NOT WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW!!!!!

[lawdog]

This storm tonight is kicking butt and taking no prisoners. Absolutely brutal out there and we already are down on bird numbers this fall. Sure hope this isn't a start to a winter like '96-'97!!!

[muc33]

I am with you on this one Jeff!

[NorthlandProCrow]

ohhh mother nature, she will prevail!

[Gordie]

just saw on the news most of Iowa has alot of drifting going on and most are 5-8 foot not a good thing hope the birds fair well was going to head down to the Rose Creek MN area for some birds and rabbit action this weekend but the strom shut that I dea down.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm with ya Jeff, but let's remember 96-97 started out with ice and a lot of it, then came the 27 feet of snow.

This is SW MN. Snow, wind, drifts, blah, blah, blah come with the territory. Luckily there is still quite a bit of standing corn for food and shelter for a lot of species.

[no bait nate]

the birds should be alright if we don't get a load of ice. went hunting yesterday and my dog flushed a bunch out of some pines. they were roosted ten feet up safe from all the drifts. and they flew across the crp to another pine grove where i left them for the night.

[muc33]

elwood, love the Rose Creek area, my family is from LeRoy, Ostrander so love hunting there when back for family functons!

[Jmnhunter]

pheasants are hardy creatures, like NBN said, as long as freezing rain stays away, they will surpass this

[Musky Buck]

That 1996-1997 blizzard on January 18-20 should've put a john doe on my foot. Spent 2 days in my truck on a lake no where near a fish house. Wow, thanks for the memory. The birds will hopefully do alright, the worst part is where I live the birds were really making a comeback, only took 40 years so I hope for the best.

[lawdog]

It hasn't been terrible since that first night and with the rotten harvest conditions this fall there is still food around som I'm hoping they are OK. Could use a warm spell to give em a brake but its not real terrible yet. Pretty rough start though!

[Snag]

Although I won't believe it until I see it, 12-24 inches of snow doesn't sound good.

[grab the net]

So Lawdog, what does the weather look like down there in your neck of the woods. Drifts ? wind ? how much snow?

[123fish]

Took a little drive around late this afternoon. There is probably at least 20 inches of snow just laying everywhere. The wind we had didn't blow any fields clear because the snow was too wet. Saw four birds next to what was a really thick swamp and that was it. Any cover that was marginal is now full. Could be a real long winter for what pheasants that we have. Pretty much all of southwest Minnesota.

[muc33]

gonna need to get the corn wagon out for sure.

[harvey lee]

I was out this am and saw many places where PF or farmers placed corn and there were many birds gobbling it up.

[Eric_Kruger]

we dug a few feed spots out on the edges of the property today to fill with corn gotta keep the birds around so i dont have to go as far! lots of snow cant be good!

EK

[MinnesotaMongo]

Some of my family drove up to Mankato from Worthington and couldn't get over how many pheasants they saw out in the middle of the day foraging for food.

[lawdog]

I was gone until last night but its rough. I spent about 5 hours on the skid loader trying to get my yard cleaned out and I'm no where near done. I can't imagine the cover is any good and the only thing providing food is the corn that didn't get picked (of which there still is some around here)... I saw close to two dozen pheasants out scratching for food this morning just driving into town to work.

[ac777]

Well the pheasants are feeding heavy in the fields now. One good thing about all the snow and drifts for the pheasants is that it drifts into the corn and makes it so the birds can get right at standing level to the corn cobs. Bet ya didnt think of that one?

Sure is hard walking out in that snow, and those birds are pretty skittish.

[CaptainBly]

Now and thoughout the winter we should all do our part, by getting together and put out corn feeders. I know around my home area the local sportsmans club has a gravity wagon with picked corn for anyone that wants to feed the birds.

[lawdog]

Another GIANT butt kicking for wildlife the last two days and the forecast the next couple sees tons more wind and temps never above zero. Kiss good pheasant hunting goodbye for a few years!

[harvey lee]

Yes this will be a pheasant killer for sure.

Really stinks.

[Tom7227]

To Feed or Not to Feed? Pheasants Forever Has Answers

Feeding ringnecks can have negative consequences, not long-term solution to winter survival

Saint Paul, Minn. – January 7, 2010 – From the Dakotas and Minnesota to Iowa and Illinois, much of the core pheasant range is experiencing winter's first real test due to recent heavy snowstorms and extreme cold. Naturally, many hunters and conservationists have found cause for concern regarding ring-necked pheasants' ability to survive, and ask "Should we be feeding pheasants?" Pheasants Forever has some careful considerations.

Habitat is the Effective Long-Term Solution

The key to carrying pheasants through the winter is quality thermal habitat. While this may provide no consolation this winter, consider that resources spent on establishing high quality winter cover will yield far greater results and the best winter survival rates down the road. The lesson to be learned from a tough winter is the need to plant more high quality thermal cover this spring. Start your habitat planning now!

"More than anything, feeding is reactionary to the winter, when the best thing we can do is be proactive about improving quality habitat," said Rick Young, Pheasants Forever's Vice President of Field Operations. "Unfortunately, many well-intentioned people who provide corn and other grains as food sources actually harm pheasants more than they help them."

Why NOT to Feed Pheasants

ü The biggest reason to shy away from feeding pheasants is that feeders attract predators and expose pheasants to death by predation. Feeders give predators a focus point similar to a bait pile.

ü In fact, it is rare for a pheasant to starve, but death by freezing can be common. Poorly-placed feeders may draw the pheasants out and away from their protective winter cover and cause birds to congregate and expend energy competing for food. Instead of saving birds, this actually adds to freezing deaths.

Contact Pheasants Forever Field Staff

To contact a Pheasants Forever representative in your area with your winter habitat or pheasant feeding questions, click here.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. "The Habitat Organization" has over 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

-30-

[CaptainBly]

Makes sense. But, the pheasants you see now are all out of thier cover now, in the middle of fields. So I guess a guy would have to try to find their "cover" area and put the feeder there. I know a few years age we rode snowmobiles to get back into some areas. A guy can't take the easy way and put right in the open.

[dogs]

The cover issue like health care will go on forever. Spent monday and tuesday in Ivanhoe area, knee deep snow on the fields that a 200lb man can walk on and very few spots in fields(2) have any snow blown off. Like it was said before they are all out of the cover now scrambling, A lot right along the road shoulders. I feel it is best to feed the ones we have right now, instead of abandoning them to continue the CRP issue.