Pheasant Species

EPointer=Birdss

Lads,
What breeds have you tried out with in the past beside the common?
How did they go etc?

We have 2 this year & are adding another type next so curious as to what you guys have tried... (successfully or not)

EastTyrone

what types have ye used the year?

EPointer=Birdss

EastTyrone wrote: »

what types have ye used the year?

Commom & melanistic.
Adding the greens next year. Would like to do another but not sure what would survive... Copper & reeves are nice but maybe a bit soft...

mallards

I've released ring necked, black neck, melantistic, and black pheasants in the past. This year I'm releasing a cross between the ring neck and black neck and a few reeves, which by the way are hard as nails and I hope to release a good few more next year!

Mallards

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

I've released ring necked, black neck, melantistic, and black pheasants in the past. This year I'm releasing a cross between the ring neck and black neck and a few reeves, which by the way are hard as nails and I hope to release a good few more next year!

Mallards

Really?? Where do you buy your stock of Reeves??
Glorious bird i would love to keep a few. Have you snaps Mallards?

I have been reading alot about themn & it says they can be territorial & drive out other species. Is this true in your experience?

mallards

I bought some eggs off ebay and hatched them. I had them in the release pen with the others and didn't see any bullying. They do have reputation for being aggressive though. I haven't taken any pictures yet. I have seen a few hens about a week or so ago but the cocks are lying low. There was only six to begin with so it would be pure luck if I came across one during the season.

Mallards

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

I bought some eggs off ebay and hatched them. I had them in the release pen with the others and didn't see any bullying. They do have reputation for being aggressive though. I haven't taken any pictures yet. I have seen a few hens about a week or so ago but the cocks are lying low. There was only six to begin with so it would be pure luck if I came across one during the season.

Mallards

I wonder what kinda of hybrids you will get.
Good chance you could get an unusual one this season...

mallards

Hope so. I also released a few American wild turkeys, so that should be interesting also!

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

Hope so. I also released a few American wild turkeys, so that should be interesting also!

Now thats what I'm talking about! Fair play Mallards a man after my own heart! I've dabbled with pheasants but hope to branch out a bit. Never considered Turkeys though! Can the fly etc? Hope the foxes don't get em!
Were they an ebay job again?

Dusty87

Fair play to ya mallards, i would love to release turkeys around my place. Hope they survive long enough for ya.

mallards

Yip ebay again, but I had to be really picky and make sure I got real American wild turkeys. I managed to rear six, three hens and three jakes or toms as they will be called when they start to breed. I spent a good bit off time researching them. Unlike farm yard turkeys these guys can fly! I've seen a few videos of them and they are recorded as flying at 55mph!
As they are cousins of the pheasant they fly just like them, rapid wing bursts then they can glide for up to two miles! At this time of year they split into males and females. The females are still hanging round one of the release pens. The males have wandered off in a group somewhere. I hope to catch up with them the Saturday befor Christmas, over a pointing dog!


Mallards

Dusty87

Wil they breed this year mallards? I think i read on here that there more suitable to ireland weather than pheasants.

mallards

No the males will start to gobble next spring but will rarely breed until their second spring when you see them strutting around the place like black grouse. The hens are capable of breeding in their first spring though. There are four main strains of wild turkey and they live in every state of America bar Alaska. They even survive in Canada! So they should be able to survive Ireland okay. I thought I might be the first person to release them here but reading up on it they were released in Limerick in the late eighteen hundreds and did quite well before dying out. They were also released there again in the 1960's and bred. Some of these were transplanted to Donegal but they have probably died out. Germany has a large huntable population and even New Zealand has a very large population except these are mainly feral turkeys from domestic stock rather than the true wild type.
The wild type are more narrow than a farm turkey and shaped like a large pheasant.

Mallards

paddy2008

Seen a silver or white pheasant last season and no gun or camera with me:eek:

mallards

The aul fella seen a golden near my shoot boundary during the summer, somebody must have released him?





Mallards

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

The aul fella seen a golden near my shoot boundary during the summer, somebody must have released him?





Mallards

Very like pheasants. Wonder will they sit for the pointing dog in the same way...

mallards

It's my intention to find out! I don't fancy hunting them the way they do in the states, in the spring, where they are called in or stalked then taken on the ground. I wouldn't have anything against it, just that I would like to hunt them over a pointing dog.

Mallards

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

It's my intention to find out! I don't fancy hunting them the way they do in the states, in the spring, where they are called in or stalked then taken on the ground. I wouldn't have anything against it, just that I would like to hunt them over a pointing dog.

Mallards

I hope you keep us informed.
Could be more populations of wild turkeys left off if things go right for you...
Any experience with other pheasants?
I don't think the golden fella will last all too long but be nice if he did!

mallards

I was thinking about the lady Amerhersts but I would need to be convinced that they can survive the wilds of Tyrone and that they are a sporting bird. I was very tempted by the Kansas strain of birds and may try and source some of these next year.

Mallards

marlin vs

We have had Michican bluebacks and found them very hardy.

pedroeibar

mallards wrote: »

I don't fancy hunting them the way they do in the states, in the spring, where they are called in or stalked then taken on the ground. I wouldn't have anything against it, just that I would like to hunt them over a pointing dog.

Mallards

I agree with you, should be great sport. What shot size will you use? BB's?
P.

mallards

Marlin, we had the blue backs or at least a first cross of them and found them great flyers but they did like to wander!
Pedroeibar, I've been talking to a couple of American hunters and they're saying use goose shot e.g a size three for us over here. Then again if they are stalking them they may be able to get closer and have the advantage of a chest,neck,head shot. If I'm flushing it with a dog I imagine it most of the shots will be from the rear along the neck and head, therefore I need to go larger.

Mallards

spanielman

These things run like hell, there is NO way they will sit to be pointed that is why they are hunted (or stalked to be accurate) the way they r in USA!!!

mallards

Maybe not, but I know they can be flushed with a dog as I've seen the videos. The hunter basically uses the dog to flush the flock. He then settles down to stalk them. I'm sure they could be made to flush towards a gun and give a sporting shot. It will be fun finding out either way.:D

spanielman

Interesting mallard, i have only seen them stalked, did u see this on utube or some other site, have u a link, i wonder how they would adapt to other native species over hear, would they drive pheasant etc away? We certainly need more game species to hunt thats for sure!

spanielman

over "here":eek::eek::eek:

mallards

spanielman wrote: »

Interesting mallard, i have only seen them stalked, did u see this on utube or some other site, have u a link, i wonder how they would adapt to other native species over hear, would they drive pheasant etc away? We certainly need more game species to hunt thats for sure!

Here.