Hen pheasants scarce this year???

J.R. · 30-11-2008 1:18pm #1

I seem to be meeting very few hen pheasants this year....other club members remarked on the same.

Normally on a days shooting I'd (on average) meet 2-3 cocks and 8-10 hens but not this year. Have risen very few hens this year so far....are they scarce this year ? .......... if so it'll have a major impact on next year's breeding season.

fiestaman · 30-11-2008 1:56pm

total oppisite ere in north kilkenny where i shoot. 3-4 hens rising every sunday and lucky to see 1 cock

meathstevie · 30-11-2008 2:11pm

Saw about 15 hens this morning, in two clusters around a cock. Fired at one cock but missed him.

ianoo · 30-11-2008 2:42pm

i am meeting nothing BUT hens,:mad::mad:

pullandbang · 30-11-2008 7:29pm

I wish I was meeting more hens. There's very few around my patch - plenty of cocks but they are all released birds. I think our clubs will have to start letting out hens. Even if they don't breed as some people say, they'll hold any cocks in the area.

meathstevie · 30-11-2008 8:12pm

Put feeders out and pheasants will travel to your patch.

macadam · 30-11-2008 8:26pm

Was out yesterday got this bird, hes one of this years , put up four more and twelve hens all in the one field.

stevoman · 01-12-2008 1:28pm

i have seen a lot of hens myself this year.

i have been wondering lately about why hens that are released wont breed, but surely after a year or two they must start to breed. if there is a cock around the same area during breeding season surely insticnt must take over shouldnt it?

terminator2 · 01-12-2008 4:30pm

my club released 120 hens this year and its the first time that ive seen young phesants in a long time ... it also makes for more interesting shooting ....its boring when nearly everything that gets up in front of you is shootable

pullandbang · 01-12-2008 8:02pm

terminator2 wrote: »

my club released 120 hens this year and its the first time that ive seen young phesants in a long time

Do you reckon they have held the cocks in the area?

When did you let them out?

terminator2 · 02-12-2008 3:46pm

we let them out in feburary.....and i came across five or six clutches of young phesants

terminator2 · 02-12-2008 10:01pm

they seem to be but thats only my 10 cents worth

mallards · 03-12-2008 1:10pm

I was talking to a lad back in Tyrone and they have a large release pen split in two. One side has a net roof the other is open. They put the hen poults in the netted side and the cocks in the other. He swears by it, as the cocks hang around for the hens as they are kept in their pen from 8 week old poults until the following March. The hens are then released fit and well and ready to breed. By doing this he says they have reduced the amount of birds they have had to buy over the last few years as the released hens are breeding a healthy wild stock. I plan to do this with one of my pens next year.

Mallards.

pullandbang · 04-12-2008 1:12pm

mallards wrote: »

They put the hen poults in the netted side and the cocks in the other. He swears by it, as the cocks hang around for the hens as they are kept in their pen from 8 week old poults until the following March. The hens are then released fit and well and ready to breed.

Now there's one of the best ideas I've heard in a while.
That deserves a try and confirms what I suspected - that released hens DO breed! I've heard more stories from different "experts" who'll tell you that released hens will not breed. They are supposed to lay ok but not sit on the eggs - just doesn't make sense! Surely the natural mothering instinct is still in the hens, no matter where they come from.

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Hen pheasants scarce this year???

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