Pheasant season

Staloejunior

Well lads less than three weeks till the first of November, are the dogs ready for the big day?

sniperman

Staloejunior wrote: »

Well lads less than three weeks till the first of November, are the dogs ready for the big day?

ya,been going out with the mates springer getting him fit,taking 3 days off,hope weather is ok,this year went fast:eek:

Staloejunior

sniperman wrote: »

ya,been going out with the mates springer getting him fit,taking 3 days off,hope weather is ok,this year went fast:eek:

Went out today only felt like it was a few weeks ago we finished up the pheasant shooting! You meeting young birds?

sniperman

Staloejunior wrote: »

Went out today only felt like it was a few weeks ago we finished up the pheasant shooting! You meeting young birds?

ya flushing a few,seen two adult cocks today,got the trails but did not rise them,must have ran like the clappers,heard alot of young birds are falling prey to those buzzards:mad:

Birdnuts

sniperman wrote: »

ya flushing a few,seen two adult cocks today,got the trails but did not rise them,must have ran like the clappers,heard alot of young birds are falling prey to those buzzards:mad:

Buzzards may take a few poults but most losses are down to foxes, mink, road traffic etc.. A lot of cover has been destroyed by drainage and hedge removal recently too that has affected a lot of birds. Its easy to blame buzzards though as they hang around harvested fields dropping on rats mostly so some assume there feeding on poults a lot. Buzzards are slow lazy birds and don't need much food anyway, like many BOPs's as any falconer knows. 2 adult rats a week would keep them going. Below is a study on the faith of released pheasants from the UK

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

The Blessington Game club's intense control of fox, mink and crows give decent returns from Reeves type poults most years. Sadly many clubs don't put in this work threwout the year and its no surprise that the number of pheasants fall away over the years, especially if habitat is not being maintained eitheir

blackpearl

Birdnuts wrote: »

Buzzards may take a few poults but most losses are down to foxes, mink, road traffic etc.. A lot of cover has been destroyed by drainage and hedge removal recently too that has affected a lot of birds. Its easy to blame buzzards though as they hang around harvested fields dropping on rats mostly so some assume there feeding on poults a lot. Buzzards are slow lazy birds and don't need much food anyway, like many BOPs's as any falconer knows. 2 adult rats a week would keep them going. Below is a study on the faith of released pheasants from the UK

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

The Blessington Game club's intense control of fox, mink and crows give decent returns from Reeves type poults most years. Sadly many clubs don't put in this work threwout the year and its no surprise that the number of pheasants fall away over the years, especially if habitat is not being maintained eitheir

ha ha here we go again the big cover up

cavan shooter

blackpearl wrote: »

Birdnuts wrote: »

Buzzards may take a few poults but most losses are down to foxes, mink, road traffic etc.. A lot of cover has been destroyed by drainage and hedge removal recently too that has affected a lot of birds. Its easy to blame buzzards though as they hang around harvested fields dropping on rats mostly so some assume there feeding on poults a lot. Buzzards are slow lazy birds and don't need much food anyway, like many BOPs's as any falconer knows. 2 adult rats a week would keep them going. Below is a study on the faith of released pheasants from the UK

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

The Blessington Game club's intense control of fox, mink and crows give decent returns from Reeves type poults most years. Sadly many clubs don't put in this work threwout the year and its no surprise that the number of pheasants fall away over the years, especially if habitat is not being maintained eitheir

ha ha here we go again the big cover up

And how many pheasants are taken due to disease and poor management by the lads releasing them, with pens like gutters, not enough feeding or cover. I've buzzards around me and I notice i've fek all crows and magpies. As for the Pine martin trap them and re release them into the city.

Capercaillie

cavan shooter wrote: »

And how many pheasants are taken due to disease and poor management by the lads releasing them, with pens like gutters, not enough feeding or cover. I've buzzards around me and I notice i've fek all crows and magpies. As for the Pine martin trap them and re release them into the city.

would need a license from NPWS to relocate any cage trapped pine marten.

blackpearl

cavan shooter wrote: »

And how many pheasants are taken due to disease and poor management by the lads releasing them, with pens like gutters, not enough feeding or cover. I've buzzards around me and I notice i've fek all crows and magpies. As for the Pine martin trap them and re release them into the city.

I am talking about wild birds, buzzards I have seen what they have done to young broods of wild pheasants stubble fields with nothing in them this last 3
years take out the mags and the greys for what its now a waste of time these fields I am talking about held 4 to 5 broods of wild pheasants as long as I can remember nothing has changed in the landscape but now we have buzzards loads of them sitting on posts and trees I have seen at least 7 different kills made by buzzards on young poults so don't try and tell me its not happening I am sick of people coming on here and defending buzzards they are the worst thing that has happened to wild pheasants in Ireland.

Birdnuts

blackpearl wrote: »

I am talking about wild birds, buzzards I have seen what they have done to young broods of wild pheasants stubble fields with nothing in them this last 3
years take out the mags and the greys for what its now a waste of time these fields I am talking about held 4 to 5 broods of wild pheasants as long as I can remember nothing has changed in the landscape but now we have buzzards loads of them sitting on posts and trees I have seen at least 7 different kills made by buzzards on young poults so don't try and tell me its not happening I am sick of people coming on here and defending buzzards they are the worst thing that has happened to wild pheasants in Ireland.

You must be living in a different country if you think nothing has changed in the landscape - huge areas of wetlands,hedges, scrub etc. have been removed in recent years. Heavy Agri-chemical use is also hitting their food supply in a big way.Big increase in traffic on rural roads also hits pheasants. These changes are hitting other bird populations as well as everything from bees to butterflies. No one is saying that buzzards don't occasionally take a poult, but to claim its a significant reason for lack of pheasants makes no sense and is just a lazy assumption. You seem to be assuming to that every dead poult you find is killed by a buzzard, as the example above shows the vast majority are taken by ground dwelling predators like fox and mink who mainly operate at night so are not as noticeable as buzzards. Indeed you only have to look at how well the Offaly Boora wild partridge project is doing despite the presence of buzzards to see that buzzards have little overall effect on wild poult survival.

PS: The last 3 years have seen cold hard late springs which is probably a big factor in poult survival too.

cavan shooter

Birdnuts wrote:

PS: The last 3 years have seen cold hard late springs which is probably a big factor in poult survival too.

And wet summers ...

blackpearl

No one is saying that buzzards don't occasionally take a poult

blackpearl

Birdnuts wrote: »

You must be living in a different country if you think nothing has changed in the landscape - huge areas of wetlands,hedges, scrub etc. have been removed in recent years. Heavy Agri-chemical use is also hitting their food supply in a big way.Big increase in traffic on rural roads also hits pheasants. These changes are hitting other bird populations as well as everything from bees to butterflies. No one is saying that buzzards don't occasionally take a poult, but to claim its a significant reason for lack of pheasants makes no sense and is just a lazy assumption. You seem to be assuming to that every dead poult you find is killed by a buzzard, as the example above shows the vast majority are taken by ground dwelling predators like fox and mink who mainly operate at night so are not as noticeable as buzzards. Indeed you only have to look at how well the Offaly Boora wild partridge project is doing despite the presence of buzzards to see that buzzards have little overall effect on wild poult survival.

PS: The last 3 years have seen cold hard late springs which is probably a big factor in poult survival too.

Occasionally take a poult ,what country are you living in and what blind fold are you wearing .

Capercaillie

blackpearl wrote: »

Occasionally take a poult ,what country are you living in and what blind fold are you wearing .

In my area nearest to me wild pheasants had a very poor season. No breeding buzzards or any buzzards present at all.............

Sparks

Mod Note: Folks, please review the first rule of the forum charter.

Tommyaya4

The crew are fit and ready to go on the first countdown is on ðŸ‘

useurowname

Love this time of the year. Won't get out for a pheasant for a couple of weeks yet, envious of all those who'll be out onTuesday. Great time of thd year to be Irish and s hunter. We really should be grateful for the huntsman paradise we have here..and mind it.

dodderangler

Did anyone get out?? I'm quite sick at the moment so didn't get out for a walk this morning. In hospital right now.

sniperman

dodderangler wrote: »

Did anyone get out?? I'm quite sick at the moment so didn't get out for a walk this morning. In hospital right now.

ah,get well soon lad,got these,one was nearly black,lovely markings.

dodderangler

sniperman wrote: »

ah,get well soon lad,got these,one was nearly black,lovely markings.

Melanistic pheasant bro. Only ever killed one with the Harris hawk. Never tasted it. Wonder if it tastes any different. Any ways good shooting lad.

Tackleberry.

Birdnuts wrote: »

You must be living in a different country if you think nothing has changed in the landscape - huge areas of wetlands,hedges, scrub etc. have been removed in recent years. Heavy Agri-chemical use is also hitting their food supply in a big way.Big increase in traffic on rural roads also hits pheasants. These changes are hitting other bird populations as well as everything from bees to butterflies. No one is saying that buzzards don't occasionally take a poult, but to claim its a significant reason for lack of pheasants makes no sense and is just a lazy assumption. You seem to be assuming to that every dead poult you find is killed by a buzzard, as the example above shows the vast majority are taken by ground dwelling predators like fox and mink who mainly operate at night so are not as noticeable as buzzards. Indeed you only have to look at how well the Offaly Boora wild partridge project is doing despite the presence of buzzards to see that buzzards have little overall effect on wild poult survival.



PS: The last 3 years have seen cold hard late springs which is probably a big factor in poult survival too.

I've grown up next to the Shannon estuary you think what could change here, and to be honest I don't know what has, but I remember as a young lad spending hours sitting in side of the river bank watching flocks of plovers, red shanks ducks,curlews etc and I tell ya there where lots of birds of all over the bays and now days you'd be lucky to see a curlew, the plover are small in number notting like it used to be.. and the Shannon in recent years became a SPA, but guess nobody is watching the bird numbers dwindle...

Birdnuts

Tackleberry. wrote: »

I've grown up next to the Shannon estuary you think what could change here, and to be honest I don't know what has, but I remember as a young lad spending hours sitting in side of the river bank watching flocks of plovers, red shanks ducks,curlews etc and I tell ya there where lots of birds of all over the bays and now days you'd be lucky to see a curlew, the plover are small in number notting like it used to be.. and the Shannon in recent years became a SPA, but guess nobody is watching the bird numbers d windle...

I assume your talking about winter flocks.Wintering populations of some of those species have indeed declined in recent years - warmer winters in Europe mean many flocks don't bother coming as far West as Ireland anymore. One example is the Bewick Swan - used to winter here in decent numbers up till the 80's - now hardly ever seen with most wintering in countries around the North Sea and Baltic.

Crow Pigeon and Pheasant

We have a pond and saw about 20 mallard flighting into it this evening. One of the guys that came out with me today got a snipe drake crow and pigeon but no pheasants!

Capercaillie

Tackleberry. wrote: »

I've grown up next to the Shannon estuary you think what could change here, and to be honest I don't know what has, but I remember as a young lad spending hours sitting in side of the river bank watching flocks of plovers, red shanks ducks,curlews etc and I tell ya there where lots of birds of all over the bays and now days you'd be lucky to see a curlew, the plover are small in number notting like it used to be.. and the Shannon in recent years became a SPA, but guess nobody is watching the bird numbers dwindle...

For breeding waders on the callows

---

mink,mink,mink and more mink