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you have had and will have success this pheasant season. No matter how you choose to do it.
I've hunted pheasant alone, with 2-3 good friends, in medium size groups and in large groups. Almost always with one or more of my dogs along. Private ground, public ground, preserves...every which way but loose. Good Times, Bad Times...you know I've had my share...
But through all that, I've just let other people do what they like to do. I see no point in categorizing and then denigrating other sportsmen for the method they choose to chase pheasants.
Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you have had and will have success this pheasant season. No matter how you choose to do it.
cyclonenation10
Active member
I think your spot on. If we shot even 20% of the hens each year I think it would have a HUGE negative impact on bird numbers. Almost without question.
cyclonenation10
Active member
Hen pheasants only nest once. If hens are being shot, less hens = less offspring = less birds the following year. Yes, weather plays an important role, but if you coupled a hard winter with a wet spring AND opened up hunting to hens, I would imagine you would decimate the majority of any population. Even if it was legal, I wouldn't even think about shooting a hen pheasant.
cyclonenation10
Active member
And if there was a good winter and a good spring, and allowed shooting hens, you would have far less birds than you would if the hens were left alone.
Chestle
Well-known member
Any quail hen shot doesn’t nest at all. Yet quail have not been eliminated.
Considering ALL of the other winged game, waterfowl and upland, hens are fair game. With a lot of duck species it’s very easy to differentiate hens from drakes; hens are still fair game.
The “fact” that pheasant hens nest only once appears to be incorrect according to Pheasants Forever:
pheasantsforever.org
“Although subsequent nesting attempts attributed to nest predation or abandonment produce fewer eggs, pheasants are very capable of hatching chicks into the waning months of summer. Additionally, chicks hatched late in the season have a lower chance at survival, so more successful early nesting attempts means more birds recruited into the fall population.”
Which sounds a lot like quail.
animaldiversity.org
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan
“Bobwhites mate in their first year of life and rear one brood a year. Nests destroyed before hatching will be rebuilt while broods lost after hatching are usually not replaced.”
Again, I doubt adding an optional hen to a bag limit would make much difference in overall population. For example 3 cocks or 2 cocks and 1 hen.
The lack of habitat exacerbated by the run of poor weather during the nesting/rearing period is the true problem. IMO.
Considering ALL of the other winged game, waterfowl and upland, hens are fair game. With a lot of duck species it’s very easy to differentiate hens from drakes; hens are still fair game.
The “fact” that pheasant hens nest only once appears to be incorrect according to Pheasants Forever:
Facts Surrounding the Magic of Nesting Season
Springtime throughout pheasant country brings with it one of the great disappearing acts of the world and the most critical period of the year for ringnecks – nesting season for hen pheasants.
pheasantsforever.org
“Although subsequent nesting attempts attributed to nest predation or abandonment produce fewer eggs, pheasants are very capable of hatching chicks into the waning months of summer. Additionally, chicks hatched late in the season have a lower chance at survival, so more successful early nesting attempts means more birds recruited into the fall population.”
Which sounds a lot like quail.
Colinus virginianus (northern bobwhite)
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan
“Bobwhites mate in their first year of life and rear one brood a year. Nests destroyed before hatching will be rebuilt while broods lost after hatching are usually not replaced.”
Again, I doubt adding an optional hen to a bag limit would make much difference in overall population. For example 3 cocks or 2 cocks and 1 hen.
The lack of habitat exacerbated by the run of poor weather during the nesting/rearing period is the true problem. IMO.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Pheasants will attempt to nest multiple times but will only raise one brood. Quail have been known to produce multiple broods.Any quail hen shot doesn’t nest at all. Yet quail have not been eliminated.
Considering ALL of the other winged game, waterfowl and upland, hens are fair game. With a lot of duck species it’s very easy to differentiate hens from drakes; hens are still fair game.
The “fact” that pheasant hens nest only once appears to be incorrect according to Pheasants Forever:
Facts Surrounding the Magic of Nesting Season
Springtime throughout pheasant country brings with it one of the great disappearing acts of the world and the most critical period of the year for ringnecks – nesting season for hen pheasants.
“Although subsequent nesting attempts attributed to nest predation or abandonment produce fewer eggs, pheasants are very capable of hatching chicks into the waning months of summer. Additionally, chicks hatched late in the season have a lower chance at survival, so more successful early nesting attempts means more birds recruited into the fall population.”
Which sounds a lot like quail.
Colinus virginianus (northern bobwhite)
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan
“Bobwhites mate in their first year of life and rear one brood a year. Nests destroyed before hatching will be rebuilt while broods lost after hatching are usually not replaced.”
Again, I doubt adding an optional hen to a bag limit would make much difference in overall population. For example 3 cocks or 2 cocks and 1 hen.
The lack of habitat exacerbated by the run of poor weather during the nesting/rearing period is the true problem. IMO.
Chestle
Well-known member
And in fact the linked quail article mentions that. However it states it has been “observed”, not that it’s common or routine. So, yes, it does happen.
If someone can show info showing quail always or routinely produce multiple broods I would appreciate that.
Again, it’s habitat. I have given up hope on seeing the habitat availability of my youth
If someone can show info showing quail always or routinely produce multiple broods I would appreciate that.
Again, it’s habitat. I have given up hope on seeing the habitat availability of my youth
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
I would think seeing young birds when season starts would be a possible 2nd brood or seeing large coveys of 20 plus birds would be multiple broods but I don't know how you could ever actually document.
Chestle
Well-known member
I’ve been looking at the various quail research articles from states where quail are located. Like this one from Auburn University
Mark Smith, Extension Specialist, Associate Professor, Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn University. Originally prepared by Lee Stribling, former Extension Wildlife Scientist, Auburn University.
“The success rate for bobwhite nesting is low. Typically, only one out of every four nests will hatch. Nests fall prey to many egg-eating predators as well as forest and farm management activities. Quail overcome poor nest success by renesting after a nest is destroyed. Occasionally, during periods of favorable nesting conditions, quail may raise two broods.”
Every site I looked at says the same thing. Quail may raise two broods but it’s certainly not guaranteed and is probably more to the rare event.
Even then it requires favorable nesting habitat. Hmmmm. That habitat thing again
Mark Smith, Extension Specialist, Associate Professor, Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn University. Originally prepared by Lee Stribling, former Extension Wildlife Scientist, Auburn University.
“The success rate for bobwhite nesting is low. Typically, only one out of every four nests will hatch. Nests fall prey to many egg-eating predators as well as forest and farm management activities. Quail overcome poor nest success by renesting after a nest is destroyed. Occasionally, during periods of favorable nesting conditions, quail may raise two broods.”
Every site I looked at says the same thing. Quail may raise two broods but it’s certainly not guaranteed and is probably more to the rare event.
Even then it requires favorable nesting habitat. Hmmmm. That habitat thing again
5 stand
Well-known member
You can document it with telemetry (GPS). They're doing it with quail, and all kinds of waterfowl.
birddude
Well-known member
I think a quail nesting twice has a lot to do with geography. It could happen in the south or west. But I think it would be rare in the Midwest. I also think that when a quail nests again after losing the first hatch they won't lay as many eggs. I have not data to back that up just observations.
Chestle
Well-known member
Birddude, the University of Michigan (ADW) article linked above supports your position on clutch size
“ Klimstra and Roseberry (1975) report variation in single female clutch sizes of 6 to 28 eggs. Bobwhites reduce clutch size after each nest failure (Dimmick 1992).”
Michigan is pretty Midwest and they say the same as Auburn about two broods
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
You might be able to, but I can't.