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season length


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Why isn't the pheasant season open until the end of the year? They have proven that rooster harvest does not affect next years numbers. Why not give kids the opportunity to hunt over christmas vacation?

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I really don't have the answer as to why the season closes traditionally before the holidays. What I do know is that under normal circumstances, this time of year can get awefully nasty. And although harvesting roosters generally will not harm production the following year, what will is "stressing" hens during what may be a crucial time. In a normal December, we already have plenty of snow and it's colder than a well diggers arse. The opportunity to find a good meal of corn may not be an option, and the birds are already stressed by mother nature... the last thing we need to do is move them from there cover at this time. This year is completely different and hunting them until real winter shows up probably wouldn't hurt. But think about how forcing a bird to expend a lot of energy escaping a hunter (when the low temp is going to be -20 degrees, and a blanket has already covered the dinner table) would affect it's survival rate. I would say that the birds would become vulnerable to weather and preditors rather quickly under these circumstances. Just food for thought.

JA!

[This message has been edited by J.A.Say.Tree (edited 12-17-2001).]

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Jeff,

That's as good as any explanation I have heard yet. You're right about in a normal winter the birds would be under a lot of stress. Maybe this winter will be the one that helps the population rebound a little.

Paul

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Good point about stress. However, I have read that the optimum hen to rooster ratio for winter survival is 19 to 1 because the roosters will push the hens off of the best feeding areas. I guess one rooster is able to breed 19 or more hens in the spring (lucky rooster).

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That is very true about the rooster to hen ratio. You see it all the time, a big snow storm or an extended period of hard weather. You can drive by shelter after shelter and see them full of roosters but no hens. The roosters push them all out. In the spring, I see a lot more dead hens than dead roosters. Going out to SD this weekend. Hopefully there is enough ice up north to do some fishing. If not it is off to the switchgrass.

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