First off, my apologies if this is considered unethical or anything like that (and please say so if it is - I'd like to know). I have a few decent pheasant hunting spots on public and private land and I'd like to do what I can to help the local pheasant population that I harvest. Last year I picked up 5 cats that were clearly dumped at the end of the road and dropped them off at the humane society, so I figure that must help at least a bit! However, I was talking to a friend of mine who has a pheasant feeder in his backyard that he made out of a bucket lid and a peice of 4" ABS pipe. He's not a hunter - just likes watching the birds, but it got me thinking that I might be able to "anchor" the birds at my spots and also help the survivorship during times of low forage by putting out a few of these feeders myself. Any thoughts on this? Specifically, I'm wondering:
1. Is this ethical, or could it be seen as "baiting" birds?
2. Is this worthwhile, or could it just as likely attract competitors, predators etc...?
3. What kind of feed is best for pheasants? SHould I use something different to help young birds at this time of year and then switch to something else later?
4. Would this be more important in the winter to help overwinter survival (Nova Scotian winters can be somewhat harsh for pheasants).
5. Could this be harmful for the birds if I do not visit the area frequently enough to refill the feeders (i.e. could they become overly dependant on it or might young birds then not learn to forage on wild food?).
I look forward to your feedback on this.
1. Is this ethical, or could it be seen as "baiting" birds?
2. Is this worthwhile, or could it just as likely attract competitors, predators etc...?
3. What kind of feed is best for pheasants? SHould I use something different to help young birds at this time of year and then switch to something else later?
4. Would this be more important in the winter to help overwinter survival (Nova Scotian winters can be somewhat harsh for pheasants).
5. Could this be harmful for the birds if I do not visit the area frequently enough to refill the feeders (i.e. could they become overly dependant on it or might young birds then not learn to forage on wild food?).
I look forward to your feedback on this.