IS all this RAIN coming at a bad time for Pheasants?

[MuleShack]

Just wondering what the consensus is on the subject. Truthfully i don't know when the lay eggs, when they hatch etc....

So will this 2-3" of rain be a bad thing in regards to time of the season for them?

[fivebucks]

This rain should not hurt them. The chicks usually hatch mid June and that is the crucial time. If this rain floods out their nest, they will renest. Hope for a dry June. Here is a copy from PF HSOforum.

Nesting

The nesting season begins with courtship as roosters scatter from winter cover to establish territories. Hens, attracted by crowing, locate roosters, and if they can find good nesting cover, begin nest building. Once the nest is built, hens lay 1 egg each day. The average clutch (number of eggs in a nest) is 12, but they may lay up to 18. After all the eggs are laid (the actual number will depend on the energy reserves of the hen and time of year), the hen will begin incubating and only leave the nest 1 or 2 times to feed each day. Twenty-three (23) days after incubation begins, the eggs will hatch. Some nests are destroyed, but pheasants are determinant nesters and will try again. Hatching marks the beginning of the brood rearing season.

Average Nest Initiation Date: May 1 (March 15-July 15)

Average Incubation Start: May 24 (April 1 - August 1)

Average Hatch: June 15 (April 15-Aug 15)

[brittman]

Even with the early spring, I saw few hens with roosters until May. The "average" hen probably is just starting incubation.

Areas with heavy rains and localized flooding will loose nests. Those grassy areas next to sloughs maybe under water in some places.

Hen pheasants are prolific renesters. Probably the most determined upland bird specie in MN to pull off a successful nest.

As always there are pockets of birds and pockets where they are scarse. Those that are confined to specific areas have to take what is provided each fall. Those willing to move around, can look for new spots if their usual spots seem void.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Actually, here in SW MN the rain is a welcome sight. After last summers drought and very little snowfall we're dry as a popcorn fart. We had a big gob of rain a couple weeks ago, and that helped, but we still need more.

As far as the bird nests go, they'll be fine. As stated, some will be lost but the hens will re-nest.

A lot of cover and habitat was lost last summer/fall/winter. We need this rain to get the habitat back to a healthy level. So, while it may be a small short term loss, in the long run it's a positive.

[TylerS]

Eric, you hit the nail on the head. We're experiencing the same thing here in Nodak. If anything, we need more rain, not less. In comparison, my yard is as dry now as it was last August: not a good way to start the year.

[brittman]

June will be the key month. Cool and raining lowers the number of birds making it to fall.

NoDak could use a nice drought. Good year or two in length, it is part of the natural cycle on the prairies. Mother Nature can give the farmers enough moisture to get decent crop yields ... but water levels need to drop.

If you don't care about farmer joe & his income, then a prolonged drought can actually get more acres returned to CRP. It becomes an income hedge especially on land that "runs dry". Probably take a sustained pattern of drought to drive that change in direction.

Plenty of land now underwater used to be rather decent pheasant country.

[TylerS]

NoDak could use a nice drought. Good year or two in length, it is part of the natural cycle on the prairies. Mother Nature can give the farmers enough moisture to get decent crop yields ... but water levels need to drop.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Water on the landscape means more seasonal wetlands, which means more wet spots that don't get farmed and probably sprout cattails. This, even though it is only temporary, yields excellent habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and all order of critters. Were you around southeast Nodak this fall? The farmers got done harvesting early and burned cattail sloughs for two months straight. I highly doubt a year or two of drought will result in more CRP...not with today's land and crop prices. And even if an entire crop fails, there are still farm subsidies and insurance...CRP just doesn't pay.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I don't want to take this too far off topic, but CRP is slowly but surely going away. It flat out just doesn't pay.

Back to the rain. It will replenish the wetlands, fill up the dried prairie grasses, and create habitat. Short term loss, long term gain.

Don't fear for the pheasants. They will re-nest. It's all good.

[brittman]

Type 1 seasonal wetlands by their very definition are typically dry in the fall. Burning them actually can be beneficial. Fire was once a natural part of the prairie cycle.

All those big bowls of water spread across the ND landscape ? Well many used to be cattail sloughs, but the water rose too quickly and turned marsh into lake. Drought will revert them back.

Mallards and pheasant cannot nest in / over water.

I have almost 40 years experience living, fishing and hunting across ND including SE ND. The one thing that is certain is the drought / wet cycle is ongoing. Upland birds tend to do better on the dry side of the cycle.

[MuleShack]

Thanks for the good information on the subject everyone.

My Dogs were getting worried it would be another slow year

[Jeffstally]

I agree that it is more important to not have the big washout rains once hatch occurs in mid June that right now when hens are starting to nest.

[brittman]

PF reports that the USDA had more acres than they had money to contract on. 4.5 million acres were offered by landowners ... 3.9 million acres enrolled.

But, the bad news is there still was a net loss of 1 million acres in the Northern Plains.

[gspman]

IMHO all this rainy weather isn't helping at all.

[Eric Wettschreck]

More rain on the way. We're getting dumped on right now.

[tacklejunkie]

How will this rain affect Ruffed Grouse?

[Kyle]

I'm moving to Nodak in a couple weeks. Should we expect better pheasant numbers than last year? I hunted in the SE portion of the state last year for ducks and saw very few pheasants roadside, and only a couple were flushed by our dogs while we were scouting.

[TylerS]

I'm moving to Nodak in a couple weeks. Should we expect better pheasant numbers than last year? I hunted in the SE portion of the state last year for ducks and saw very few pheasants roadside, and only a couple were flushed by our dogs while we were scouting.

Even with better conditions, I'd wager you're going to witness much of the same this fall, simply because the pheasant numbers won't rebound that much in one year (especially with the loss of so much CRP).

[harvey lee]

I am sure the chicks in my area are in deep doggie do-do. last Thursday we recieved 4 inches and this past Sunday, another 3.5. Thats alot of water for a small young chick to deal with.

[fivebucks]

Yeah - I got a bad feeling about these latest batches of rain. How much rain has western and SW Minn been getting, anyone know?

[123fish]

It's been perfect in the Worthington area for chicks for a while now. Actually starting to get pretty dry. Looks like rain this morning though. Getting reports of people seeing broods and some of them are pretty big in body size.

[TylerS]

Hope the little ruff balls fare well through this deluge! Not looking good in the Iron Range...

[brittman]

Agree Tyler. Heavy rain in June equates to lower chick survival. Areas were flooding will see reduced nesting success.

One silver lining in all these dang rain clouds is it has not been days-upon-days of rain and COLD weather. Prolonged cold and rain kills more chicks due to exposure. When that low pressure system gets stuck east of MN and spins cold and rain (wrap around) over northern Minnesota - grouse chicks die across a wide swath of the state.

Grouse are rather prolific renesters if the entire nest is lost. I have seen 12-14 week old birds in early October.

[tacklejunkie]

One silver lining in all these dang rain clouds is it has not been days-upon-days of rain and COLD weather. Prolonged cold and rain kills more chicks due to exposure. When that low pressure system gets stuck east of MN and spins cold and rain (wrap around) over northern Minnesota - grouse chicks die across a wide swath of the state.

Yup.

And also there is alot of insects this year which the babies eat. Prolonged cold and rain depresses the number of bugs that the young chicks need

[MuleShack]

So things are not looking to bad after all.

I just saw a hen in my back yard last week and I dont live in what you would call habitat.

There is a little weed patches around but normally only see them in the fields down the road.

[CodyDawg]

been hearing about some older broods and people are saying it is much better than last year. bottom line, good habitat will have birds.