Are pheasants scarce this year????

fitzy_fitzy

Well lads just wondering what are your thoughts on the number off pheasants this year. This is only my 3rd year hunting and I have come across very few pheasants. I have two good red and white setters. A bitch for the last two years and a dog for a couple of months. I hunt them individually and I am very happy with how they hunt and their drive (but very little pheasants to show for it) ,my buddy is in the same both.
Very little shot.
The gunclub said they release 250!!
I Hunt in limerick area.
What are your thoughts?
Is there ant part of the country where pheasants are plentiful?
What are the survival rate for released pheasants ( with regards to feeding and fox's) ?

snipe02

usually there is a decent population of wild pheasants around and the released birds supplement this but being a bad year plus the wet summers of late there seems to be feck all wild birds around and the released birds are well thinned out at this stage. birds are hard got, im at eighteen birds so far and would sometimes be at nearly double that so its bad really and everyone i talk to are saying the same ,. if ya got back 30% of released birds i think ya would be doing well but foxes and weather account for most of them plus they dont breed great i personally think its going to take 5 to 10 years to get back to the numbers we had up to 2 or 3 years ago providing the weather is kind and clubs keep releasing or increase it they have taken a serious hammering most of the birds ive shot are released because they were like turkeys

fitzy_fitzy

Cheers snipe02
I haven't heard too many lads on boards complaining on how scarce they are.
It nice to know other people have the same thoughts.
Was talking to a lad this morning in our own gunclub and he also has only half the amount shot this year as he did this time last year.
Hopefully our weather will pick up.

terminator2

in short ....yes

meathstevie

Between predation, unsuitable habitat and habitat loss but especially the absolutely dire weather how could there be any significant numbers ?

If the weather doesn't change rather quick it'll be a horrible year again, never mind for pheasants but for all aspects of rural life, farming and shooting.

lb1981

Dont know about other areas but lads are going around the land owners and getting permission to cut all the trees along ditches down for logs.
So all the ivy that birds are roosting in is gone, it is becoming a joke now ,huge big lots of land with no trees left on it

vincentf

Same here, hardly any pheasants. I was finding dead birds before the season started. The are no feeders to keep the birds fed in the gun club land. The club I'm in released a few hundred but most of the pheasants my dog has pointed / flushed are hens. I stopped looking for pheasants weeks ago and am out for woodcock of which there are plenty.I'm going to continue to shoot fox,grey crows and magpies.

Shoot2kill

Very few birds around my area. We're not even meeting hens which doesn't give me much confidence for next year either.

Doesn't seem to be many young birds around either. I've been talking to lads from all over who have the same complaint.

charlie10

went to a spot yesterday i shot two birds my friend shot three and we met 4 hens ,it was lovely to see after the amount of blanks we are after drawing so far

declan1980

I'm having a very bad pheasant season. So far I have shot a grand total of 1 cock, and I've been hunting the same ground I shot 12 on last year. Vermin control is good, and there's plenty of feed for birds, but I think the released birds and any clutches of chicks didn't survive the wet summer.

fitzy_fitzy

There is a couple of pheasants out there on land close by to me that I had no shot or missed. Don't think too many If any shoot this land.
Should I leave them be, and hopefully next year it will be much improved.
I have come across plenty of hens.

EPointer=Birdss

Lads slaughter foxes Feb to April
Have your Larson traps out.
Invest in runs, hoppers, Eco system
MOST importantly grow some cohonas & throw all the wasters out of ye're clubs! Too much neutral what can we do typical Irish moaning goes on.
As a good man once told me - there are people in life that make things happen & people that things happen to! Which are you??

2 days shooting yielded.
5 birds, 5 shots fired, 5 more left for another day.
4 others taken by a friend in these 2 days!

snipe02

epointer agree with the vermin control hoppers and habitat bit of your last post, but find your attitude towards people who dont take part a bit grandious. club work is voluntary and people have the right to take part or not its a personal choice and people should not be judged for it and deffinitly not thrown out of any club , that would be great they deffinitly wouldnt care then .. the option is there for everyone its not fair but its a reality if all the lads who do everything left then someone else would just step up because it would need to be done.

EPointer=Birdss

snipe02 wrote: »

epointer agree with the vermin control hoppers and habitat bit of your last post, but find your attitude towards people who dont take part a bit grandious. club work is voluntary and people have the right to take part or not its a personal choice and people should not be judged for it and deffinitly not thrown out of any club , that would be great they deffinitly wouldnt care then .. the option is there for everyone its not fair but its a reality if all the lads who do everything left then someone else would just step up because it would need to be done.

Ah come off it Snipe.
A club is a club. Basically a team of lads sharing a hobby. In a team everyone should pull their weight. One might be vermin, one might be filling hoppers, one might be fund raising, one might be a farmer allowing a strip of game crop to be sown or providing the land & tools to do so.
Grandious no - realist yes! I'm 15 years involved in shooting & like anything you get out what you put in. No different than sports. Carrying passengers in a team are just that.
People who choose to do nothing are often the people who winge first when there's nothing to be shot. I can't understand how clubs of 50 lads can't run good clubs.

snipe02

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Ah come off it Snipe.
A club is a club. Basically a team of lads sharing a hobby. In a team everyone should pull their weight. One might be vermin, one might be filling hoppers, one might be fund raising, one might be a farmer allowing a strip of game crop to be sown or providing the land & tools to do so.
Grandious no - realist yes! I'm 15 years involved in shooting & like anything you get out what you put in. No different than sports. Carrying passengers in a team are just that.
People who choose to do nothing are often the people who winge first when there's nothing to be shot. I can't understand how clubs of 50 lads can't run good clubs.

from my experience they cant run em (good clubs) because ya have the same 5 or six lads running the show one club i know has the same chairman for the last fifteen years...a gun club is also a club of equals and not everyone is going to work as ya said some are do-ers some are not .. i do a lot of work in one club im in and nothing in the other only pay my fees and shoot if someone from the other club came and said your being kicked out for not helping , I'd kick em in the forhead.. I feel its a fact that its always going to be a few willing to work hard but not everyone is in a position to or willing to for whatever reasons but that does'nt mean they dont have a right to be there and at the end of the day as long as they pay their fees they are as entitled as anyone maybe a better way is to fine people for not going to vermin shoots or not handing in any vermin or who dont do a few day on the birds hoppers etc and add it on to next years fees and if the whole lot is not paid no membership no shooting then they will cough up adding to resources or go else where no loss, then the club wins either way all im saying really is every member is important wether they help out or not and its their loss they are losing out on the gratitude you get from doing the work anyway i hear what your saying just dont agree with kicking anyone out

EPointer=Birdss

snipe02 wrote: »

from my experience they cant run em (good clubs) because ya have the same 5 or six lads running the show one club i know has the same chairman for the last fifteen years...a gun club is also a club of equals and not everyone is going to work as ya said some are do-ers some are not .. i do a lot of work in one club im in and nothing in the other only pay my fees and shoot if someone from the other club came and said your being kicked out for not helping , I'd kick em in the forhead.. I feel its a fact that its always going to be a few willing to work hard but not everyone is in a position to or willing to for whatever reasons but that does'nt mean they dont have a right to be there and at the end of the day as long as they pay their fees they are as entitled as anyone maybe a better way is to fine people for not going to vermin shoots or not handing in any vermin or who dont do a few day on the birds hoppers etc and add it on to next years fees and if the whole lot is not paid no membership no shooting then they will cough up adding to resources or go else where no loss, then the club wins either way all im saying really is every member is important wether they help out or not and its their loss they are losing out on the gratitude you get from doing the work anyway i hear what your saying just dont agree with kicking anyone out

Ah come on when I say kick lads out I don't mean literally. Think outside the box for a minute. There is more tactful ways of achieving the same goal. The first thing I'd do is hold a EGM after the season, then push to change the rules. A good club costs money & fees should reflect the club ye want. Whatever that is ye'd have to decide. Rules should include roles & responsibilities for all members. The same lads finding an hour at the weekend Nov to Jan can do the same off season. Excuses are only excuses. Minimum vermin quotas, as said hopper ownership etc. if the rules are enforced the wasters will fall away it not meet club requirements so should not be renewed. Like a lad with a garden can keep a Larson trap.

I fully accept a lot of clubs are ran by a clique of fellas that keep birds for themselves, mind the money etc but friends of mine only recently broke away from their club for this Craic & have 300 acres of new permissions for their new club signed up so far. I personally wouldn't bother my b******s paying my fee, I'd go elsewhere & say fair play to them!
It will generate all sorts of problems with poaching, bad blood etc for awhile but too many clubs are poorly ran & people with passion, interest & the brains to make it work are needed at the helm.

I just spent the morning shooting. I went out at 3 & filled 6 hoppers after buying 100 euro worth of wheat yesterday. I then got in a quick hr with the lamp with a buddy. Not 1 fox called.

I'm now home & will chill for the evening & spend the next few days sorting out personal stuff, spending time with the missus,hit the gym, get ready for work again & hopefully go for pheasants & a fox drive Sunday. My mates all do much the same. After the hoppers I went around the release spot & counted 30 cocks & another 10 within a mile roosting for the night.

Maybe I'm dillusional but I grew up been thought to do things right & luckily I'm in a position with like minded others & able to influence how we do things. My logic is the results speak for themselves. 23 birds shot & could have twice that if numbers I was after.

Alchemist2

snipe02 wrote: »

from my experience they cant run em (good clubs) because ya have the same 5 or six lads running the show one club i know has the same chairman for the last fifteen years...a gun club is also a club of equals and not everyone is going to work as ya said some are do-ers some are not .. i do a lot of work in one club im in and nothing in the other only pay my fees and shoot if someone from the other club came and said your being kicked out for not helping , I'd kick em in the forhead.. I feel its a fact that its always going to be a few willing to work hard but not everyone is in a position to or willing to for whatever reasons but that does'nt mean they dont have a right to be there and at the end of the day as long as they pay their fees they are as entitled as anyone maybe a better way is to fine people for not going to vermin shoots or not handing in any vermin or who dont do a few day on the birds hoppers etc and add it on to next years fees and if the whole lot is not paid no membership no shooting then they will cough up adding to resources or go else where no loss, then the club wins either way all im saying really is every member is important wether they help out or not and its their loss they are losing out on the gratitude you get from doing the work anyway i hear what your saying just dont agree with kicking anyone out

Think i started a thread on this before, imo it should be written into the constitution of all gun clubs that members have to perform xyz duties or fulfill x amount of hrs work, afterall its the individual that wants to join the club, it makes it legal to throw out dead wood, i believe that conservation would benefit no end in the given areas and thats just one benefit

snipe02

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Ah come on when I say kick lads out I don't mean literally. Think outside the box for a minute. There is more tactful ways of achieving the same goal. The first thing I'd do is hold a EGM after the season, then push to change the rules. A good club costs money & fees should reflect the club ye want. Whatever that is ye'd have to decide. Rules should include roles & responsibilities for all members. The same lads finding an hour at the weekend Nov to Jan can do the same off season. Excuses are only excuses. Minimum vermin quotas, as said hopper ownership etc. if the rules are enforced the wasters will fall away it not meet club requirements so should not be renewed. Like a lad with a garden can keep a Larson trap.

I fully accept a lot of clubs are ran by a clique of fellas that keep birds for themselves, mind the money etc but friends of mine only recently broke away from their club for this Craic & have 300 acres of new permissions for their new club signed up so far. I personally wouldn't bother my b******s paying my fee, I'd go elsewhere & say fair play to them!
It will generate all sorts of problems with poaching, bad blood etc for awhile but too many clubs are poorly ran & people with passion, interest & the brains to make it work are needed at the helm.

I just spent the morning shooting. I went out at 3 & filled 6 hoppers after buying 100 euro worth of wheat yesterday. I then got in a quick hr with the lamp with a buddy. Not 1 fox called.

I'm now home & will chill for the evening & spend the next few days sorting out personal stuff, spending time with the missus,hit the gym, get ready for work again & hopefully go for pheasants & a fox drive Sunday. My mates all do much the same. After the hoppers I went around the release spot & counted 30 cocks & another 10 within a mile roosting for the night.

Maybe I'm dillusional but I grew up been thought to do things right & luckily I'm in a position with like minded others & able to influence how we do things. My logic is the results speak for themselves. 23 birds shot & could have twice that if numbers I was after.

that would be an ideal way to run a club but we dont live in an ideal world unfortunately , its just when ya said grow some cohonas and throw all the wasters out of yer clubs i thought thats what you meant. your right though we have to find diplomatic ways of dealing with the issue we cant simply try get rid of a problem by sending it somewhere else or making it worse and its usually when ya hit the pocket that gets lads up off their arrses, but then again hunting means different things to different people its not everything to everyone i just see the bigger picture and at least they are contributing funds which allows lads( who are willing to do something) , to do something. we should be more worried about the spongers that wont even pay into a club and or contribute to putting birds on the ground by doing so

snipe02

Alchemist2 wrote: »

Think i started a thread on this before, imo it should be written into the constitution of all gun clubs that members have to perform xyz duties or fulfill x amount of hrs work, afterall its the individual that wants to join the club, it makes it legal to throw out dead wood, i believe that conservation would benefit no end in the given areas and thats just one benefit

no offence but the term high horses comes to mind i believe that whatever little ownership they had on conservation would be gone out the window just get on with it and put time into the younger members coming through teach them and thats the only real way to change things

EPointer=Birdss

But you see snipe. A fee of 35, 50 quid adds feck all for what they take out. I've bred 1000s of pheasants & to get them to release isn't cheap. To buy poults isn't either. Their fees are gone after 5 or 6 birds & then their taking.

I'd hike it right up for the hangers on or give the alternative to do some work.
Fairness to all should prevail. As in anything in life you should get reward for effort. If not change is needed.

Anyway there are a handful of top class clubs around the country & they are the gold standard others should emulate rather than question the lack of birds...
The wet year has been bad for pheasants but I think it's really highlighted to clubs what work is actually been done & previously compensated by the wild populations.

Alchemist2

snipe02 wrote: »

no offence but the term high horses comes to mind i believe that whatever little ownership they had on conservation would be gone out the window just get on with it and put time into the younger members coming through teach them and thats the only real way to change things

Offence taken Snipe,As you pointed out we do not live in an ideal world so its fair to say not everyone is skilled in the art of diplomacy, my idea would act as a catalyst to lazy feicers, the club in my locality is among the dearest in the country boasting 50 plus members and usual story few active guys rest just tag along but come Nov 1st count the ppl you meet... Out in force.. Left the club yrs ago..Now share a diplomatic solution please

snipe02

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

But you see snipe. A fee of 35, 50 quid adds feck all for what they take out. I've bred 1000s of pheasants & to get them to release isn't cheap. To buy poults isn't either. Their fees are gone after 5 or 6 birds & then their taking.

I'd hike it right up for the hangers on or give the alternative to do some work.
Fairness to all should prevail. As in anything in life you should get reward for effort. If not change is needed.

Anyway there are a handful of top class clubs around the country & they are the gold standard others should emulate rather than question the lack of birds...
The wet year has been bad for pheasants but I think it's really highlighted to clubs what work is actually been done & previously compensated by the wild populations.

its better than take and no give and as i said its only by influencing the newcomers that we can really change things there should be youth gun clubs or seperate youth sections of clubs they will bring change, agree if something is working other clubs should copy. would be interested in learning more about these clubs and how they do things

EPointer=Birdss

snipe02 wrote: »

its better than take and no give and as i said its only by influencing the newcomers that we can really change things there should be youth gun clubs or seperate youth sections of clubs they will bring change, agree if something is working other clubs should copy. would be interested in learning more about these clubs and how they do things

Is there anyone in Rathcormac on the site?

From what I've seen & I haven't been looking if you get me.
Fundraising, YouTube videos of planting game crop & shooting. Recent video of young members specifically. Buying 6acres with raised & club money to create a nature preserve that school tours can go to & learn about our Flora & Fauna (was in digest earlier in the year) excellent PR like.

The likes of this reek of interest & success. I'd love to know how it is on the ground with the members, fees, rules etc that allows the above

snipe02

Alchemist2 wrote: »

Offence taken Snipe,As you pointed out we do not live in an ideal world so its fair to say not everyone is skilled in the art of diplomacy, my idea would act as a catalyst to lazy feicers, the club in my locality is among the dearest in the country boasting 50 plus members and usual story few active guys rest just tag along but come Nov 1st count the ppl you meet... Out in force.. Left the club yrs ago..Now share a diplomatic solution please

well none intended. id love a solution i dont have one but realise that your never going to get everyone to do an equal amount of work im one of the lads that shows for every meeting and do my bit and as i said that through youngsters , to me seems the only way but fines or fees is a start at least its money for the club and most of these lads will shoot it anyway regardless so may baswell get something from them when you say you left the club are you in no club or just not that one

Dantheman1985

So far very scarce yeah

Alchemist2

snipe02 wrote: »

well none intended. id love a solution i dont have one but realise that your never going to get everyone to do an equal amount of work im one of the lads that shows for every meeting and do my bit and as i said that through youngsters , to me seems the only way but fines or fees is a start at least its money for the club and most of these lads will shoot it anyway regardless so may baswell get something from them when you say you left the club are you in no club or just not that one

Have permissions Snipe, have me own feeders and realease 40-60 cocks per season, guess not all people as lucky but still have to contend with the odd bloke hunting the land and bagging a few, but its a price im willing to pay

snipe02

Alchemist2 wrote: »

Have permissions Snipe, have me own feeders and realease 40-60 cocks per season, guess not all people as lucky but still have to contend with the odd bloke hunting the land and bagging a few, but its a price im willing to pay

jesus fair play lad can see why ya feel pissed doin all that and your always goin to get moochers often thought of doin this meself no time at the minute but would have the ground to do it how many hours a week would you put in generally

owelfisherman

snipe02 wrote: »

jesus fair play lad can see why ya feel pissed doin all that and your always goin to get moochers often thought of doin this meself no time at the minute but would have the ground to do it how many hours a week would you put in generally

interesting topic..there scarce around me so iv decided i am going to release birds next year..no other way of me getting anything.the gunclub is a fail around me im a committee member and am always helping out..if we were to kick out all the fella that don't put in the work its going to 5 in our club.i did look at rathcormac looks fantastic proper club..there isint any juniors in my club .the young just don't seem to have an interest..maybe its different in more rural less built up places

EPointer=Birdss

owelfisherman wrote: »

interesting topic..there scarce around me so iv decided i am going to release birds next year..no other way of me getting anything.the gunclub is a fail around me im a committee member and am always helping out..if we were to kick out all the fella that don't put in the work its going to 5 in our club.i did look at rathcormac looks fantastic proper club..there isint any juniors in my club .the young just don't seem to have an interest..maybe its different in more rural less built up places

Off with their heads lad! 5 lads - invest but more each & have more enjoyment.
Job done :pac:
I can't stand moochers!

Wolfhillbilly

Raising and releasing birds isn’t plane sailing though. Wild birds have been virtually a thing of the past up north for years now so anyone shooting pheasants up here is shooting released birds. I’ve been releasing on the same ground since 2001, buy 50-60 poults, shoot roosters only, and there is still no wild population on the back of it. The very odd year there’ll be a clutch about the place but usually get hoovered up by the fox. On top of that, I’ve had problems for the last two years because the birds I’ve released have just wandered. My usual supplier went out of business two years ago and this year and last we’ve ended up releasing birds on Thursday morning for shooting on Saturday – a poor day out. Any birds that aren’t shot are rarely seen the following week so it’s not just as simple as releasing birds for a few years and waiting for a wild population to build back up again.

EPointer=Birdss

I've bantam hatched & reared pheasants for years.
I see clutches regularly off season. Granted this wet year was bad.
When I got seriously involved about 10 years ago & got lads up off their arses & experimenting new things & ideas we could go out & meet nothing. Not a bird!
Releasing bought birds won't give a wild population. A cock will do his job but a hen won't. Convinced bantam hens will hatch.
As for wandering birds, this happens but hold your birds for a few weeks, take roof off the pen & centralize feeders. Aidan Wogans birds are good holders.

This year we've tried mixing crushed maize & bird seed with wheat & seems to be holding them well

charlie10

moochers aside we have problems with fellas bringing massive numbers of fox tails to the club to get 5 euro a piece now these two in particular dont own shotguns or dogs get ur head around that . they very rarely shoot a fox local they just get tails from younger lads in neighbouring clubs ,i have brought this issue to the chairman and to no avail ,i too have a few hoppers around have released a few birds and must say i dont want thanks for it, birds in return is enough, but one of these **** was seen shooting a phesant with a 223 in a neighbouring club and nearly got left a write off on the ROAD where he took the shot from. now i find this harder to come to terms with than a fella just sitting on his arse ,cause at least there he cant do any damage like these idiots . i agree clubs should get rid of fellas like the lads im mentioning.

EPointer=Birdss

charlie10 wrote: »

moochers aside we have problems with fellas bringing massive numbers of fox tails to the club to get 5 euro a piece now these two in particular dont own shotguns or dogs get ur head around that . they very rarely shoot a fox local they just get tails from younger lads in neighbouring clubs ,i have brought this issue to the chairman and to no avail ,i too have a few hoppers around have released a few birds and must say i dont want thanks for it, birds in return is enough, but one of these **** was seen shooting a phesant with a 223 in a neighbouring club and nearly got left a write off on the ROAD where he took the shot from. now i find this harder to come to terms with than a fella just sitting on his arse ,cause at least there he cant do any damage like these idiots . i agree clubs should get rid of fellas like the lads im mentioning.

Whole other type of crazy there Charlie! :eek:
Your into dangerous & illegal rather than just bone lazy.
Chairman might wanna think of the problems these guys bring. Could ruin the sport for the rest of ye

charlie10

well the next agm il be standing up and asking the commitee are they gonna get rid of the two lads there and then if not im off ! i have plenty of permissions and shoot alot of foxs which will be of great loss to them.

fitzy_fitzy

Lads advice required please.
I started hunting a couple of years ago and I have invested a nice few quid.
Good gun and 3 dogs and run. But from my earlier post there is a very small return in pheasants.
Mainly due to weather or possibly a poorly run gun club. Where I live and do most of my hunting in the parish there are no birds released (only wild birds). With regards to the gun club I don’t get notification of meetings but I do get asked for a 100 euro each year. It is fairly frustrating going out every weekend and struggling to find a bird.
I have no problems bee hands on or paying extra into the club. The lads running the club might not appreciate the opinions given by some of yee on how to run a good club. These lads have been running the club for a long time.
1 Options are joining a few neighbouring clubs. But will I experience the same issues.
2 Try to get involve in the running of my local club.
3 Setup a small gun club in the section of the parish where I live
I have thought about releasing some birds myself, which is a fair investment with the risk of other lads coming in and shooting them.
All I know I was looking forward to this season and now I am fair sick off it.

Browning

Releasing Pheasants into non existent Habitat is a futile exercise. Spend the hard earned cash on providing habitat and the birds will be be there. Its a simple equation Habitat=Birds. Habitat in combination with targeted systematic predator control will provide a sufficient boost to your local Wild population to provide a harvestable surplus.

charlie10

id love to try and plant game crop and see how it goes .what are ur views on it lads

snipe02

Browning wrote: »

Releasing Pheasants into non existent Habitat is a futile exercise. Spend the hard earned cash on providing habitat and the birds will be be there. Its a simple equation Habitat=Birds. Habitat in combination with targeted systematic predator control will provide a sufficient boost to your local Wild population to provide a harvestable surplus.

bang on browning . also released birds only adds shooting pressure on wild stock lads think we released 250 so we'll keep goin and get as many of them back as we can and no matter what anyone says its impossible to tell the difference when they are breakin out of cover the ground can only hold a certain amount of birds and the released birds could take up valuable room

Birdnuts

charlie10 wrote: »

id love to try and plant game crop and see how it goes .what are ur views on it lads

Cover crops are one of the best ways to hold birds on your permission. Especcially in areas with little or no tillage. I hope to get the ok from the Dept this spring for the "birdcover" option on my place in the West under the new agri enviro scheme. If people here have permissions with farmers who qualify for such schemes, they should encourage them to take the "birdcover" option. It really is of benefit to a huge range of scarce/declining farmland bird species anywhere I've seen similiar measures implemented.

Browning

Planting game crop is not a difficult undertaking. Doing it correctly is the trick. Location, Location location is the trick. Game/Cover crops can be used to link existing habitats or to create new habitat. Planting the right crop in the correct location and in the correct seeding rate make the difference between an effective crop and a useless one. Game/Cover crops can be used to provide cover, feed and nesting cover. All of which are vital ingredients to maintaining a Wild population of Pheasants or any other game bird.

owelfisherman

Anyadvice on planting?the land is mostly bad round me and very little tillage.so the permission I have with good grass land where the farmer is sound is where I would plant.anyadvice on going about it and what type of crop to use would be much appreciated

Browning

My advice would be to avoid planting in blocks. Strips are a far better option as they provide edge habitat which is favoured by game birds. I personally prefer to use Kale (Calendonian) and Linseed strips side by side. This provides cover and feed. I would also continue to provide supplementary feeding using hoppers. I would where possible position the strips running north to south to provide for exposure to the max amount of sunlight on the boundary edge. You can use the feeders to draw the birds towards the cover. When established however do not haunt the birds in the cover as you will drive them out very quickly. I find it better to establish a number of these strips in the same area a few fields apart tend to distribute the birds and give them options. If you put all your cover in the one area it wont be long before disturbance will drive the birds out. You have to remember that game birds are birds of habit that follow the same daily routine and annual cycles. The daily cycle entails feeding and roosting. You have to understand the birds needs and provide for them accordingly. Only then will you succeed.

Birdnuts

Browning wrote: »

My advice would be to avoid planting in blocks. Strips are a far better option as they provide edge habitat which is favoured by game birds. I personally prefer to use Kale (Calendonian) and Linseed strips side by side. This provides cover and feed. I would also continue to provide supplementary feeding using hoppers. I would where possible position the strips running north to south to provide for exposure to the max amount of sunlight on the boundary edge. You can use the feeders to draw the birds towards the cover. When established however do not haunt the birds in the cover as you will drive them out very quickly. I find it better to establish a number of these strips in the same area a few fields apart tend to distribute the birds and give them options. If you put all your cover in the one area it wont be long before disturbance will drive the birds out. You have to remember that game birds are birds of habit that follow the same daily routine and annual cycles. The daily cycle entails feeding and roosting. You have to understand the birds needs and provide for them accordingly. Only then will you succeed.

Given my soil type/exposure I'll probably have to replace the linseed with oats. The Kale should take though and I might experiment with other root crops too. I would love to plant the likes of linseed sorghum, quinoa, sainfoin etc. too but that would be for lads with better land in the midlands, south and east.

Wolfhillbilly

Browning wrote: »

Releasing Pheasants into non existent Habitat is a futile exercise. Spend the hard earned cash on providing habitat and the birds will be be there. Its a simple equation Habitat=Birds. Habitat in combination with targeted systematic predator control will provide a sufficient boost to your local Wild population to provide a harvestable surplus.

That's pretty much what seems to be the case all over.
http://www.pheasantsforever.org/page/1/stocking.jsp
Certainly it's been my experience although the habitat has actually changed very little where I release birds. There is still plaenty of cover and the farming changes have been slight. There are fewer farmers growing crops but I had hoped that that would have been compensated by keepig feeders topped up all year but for whateve reason, the birds Ive released over the past 10 years have made no difference to the wild population.

Half-cocked

Any opinions on feeding phesants a wheat/rolled barley mix? I've been feeding ours wheat but the cost is getting prohibative. Was talking to a chap who goes with a 50/50 mix and has no problems, birds like it fine. I had always thought barley was only for the ducks.

cavan shooter

I have been hearing that pheasants are scarce from lads this year so yesterday I went for a good walk with the gun 12.5 km circle and put up 6 cocks. Now in my books this isnt scarce, and these were wild birds.

I don't want to get into a row when I say this but too many hunters want easy birds, only last week a lad told me that the club was ****e that unless you were seeing birds in every field when you drive around the club isnt doing its job.

Half-cocked

cavan shooter wrote: »

only last week a lad told me that the club was ****e that unless you were seeing birds in every field when you drive around the club isnt doing its job.

And these are the sort of people who don't do any work for their clubs, just want to roll up on the 1st of November and shoot double figures.

EPointer=Birdss

Half-cocked wrote: »

Any opinions on feeding phesants a wheat/rolled barley mix? I've been feeding ours wheat but the cost is getting prohibative. Was talking to a chap who goes with a 50/50 mix and has no problems, birds like it fine. I had always thought barley was only for the ducks.

I always found they scatter barley when other food is available & it might be better in its own hopper.
I always tell people to experiment - why not try put 2 hoppers side by side & see which they prefer.
The funny thing is you'll always see pheasants near horses then where they're been fed oats etc but wheat is a good fatner. How much you giving for it. Might be cheaper suppliers rather than changing.

cavan shooter

I tend too feed rolled barley or rolled oats in field feeders when trying to supplement food for wild birds. its reasonably cheap for a 40 kg bag

loveta

Seen it time and time again there are a handful of workers in every group a handful of sit on the fence ers and a handful of wasters/moaners/free loaders and there always complaining about this and that and when they pay there mem fee they "ARE" entitled to everything. Sounds fair alright

Stevegeraghty

cavan shooter wrote: »

I tend too feed rolled barley or rolled oats in field feeders when trying to supplement food for wild birds. its reasonably cheap for a 40 kg bag

I'm the same, I have plenty of feeders yet the birds have fecked off :mad: