pheasant chicks

hunterpajero

just wondering has anyone seen any young chicks around yet this year or has the weather taken its toll on them

rabbit assassin

Not a sinner to be seen in the wild , am out every single dry evening for a walk in the fields without fail and have yet to see one.

Have 90 out in the pens I incubated myself as I do every year but I am amazed and slightly worried I havent seen any wild yet

Spunk84

Every field I shoot is knee high in grass can't even bloody lamp cause if it ,last year I seen a good few on the ground but this year I've seen zero

im invisible

Peasant chicks, lovely birds

blackstairsboy

You would be surprised how tough they are. Keep the vermin hammered and I guarantee there will be wild birds come November. Spunk the high grass is not a bad thing it is a haven for wild broods they usually would not have this at this time of year because silage would be cut.
There may be wild birds not ready for shooting in November so they will have to be granted safe passage for an extra few weeks.

Longfellow

They be around. The woman's cat brought back 3 chicks last week

jap gt

Longfellow wrote: »

They be around. The woman's cat brought back 3 chicks last week

when it came back with one, it would be the last time it would do it

dicky82

i have seen two clutches. not sure if they are still there.

EPointer=Birdss

Funny I let my rottie loose last week & he brought back a few cats. Never know might be chickens next time. Gas dogs they are rambling loose like that! :rolleyes:

Sound ridiculous? Yes as does a pet cat wondering loose to me.

As regards chicks I had seen a few broods earlier but can't see them doing well. Once the get a few weeks old the hen can't cover them all & casualties are a certain!

Hisoka Ferie

Whatever about chicks but I've seen lots of pairs around over the past few months. One cock just hangs about by the side of our river for hours on end each day... poor lonely guy!

The weather certainly hasn't affected numbers around here!

patdahat

haven't seen a clutch yet this year but then there an ocean of grass to be cut yet so hopefully they are using it to thier advantage.

Birdnuts

Alot of places managed by the Blessington Game conservancy which would usually hold chicks and wild pairs, are eitheir under water or severly waterlogged. This situation gets steadily worse nearer the lake. I mentioned in an earlier thread how the flooding had already severly hit breeding wildfowl on the duckponds adjacent to the Northern end of the lake, and its hard to see how the wild pheasant population will fair much better after the wettest June in these parts for many decades:(

charlie10

i remember sitiing in a hide last year shooting pidgeons and seeing clutchs of chicks about 10 feet from hide, and shots didnt even bother them,this year i saw a hen with 4 chicks ,thats it so far,have seen endless amount of cocks though:D:D

Longfellow

jap gt wrote: »

when it came back with one, it would be the last time it would do it

If it was another cat I be agree with ya. But it's a pet cat and nothin can be done, it ain't a house cat. At least the cat got some good sport:).

EPointer=Birdss

Longfellow wrote: »

If it was another cat I be agree with ya. But it's a pet cat and nothin can be done, it ain't a house cat. At least the cat got some good sport:).

:eek:
Jaysus man thats flipant of you. I take it your joking but you realize it probably wiped out a whole clutch & will continue to whiles let loose.
Re evaluate your definition of a 'pet'
If it's free to ramble then to me it is no longer under the control of it's owner so not a pet.
Go to the photo section - there's a pic of one who was trying to break into a pheasant pen who therefore rightly met his end. Same principal as a dog worrying sheep. That could easily be that cat of yours any day

Longfellow

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

:eek:
Jaysus man thats flipant of you. I take it your joking but you realize it probably wiped out a whole clutch & will continue to whiles let loose.
Re evaluate your definition of a 'pet'
If it's free to ramble then to me it is no longer under the control of it's owner so not a pet.
Go to the photo section - there's a pic of one who was trying to break into a pheasant pen who therefore rightly met his end. Same principal as a dog worrying sheep. That could easily be that cat of yours any day

The family owns 225 acres of land (mostly bad land). The house is in the middle of the land, long lane way to house. The cat hangs arond the house and da fields besides it. It's our land and if the cat wants to roam on our land that's our business, ain't nothin illegal about it. If da cat kills pheasants it's just bad luck on the pheasasnts.The cat is much loved by the family we have it years. Local gun club has permissions on da land. They can shoot goats, mink crows, deer, rabbits and pheasasnt. They are not allowed shoot foxes, ducks, snipe, woodcock, hares and they know not to shoot our cat, dogs.If the cat is harmed in any way, all permissions will be gone in the morning and no gun club member will ever set foot on land agian. They know this and are happy with the arrangement.

wildfowler94

Longfellow wrote: »

The family owns 225 acres of land (mostly bad land). The house is in the middle of the land, long lane way to house. The cat hangs arond the house and da fields besides it. It's our land and if the cat wants to roam on our land that's our business, ain't nothin illegal about it. If da cat kills pheasants it's just bad luck on the pheasasnts.The cat is much loved by the family we have it years. Local gun club has permissions on da land. They can shoot goats, mink crows, deer, rabbits and pheasasnt. They are not allowed shoot foxes, ducks, snipe, woodcock, hares and they know not to shoot our cat, dogs.If the cat is harmed in any way, all permissions will be gone in the morning and no gun club member will ever set foot on land agian. They know this and are happy with the arrangement.

True nature lover or what?:rolleyes:

blackstairsboy

Longfellow wrote: »

The family owns 225 acres of land (mostly bad land). The house is in the middle of the land, long lane way to house. The cat hangs arond the house and da fields besides it. It's our land and if the cat wants to roam on our land that's our business, ain't nothin illegal about it. If da cat kills pheasants it's just bad luck on the pheasasnts.The cat is much loved by the family we have it years. Local gun club has permissions on da land. They can shoot goats, mink crows, deer, rabbits and pheasasnt. They are not allowed shoot foxes, ducks, snipe, woodcock, hares and they know not to shoot our cat, dogs.If the cat is harmed in any way, all permissions will be gone in the morning and no gun club member will ever set foot on land agian. They know this and are happy with the arrangement.

That whole thing sounds extremely contradictory to me. You are fussy in what you allow people to hunt but yet you do not care what untold damage your semi feral cat does.

Mike87

blackstairsboy wrote: »

That whole thing sounds extremely contradictory to me. You are fussy in what you allow people to hunt but yet you do not care what untold damage your semi feral cat does.

What do you expect him to do, shoot his pet cat just because it kills young birds? I wonder if the cat was killing magpies or crows would everybody still be jumping down his throat.

charlie10

any cat 10 yards or more from a dwelling is fair game ;). they cause more harm to phesants than any fox .:eek:

blackstairsboy

Mike87 wrote: »

What do you expect him to do, shoot his pet cat just because it kills young birds? I wonder if the cat was killing magpies or crows would everybody still be jumping down his throat.

I never mentioned shooting his cat at all though to be honest that would be my preferred method of control.
Maybe he could start off with putting a bell on it, not a rock solid solution but it would help.

What annoys me is that he has a problem with shooters hunting some birds so he must fancy himself as a bit of a conservationist yet he allows his cat run wild. That sounds very contradictory and also hypocritical.
I know it is his land so his choice but still?

EPointer=Birdss

Longfellow wrote: »

The family owns 225 acres of land (mostly bad land). The house is in the middle of the land, long lane way to house. The cat hangs arond the house and da fields besides it. It's our land and if the cat wants to roam on our land that's our business, ain't nothin illegal about it. If da cat kills pheasants it's just bad luck on the pheasasnts.The cat is much loved by the family we have it years. Local gun club has permissions on da land. They can shoot goats, mink crows, deer, rabbits and pheasasnt. They are not allowed shoot foxes, ducks, snipe, woodcock, hares and they know not to shoot our cat, dogs.If the cat is harmed in any way, all permissions will be gone in the morning and no gun club member will ever set foot on land agian. They know this and are happy with the arrangement.

You can do whatever you want with the cat on your own land. Still doesn't change my opinion but it's your cat.
I won't derail the thread further on the topic

martin s

hunterpajero wrote: »

just wondering has anyone seen any young chicks around yet this year or has the weather taken its toll on them

stumbled across two seperate clutches during the week, unfortunately the pup i.m training at the moment caught one and it was dead when i took it from her:o theres plenty around here anyway;)

Longfellow

blackstairsboy wrote: »

That whole thing sounds extremely contradictory to me. You are fussy in what you allow people to hunt but yet you do not care what untold damage your semi feral cat does.

It's a pet cat not a semi-feral cat. The cat don't like coming indoors and it won't be locked up, it likes it's rambles. I would rather put the cat down than have it locked up the whole time.

Mike87

blackstairsboy wrote: »

I never mentioned shooting his cat at all though to be honest that would be my preferred method of control.
Maybe he could start off with putting a bell on it, not a rock solid solution but it would help.

What annoys me is that he has a problem with shooters hunting some birds so he must fancy himself as a bit of a conservationist yet he allows his cat run wild. That sounds very contradictory and also hypocritical.
I know it is his land so his choice but still?

Im not going to argue about the bell. Its worth a shot. But I dont put much faith in them.

Personally I dont think this situation is hypocritical at all.

The cat going after pheasant chicks is no different than hawks and buzzards snatching a pheasant- do you suppose we shoot them too, lest we be hypocrites.

If it was a dog you could put manners on him. But a cat is a whole different ball game. Short of shooting the cat or locking it in the house 24/7 there is not a whole bunch you can do.

Birdnuts

Mike87 wrote: »

.

The cat going after pheasant chicks is no different than hawks and buzzards snatching a pheasant- do you suppose we shoot them too, lest we be hypocrites.

.

On the general point of feral cats and predation - I think there is a big difference between the nature and extent of such predation versus protected native raptors like hawks and buzzards. So I don't think it is particulary hypocritical - feral cats would have the same status as mink ie. non-native, invasive, high impact predators to which native wildlife is not adapted.

PS: Before anyone points out that Pheasants aren't native eitheir - I was just making a general point;)

Birdnuts

Longfellow wrote: »

It's a pet cat not a semi-feral cat. The cat don't like coming indoors and it won't be locked up, it likes it's rambles. I would rather put the cat down than have it locked up the whole time.

I was reading on a different forum about this chap who has trained his cat to stay in during the day and only go huntin at night(when obviously birds are not about and he can do his stuff on rodents) - don't know if this is practical/possible but I just thought I'd throw it out there!!:pac:

mallards

Was talking to a few of the farmers who's ground I shoot over and they always keep me informed of any broods. This year they haven't seen any. I was really hopeful of some ducklings on my new pond but nothing there. Seeing lots of pairs of birds, pheasant, partridge and mallard but no young as yet. But, the silage still isn't cut so hopefully the broods are still there or in the game crop.

Mallards

cubbyleader

I usually don't see any for another 3 or 4 weeks on the land I shoot

cymonguk

Just googled and got this post. I live on a farm where the farmer keeps pheasants, and we have a few cats. Two of them never leave the house, however the boy cat has got used to going out.

The farmer stopped me today and said he thinks that he has killed a pheasant, maybe two, one may have been on a nest (although he admitted the chicks would not have survived in the weather).

Obviously I don't want the cat killing the pheasants especially when he brings more on site for the shooting season.

Is there anything we can do:

1) Bells?
2) Alarm collars (someone elsewhere mentioned the liberator collars)?
3) Keep him in at nights/day times?

I don't think we can keep him in all the time he would whine all the time to go out, we know he catches mice and other pests, but never seen him with a pheasant or any part thereof, but really don't want to cause problems?

Any genuine advice, if not we will have to get rid of him and my daughter would be devastated.

wildfowler94

shoot him!!! seen my first clutch today 4 birds about 4-5 weeks old, all attracted to my pen by my poults inside! nice to see.

pheasntstalker

if it were our cat i wouldnt hesitate in given her the deadner of the lead varity, pet or not, but our kitty died natuarly,on the subject of phezzie chicks ,ive seen two clutchs dis fine morning whilst out on the ramble,just hope they make it, as silage started beside me,fingers crossed eh! plenty of cocks tho:D:D:D

daniels.ducks

Don't mind them Longfellow, they have more vermin to worry about than a single cat running around 200 odd acres. If they did there job right and did proper vermin control then a cat wouldn't do that much damage.

The sportsmen on this forum would really want to watch there posts, the land we shoot over isn't ours and the farmers can do what they like on it. For the most part farmers are very giving allowing us to even enter their land. So cop onto yerselves and don't be so selfish.

EPointer=Birdss

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Don't mind them Longfellow, they have more vermin to worry about than a single cat running around 200 odd acres. If they did there job right and did proper vermin control then a cat wouldn't do that much damage.

The sportsmen on this forum would really want to watch there posts, the land we shoot over isn't ours and the farmers can do what they like on it. For the most part farmers are very giving allowing us to even enter their land. So cop onto yerselves and don't be so selfish.

:rolleyes:

blackstairsboy

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Don't mind them Longfellow, they have more vermin to worry about than a single cat running around 200 odd acres. If they did there job right and did proper vermin control then a cat wouldn't do that much damage.

The sportsmen on this forum would really want to watch there posts, the land we shoot over isn't ours and the farmers can do what they like on it. For the most part farmers are very giving allowing us to even enter their land. So cop onto yerselves and don't be so selfish.

I'll let Father Jack answer that one!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHaCzb3yYk&feature=player_detailpage

daniels.ducks

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

:rolleyes:

blackstairsboy wrote: »

I'll let Father Jack answer that one!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHaCzb3yYk&feature=player_detailpage

Well if ye want to keep taking this attitude towards the farmers I hope ye can continue to shoot on THEIR land without any trouble. It's shooters like ye that are going to ruin it for the rest of it. I've seen a few more posts in other threads where on hunter tells a newb to hit a mink over the head with a rock, that kind of ****e is not on. That's coming from both a farmer and a sportsman. When did we lose our respect and respectability?

Stevegeraghty

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Well if ye want to keep taking this attitude towards the farmers I hope ye can continue to shoot on THEIR land without any trouble. It's shooters like ye that are going to ruin it for the rest of it. I've seen a few more posts in other threads where on hunter tells a newb to hit a mink over the head with a rock, that kind of ****e is not on. That's coming from both a farmer and a sportsman. When did we lose our respect and respectability?

Hear hear

Alchemist2

Relax lads... everyones entitled to their say/opinion be it wrong or right... I'm no cat lover meself but they have their uses obviously rats and mice but after that mmmm.... i read recently about your man from spring watch Chris something or other, now this guy is a furry lover pardon the pun anyhoo he reckons that house cats are responsible for untold damage throughout the uk to populations of songbirds gamebirds etc and he wants to see if a study can be conducted and also for cat owners to know the whereabouts of their tabbies... easier said than done i suppose

EPointer=Birdss

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Well if ye want to keep taking this attitude towards the farmers I hope ye can continue to shoot on THEIR land without any trouble. It's shooters like ye that are going to ruin it for the rest of it. I've seen a few more posts in other threads where on hunter tells a newb to hit a mink over the head with a rock, that kind of ****e is not on. That's coming from both a farmer and a sportsman. When did we lose our respect and respectability?

Lad you don't know me or anything about me so keep your comments to yourself. I do more for local farmers & shooting as a sport / hobby than the vast majority of lads.
It was in jest & you roll in with the moral nonsense, what do you expect.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion but pet cats are a scurge on nature. An unnaturally efficient hunter fed & watered by humans in prime condition & let loose under the guise of a "pet" to do damage to local Eco systems. If a pet control it as a pet. That's my angle & opinion not a relflection of the sport & shooters in their entirety so keep your insults to yourself!

blackstairsboy

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Well if ye want to keep taking this attitude towards the farmers I hope ye can continue to shoot on THEIR land without any trouble. It's shooters like ye that are going to ruin it for the rest of it. I've seen a few more posts in other threads where on hunter tells a newb to hit a mink over the head with a rock, that kind of ****e is not on. That's coming from both a farmer and a sportsman. When did we lose our respect and respectability?

I don't really care about his cat. Its his cat, his land, his problem or not his problem whatever way he wants to look at it. I only offered my opinion.

As regards me ruining shooting for the rest of the lads because you perceive me to be flippant towards landowners who's land I hunt, well that's just stupid and does not warrant me saying any more on it. The key word there for you is perceive.:rolleyes:

daniels.ducks

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Lad you don't know me or anything about me so keep your comments to yourself. I do more for local farmers & shooting as a sport / hobby than the vast majority of lads.
It was in jest & you roll in with the moral nonsense, what do you expect.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion but pet cats are a scurge on nature. An unnaturally efficient hunter fed & watered by humans in prime condition & let loose under the guise of a "pet" to do damage to local Eco systems. If a pet control it as a pet. That's my angle & opinion not a relflection of the sport & shooters in their entirety so keep your insults to yourself!

Am I the only one that thinks it is not right to shoot a farmers cat because it his causing damage on the farmers land. I myself have shot a few cats around pens but I knew they were feral cats or way off the farmers land, but what's not right is the fact that some hunters think they can go into other peoples land and run the place. Right you go shoot that farmers cat and see how it effects you fellow gun club members. A loss of 200 acres wouldn't be nice now would it. If the farmer wanted to put 20 cats out on his farm or even release some pheasant hungry snakes that's his own business. I would love to hear other farmers opinions on this.

EPointer=Birdss

daniels.ducks wrote: »

Am I the only one that thinks it is not right to shoot a farmers cat because it his causing damage on the farmers land. I myself have shot a few cats around pens but I knew they were feral cats or way off the farmers land, but what's not right is the fact that some hunters think they can go into other peoples land and run the place. Right you go shoot that farmers cat and see how it effects you fellow gun club members. A loss of 200 acres wouldn't be nice now would it. If the farmer wanted to put 20 cats out on his farm or even release some pheasant hungry snakes that's his own business. I would love to hear other farmers opinions on this.

You can obviously read so read my posts again.
The cat is deemed a Pet. Yet the pet is allowed to run wild & damage the ecosystem. Pheasants mice rats song birds alike. Indiscriminant & whatever the claws can catch will fall victim to cats.
My point was if a farmer land owner or town resident with .25 of an acre has an animal they deem a pet, a level of control should be applied. If it were dogs running loose it would invoke different opinions.

Irregardless of your opinion I would never be so foolish to confront a farmer who gratiously allows me shoot his land & tell him is business but I would engage in an adult civil conversation around the topic or cats, dogs etc if need be. If it was ignored then so be it, it's his/her lands but I would not be a mute for anyone as this in itself is worse for the sport than the typical Irish nuetral approach you seem to encourage. If a farmer as an adult in an adult conversation said "ah herself is fond of the cat" much like Longfellow did then so be it & the cat roams free but would I not voice an educated opinion - hell no, I was blessed with a brain & a voice & I invoke the use of both as often as I can!!

EPointer=Birdss

Stevegeraghty wrote: »

Hear hear

You gonna offer anything constructive to the discussion?

terminator2

i love cats....feral or otherwise :D ...seen two clutches the other day one had 10+

dodderangler

terminator2 wrote: »

i love cats....feral or otherwise :D ...seen two clutches the other day one had 10+

I love cats too
Especially with a big hole in their head
Just make sure when they in range there is no bell or collar
Last thing u want is a 10 year old askin if you seen their cat 'pussykins'