Spotted a rootster

Ok Brian...now ask yourself, why this year? Is the habitat better than it's been all of the previous years? The time of the birds release? The mild winters of the last couple of years? You've read on this Forum as well as myself that a lot of people here believe pen raised birds can start a wild population. We have certainly not had success in the East with pen raised birds....but lately I,ve heard plenty of similar reports the last couple of years! Why? I find it very interesting to say the least!
 
I have no idea why it happen this year. The habitat has not changed other than a small food plot we put in last year. The winter was mild but I have seen holdovers even after rough winters. But they didn't produce any broods (that I know of). This spring I saw the birds in and around a grown up pasture, wheat field and fence lines. The wheat was just harvested in the last 10 days and maybe the birds were in the wheat or pasture area when they nested. The alfalfa fields were cut in May but maybe this hen didn't nest in the alfalfa which allowed her to have a good hatch. I was seeing 3 hens with this one rooster all spring in the same area and I'm hoping that the other 2 had a nest somewhere. There are plenty of corn and beans growing to provide good cover along with the crep field. There could be something in the crep fields and I would have no idea because they are so thick. I run the dogs in the mornings but only on the edges. They do check some things out but we never produce anything. I still need to talk to the farmer to find out if he has seen anything. I also heard that there has been a good bit of trapping going on in the area, so that would help things out.

A guy fishing the pond says he will still hear some quail in the woods at times. I've stayed out of the woods so far mainly because they are so wet and muddy and I don't want to have to clean the dogs up. But I may have to check it out soon.

The batch of pheasant chicks have done well this year and I'll have close to 200 birds to release in the fall. In past years the most I had was around 140. Maybe the extra birds will help things out for next spring. Time will tell.

How are things around your pheasant camp?
 
FLDBRED said:
Ok Brian...now ask yourself, why this year? Is the habitat better than it's been all of the previous years? The time of the birds release? The mild winters of the last couple of years? You've read on this Forum as well as myself that a lot of people here believe pen raised birds can start a wild population. We have certainly not had success in the East with pen raised birds....but lately I,ve heard plenty of similar reports the last couple of years! Why? I find it very interesting to say the least!
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I think you hit it with the winter theory. It's been the fairly "easy" winter for some of us/states these past two years. Besides that, I can't think of anything else that's changed (for the better) to help pen raised birds survive and breed in the spring.
 
How are things around your pheasant camp?


We are really excited about the area around "Pheasant Camp", not only has the PGC more than doubled the release of birds in the County, but the number of broods being sited is incredible. I would really like to see this area become one of the next WPRA's. A lot of people don't realize this area "Bradford County" was once rated as Class A pheasant range.
 
FLDBRED said:
How are things around your pheasant camp?


We are really excited about the area around "Pheasant Camp", not only has the PGC more than doubled the release of birds in the County, but the number of broods being sited is incredible. I would really like to see this area become one of the next WPRA's. A lot of people don't realize this area "Bradford County" was once rated as Class A pheasant range.
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I haven't checked on our wild birds lately but a few weeks ago I saw and heard some good signs in terms of breeding adult birds, though we were getting way too much rain at the time for nesting birds. Conditions for a second nesting attempt are very good around here right now.:thumbsup:
 
1pheas4,

Does Illinois have a good stocking program? What kind of harvest figures do you guys get for wild birds?
When Pa. opens it's WPRA's to hunting, they may have to adopt some of your regulations on limited hunting in these areas!
 
I was out checking on things this morning before it got too hot out. I left the dogs at home but I was able to get a few pictures.

I saw something run into the food plot that is in the area:
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She had some little ones with her but I couldn't get any pictures of them.

On the way out I saw this girl:
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photo1_zps6195c38a.jpg


The rooster was in the area but I couldn't get a picture. I could hear the chicks but they stayed hidden which was a good thing because a hawk wasn't too far away. I'll keep the dogs out of the area for a bit since the turkey chicks were still small.
 
Let's see...you've got pheasant, quail, turkey, all you need are some grouse!:) :thumbsup:
 
bauerline said:
I was out checking on things this morning before it got too hot out. I left the dogs at home but I was able to get a few pictures.

The rooster was in the area but I couldn't get a picture. I could hear the chicks but they stayed hidden which was a good thing because a hawk wasn't too far away. I'll keep the dogs out of the area for a bit since the turkey chicks were still small.
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Nice. See has chicks too:thumbsup: Thanks for making my evening bauerline!:cheers:
 
It has been a good spring around here for the animals. I have seen young pheasants, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, geese, herons, deer and other song birds. I've seen young red tail hawks and hear the hoot of owls in the evening when fishing. Once in a while a woodcock will visit the area. But grouse are not in the picture. That's just the way it goes.
 
FLDBRED said:
1pheas4,

Does Illinois have a good stocking program? What kind of harvest figures do you guys get for wild birds?
When Pa. opens it's WPRA's to hunting, they may have to adopt some of your regulations on limited hunting in these areas!
Click to expand...

Good evening Fldbred. We do have stocking programs on some state sites. I'm not sure how many birds the state release. It's been threatened over the past few years--i.e.-pulling the plug entirely on the program.

Wild Illinois ringneck pheasant numbers have been WAY down since the winter of 1995/1996. We lost many birds that winter and they never returned:confused:. Some areas have good bird numbers, though one would never know it because birds are seldom seen in the open and never seen in open crop fields feeding:confused:.

Illinois wild pheasant harvest in 1995 was 500,000 roosters!
1996 it went down to 100,000 or less. Today our wild ringneck pheasant harvest is around 30,000 to 40,000.:(
 
bauerline said:
It has been a good spring around here for the animals. I have seen young pheasants, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, geese, herons, deer and other song birds. I've seen young red tail hawks and hear the hoot of owls in the evening when fishing. Once in a while a woodcock will visit the area.
Click to expand...

Sounds like heaven to me:D
 
In Indiana I think there were 2 wild birds..........one got hit by an Amish buggy and there are 40,000 hunters looking for the other!!!!!!!!!!
 
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