Wild pheasant movement

I believe they will. You hear theories like, "Pheasants will live a lifetime within a mile of where they hatch." Obviously they might. But if they're forced to move, they'll move. And move. Think how hard it is, really, for a pheasant to go 5 miles, or even considerably more. It's not hard at all. When weather is halfway decent, they spend the vast majority of their day walking around. And they don't just walk in circles. They're walking from one little safe spot to the next. They can end up travelling a couple miles, easily, walking during a "normal" day. Then throw in adverse conditions. They can walk a lot more. Or obviously fly. Ten 1/2-mile flights & they've covered 5 miles. Easy. 2019 in eastern SD was a year that, I believe, saw lots of pheasants moving long distances of several to many miles. There were parts of the state where almost no crops were planted due to too much water. When late fall rolled around & they became reliant on grains & seeds, they were forced to move to find them. Areas that had pheasants all summer long all of a sudden didn't. And 15-20 miles away, where there were more corn & beans....all of a sudden had more birds than usual.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
I believe they will. You hear theories like, "Pheasants will live a lifetime within a mile of where they hatch." Obviously they might. But if they're forced to move, they'll move. And move. Think how hard it is, really, for a pheasant to go 5 miles, or even considerably more. It's not hard at all. When weather is halfway decent, they spend the vast majority of their day walking around. And they don't just walk in circles. They're walking from one little safe spot to the next. They can end up travelling a couple miles, easily, walking during a "normal" day. Then throw in adverse conditions. They can walk a lot more. Or obviously fly. Ten 1/2-mile flights & they've covered 5 miles. Easy. 2019 in eastern SD was a year that, I believe, saw lots of pheasants moving long distances of several to many miles. There were parts of the state where almost no crops were planted due to too much water. When late fall rolled around & they became reliant on grains & seeds, they were forced to move to find them. Areas that had pheasants all summer long all of a sudden didn't. And 15-20 miles away, where there were more corn & beans....all of a sudden had more birds than usual.
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There is a group of birds on an old homestead, and there is only acre or so of good cover.If that place gets snowed in, they will have to move 5 miles, because everything is farmed out. The house is gone, but there is grain around, and a few trees.I hope they make it through this mild winter.
 
Pheasants do best if not forced to move great distances, as they often are moving in the midst of very inclement weather, and perish then...hopefully their home range has a variety of cover, say within a mile or two of their home range they can find winter cover...shelter belts, cattail sloughs, etc, with food as well...maybe it’s the reverse—those who have winter cover survive, and disperse to nesting cover come spring, and propagate thusly...a virtuous cycle/circle of life...I’m more and more a believer in the wisdom of not disturbing pheasants in roosting cover late in the day during winter weather, as they’re pushed out just before dark and it probably creates vulnerability...next week, it’s supppsed to be in the 30’s and calm, no biggy...but extreme cold, wind, snow/sleet, probably best for man and beast to be warm and protected...🤩
 
I have anecdotal evidence of young of the year pheasants moving several miles when they were unpressured and when food/cover was in great abundance. It would not surprise me in the least that adult birds would move 5 miles when weather eliminated their home cover.
 
Survival instincts are strong, I believe it. My land doesn’t have a lot of good winter cover, the birds disappear after a good snow, like a foot...I know they go 1-3 miles, depending...maybe more at times...but there’s good cover within a mile in a few directions...
 
benelli-banger said:
Pheasants do best if not forced to move great distances, as they often are moving in the midst of very inclement weather, and perish then...hopefully their home range has a variety of cover, say within a mile or two of their home range they can find winter cover...shelter belts, cattail sloughs, etc, with food as well...maybe it’s the reverse—those who have winter cover survive, and disperse to nesting cover come spring, and propagate thusly...a virtuous cycle/circle of life...I’m more and more a believer in the wisdom of not disturbing pheasants in roosting cover late in the day during winter weather, as they’re pushed out just before dark and it probably creates vulnerability...next week, it’s supppsed to be in the 30’s and calm, no biggy...but extreme cold, wind, snow/sleet, probably best for man and beast to be warm and protected...🤩
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I subscribe to that same thinking. Always working on winter cover, many don't like cedars, but in rows/blocks and kept in control, I think they are essential to bird survival in blizzard conditions. My goal is to provide everything the birds need in any conditions for them to thrive & survive. I don't hunt or push the birds out of the cedar/conifer belts that we have planted...early or late season. I don't think pheasants will move out of there home area if not pressured and have adaquate food/nesting. It seems to take bird population pressure to push them out from my experience....they just don't seem to want to leave if the conditions are good.
 
remy3424 said:
I subscribe to that same thinking. Always working on winter cover, many don't like cedars, but in rows/blocks and kept in control, I think they are essential to bird survival in blizzard conditions. My goal is to provide everything the birds need in any conditions for them to thrive & survive. I don't hunt or push the birds out of the cedar/conifer belts that we have planted...early or late season. I don't think pheasants will move out of there home area if not pressured and have adaquate food/nesting. It seems to take bird population pressure to push them out from my experience....they just don't seem to want to leave if the conditions are good.
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Plum and dogwood are also good cover for those times.
 
labrador said:
I have anecdotal evidence of young of the year pheasants moving several miles when they were unpressured and when food/cover was in great abundance. It would not surprise me in the least that adult birds would move 5 miles when weather eliminated their home cover.
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This place has a few cows,maybe a pig.It doesn't get hunted very often, and the rancher watches it, and works there occasionally. I think there is a crick running through it. I guess they have to move out of there if the snow gets deep.Maybe they can get under the out buildings. So far the winter has been mild.I hope a big owl doesn't move in there.
 
benelli-banger said:
Pheasants do best if not forced to move great distances, as they often are moving in the midst of very inclement weather, and perish then...hopefully their home range has a variety of cover, say within a mile or two of their home range they can find winter cover...shelter belts, cattail sloughs, etc, with food as well...maybe it’s the reverse—those who have winter cover survive, and disperse to nesting cover come spring, and propagate thusly...a virtuous cycle/circle of life...I’m more and more a believer in the wisdom of not disturbing pheasants in roosting cover late in the day during winter weather, as they’re pushed out just before dark and it probably creates vulnerability...next week, it’s supppsed to be in the 30’s and calm, no biggy...but extreme cold, wind, snow/sleet, probably best for man and beast to be warm and protected...🤩
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Yes, I probably could have gotten permission to hunt this place, because I know the family.I didn't want to push these birds out of their home.
 
Nugent said:
I wonder if wild pheasant will move 5 miles to thicker cover, if their home ground gets snowed in?
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Not a doubt in my mind...
 
Nugent said:
I wonder if wild pheasant will move 5 miles to thicker cover, if their home ground gets snowed in?
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Would you......yes they will
 
So I have always wanted the technology to be available to GPS track pheasants. It would be laborious and challenging. But sometime in early fall, September, a guy would have to trap them, secure a small, unobtrusive GPS tracker that also has a super long battery life and I can sit at my computer and watch. And watch and watch and theorize and watch. Maybe when my kids get to high school, the tech will be present and I can "help" them with the best science fair project in the history of mankind.

I think pheasants do some remarkable things to survive. Moving 5 miles or more to find a home, as well as sitting perfectly still for over a day during inclement would be among them.
 
Nugent said:
Yes, I probably could have gotten permission to hunt this place, because I know the family.I didn't want to push these birds out of their home.
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Golden Hour said:
So I have always wanted the technology to be available to GPS track pheasants. It would be laborious and challenging. But sometime in early fall, September, a guy would have to trap them, secure a small, unobtrusive GPS tracker that also has a super long battery life and I can sit at my computer and watch. And watch and watch and theorize and watch. Maybe when my kids get to high school, the tech will be present and I can "help" them with the best science fair project in the history of mankind.

I think pheasants do some remarkable things to survive. Moving 5 miles or more to find a home, as well as sitting perfectly still for over a day during inclement would be among them.
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Wouldn't that be interesting. I think they do move several miles when the snow gets deep. In Montana, the snow gets deep. I think they stay in one area year round, as long as there is chow, and decent weather.
 
Golden Hour said:
So I have always wanted the technology to be available to GPS track pheasants. It would be laborious and challenging. But sometime in early fall, September, a guy would have to trap them, secure a small, unobtrusive GPS tracker that also has a super long battery life and I can sit at my computer and watch. And watch and watch and theorize and watch. Maybe when my kids get to high school, the tech will be present and I can "help" them with the best science fair project in the history of mankind.

I think pheasants do some remarkable things to survive. Moving 5 miles or more to find a home, as well as sitting perfectly still for over a day during inclement would be among them.
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Louisiana department of wildlife just finished putting 30 GPS trackers on mallard hens. Around Klondike Louisiana.The batteries last 2 years.
If my memory is correct Oklahoma State University was doing a study on quail. They had GPS trackers on five quail hens.
 
5 stand said:
Louisiana department of wildlife just finished putting 30 GPS trackers on mallard hens. Around Klondike Louisiana.The batteries last 2 years.
If my memory is correct Oklahoma State University was doing a study on quail. They had GPS trackers on five quail hens.
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Thanks a million for sharing that. I found the link to a study that mentions that and sent it on to my guy at the SDGFP - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388499/

The one concern I have is a visible transmitter. Pheasants, like chickens, can be merciless to those in the herd that are "different" and wonder if there would be any violence/ostracization to a bird with a visible transmitter.
 
Golden Hour said:
Thanks a million for sharing that. I found the link to a study that mentions that and sent it on to my guy at the SDGFP - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388499/

The one concern I have is a visible transmitter. Pheasants, like chickens, can be merciless to those in the herd that are "different" and wonder if there would be any violence/ostracization to a bird with a visible transmitter.
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That's true, plus it would have to be almost weightless. A rancher told me they fight to the death sometimes! Jezze!!
 
Read a few articles in the past week... about 70% of the population dies each year...most pheasants spend their lives within 1-1.5 miles of their primary home range...don’t know much more than that...wonder how that compares to ruffed grouse? Both are light meat, they don’t fly long distances, vs prairie grouse, waterfowl, etc...
 
Golden Hour said:
Thanks a million for sharing that. I found the link to a study that mentions that and sent it on to my guy at the SDGFP - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388499/

The one concern I have is a visible transmitter. Pheasants, like chickens, can be merciless to those in the herd that are "different" and wonder if there would be any violence/ostracization to a bird with a visible transmitter.
Click to expand...
1611703810403.png
Picture of the transmitter they put on mallard hens.
 
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