Wheat Harvest Too Early?

BritChaser

BritChaser

Well-known member
Wheat has been or is now getting cut in the pheasant range. Is it so early that pheasant nests and clutches will be significantly harmed?
 
I've been wondering the same thing.

I think the answer to that is...it depends. An early wheat harvest never bodes well for the pheasant hatch...but this year may be different. If the hatch is also early due to the weather conditions it probably won't make much difference. I was hoping we'd hear more reports of chicks in mid-may than we did. The statistical peak of the pheasant hatch is about June 7. Conditions can move this date, but it never seems to move much.

As I understand it, breeding, nesting, etc. are triggered by a hormone that is produced light. When by length of day increases the hormone is produced and it starts the reproductive cycle. Naturally other factors are involved (heat, moisture, habitat, etc.), but they are secondary. Although secondary, can/do have an effect on the timing of reproduction.

My hope is that either the weather was so overwhelmingly perfect for early nesting that the time table was moved up or that the harvest was so early that there is plenty of time to re-nest. Unfortunately, if the eggs have hatched or are very close to hatching, and the nest or chicks are destroyed, research shows that pheasants almost never re-nest.

Perhaps somebody who is more learned than I can give a better answer.

One thing is for sure, if we don't get some rain soon...it won't matter.

What say you, Mr. Prairie Drifter?
 
No doubt a early harvest is not the best thing. Point your correct, if the young broods are big enough to escape the harvest activity things might not be so bad. Trouble is habitat/cover will be limited. Do they go in and turn the stubble black right after the combines down your way? Is there other types of significant cover?
 
I thought a "clutch" was what you had to do covering your crotch going over a flimsly sprung barb wire fence! It's heck to be hungry, and have go to decent sit down restaurant with holes, (rips, tears,), or worse. Will need to do a Pheasant dictionary of terms, to explain the double intenders. In the pheasant forum, a " clutch" could be an innocent issue as described above.... but seen by a law enforcement official .... in a decent sitdown restaurant.... might get us cited as a deviant ! The defenition by the pheasant dictonary might secure our release. Your honor! " I had one hand on the wild dog's collar, and my other hand was on my favorite gun, I could not "clutch" under the circumstances" the unavoidable, and disturbing behavior at the restuarant was a result of my "clutchless" circumstances.
 
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oldandnew said:
I thought a "clutch" was what you had to do covering your crotch going over a flimsly sprung barb wire fence! It's heck to be hungry, and have go to decent sit down restaurant with holes, (rips, tears,), or worse. Will need to do a Pheasant dictionary of terms, to explain the double intenders. In the pheasant forum, a " clutch" could be an innocent issue as described above.... but seen by a law enforcement official .... in a decent sitdown restaurant.... might get us cited as a deviant ! The defenition by the pheasant dictonary might secure our release. Your honor! " I had one hand on the wild dog's collar, and my other hand was on my favorite gun, I could not "clutch" under the circumstances" the unavoidable, and disturbing behavior at the restuarant was a result of my "clutchless" circumstances.
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wow! That was awesome.
 
Thanks for the Laughs fella's!!!!!:D:):thumbsup:
 
Point, I think you hit it on the head with "depends"! I know that the gobblers were ahead with their overwhelming desires and by the normal time for peak gobbling they had gone mute. The roosters may well have erupted early as well. The big thing is if the hens followed suit or waited for the day length to bring them in. I would be worried about hen condition in some areas. With the crop failures and poor range condition in many areas it would be understandable if some hens came out of winter in less than stellar condition. True, the winter was mild. However, the food stores in the west and southwest part of Kansas made living a chore for the birds. The dip stick results will be seen later this summer and fall. It will be good for you folks riding the combines to keep us informed on what is being seen in the wheat and on the roads during harvest.
 
oldandnew said:
I thought a "clutch" was what you had to do covering your crotch going over a flimsly sprung barb wire fence! It's heck to be hungry, and have go to decent sit down restaurant with holes, (rips, tears,), or worse. Will need to do a Pheasant dictionary of terms, to explain the double intenders. In the pheasant forum, a " clutch" could be an innocent issue as described above.... but seen by a law enforcement official .... in a decent sitdown restaurant.... might get us cited as a deviant ! The defenition by the pheasant dictonary might secure our release. Your honor! " I had one hand on the wild dog's collar, and my other hand was on my favorite gun, I could not "clutch" under the circumstances" the unavoidable, and disturbing behavior at the restuarant was a result of my "clutchless" circumstances.
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ha ha hardy har har he he he ha ha uuuuuuhhh ha ha boy thats a goodun stop i cant take no more
 
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Just in from W. KS

got an email from my buddy out west harvesting. see quote below:thumbsup:..He is speaking about our ranch/huntinglodge and no I am not giving GPS grids.:eek:

"We have been at the house for the last two weeks. Lots of pheasants"
 
I just spent over a week in Scott, Lane, Ness, Hodgeman and Finney counties helping a friend cut wheat. I saw clutches anywhere from just hatched to a month old. I was surprised at the number of babies that were hatched the middle of May. The broods all seemed to be good size. Something else to remember, the combine only destroys the nest the tires run over which is only a small percent. The wheat is cut high enough that the header cuts over the top of the nest. I was running the auger wagon, and saw some day old babies that the combine cut right over the top of. The area I saw the most birds was around Healy. There is going to be some good hunting in that area if the heat doesn't get the chicks.
 
I am a fan of the stripper head!!!!! Leaves the Wheat stubble even taller!!!! Got the same report FK!!!!! Wide range of little ones!!!!! Hope the Healey oil a gas checks there Choclate Milk this year before I buy a old one again, usually I check the date! But that ruined my morning!
 
I was at Healy Oil every morning fueling up fuel trailer for several days. I also ran a flat combine tire in there to get fixed. I didn't get any milk however. I did hit a rooster in the pu just west of town. The stupid thing flew right in front of me. I couldn't dodge as I was pulling 600 gallon of diesel.
 
fsentkilr said:
I just spent over a week in Scott, Lane, Ness, Hodgeman and Finney counties helping a friend cut wheat. I saw clutches anywhere from just hatched to a month old. I was surprised at the number of babies that were hatched the middle of May. The broods all seemed to be good size. Something else to remember, the combine only destroys the nest the tires run over which is only a small percent. The wheat is cut high enough that the header cuts over the top of the nest. I was running the auger wagon, and saw some day old babies that the combine cut right over the top of. The area I saw the most birds was around Healy. There is going to be some good hunting in that area if the heat doesn't get the chicks.
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What about when wind rowing straw and bailing?
 
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