Looking good so far this winter!!!

[Guest]

I have been out doing some scouting and the Pheasant #s are really good. They have gone through the winter unharmed so far and the counts have been higher then any year I can remember. Usually they are all grouped up but this year there are high numbers scattered about in every low ground area. Nice healty fat roosters and hens. Lets hope for an equally mild spring and summer and the hunting will be tremendous. Along ways to go but I am really excited already.

[Dano2]

Sounds great, Hope the spring treats em right too so they have a good hatch.
I haven't pheasant hunted in MN. for years except when I use to duck hunt and find your occassional rooster in the ditch when driving. I wouldn't have a clue were to go.
Is there much for public land out there?
Is there alot of hunting pressure on this land?
How far south, or south east do I need to go from Moorhead, MN?

Its obvious from my post in this area (ND Pheasant hunting) that I most likley wont be going there anymore, let em have it their way, eh?

Sooooo, I'll need to be doing ALOT of reasearch on the MN pheasant hunting to see if its worth the effort.

What I will most likely plan on doing is driving to my destination, (wherever that'll be) and stay in a motel for 2-3 days to tryan make it worth while,
I know its 2 birds for your daily limit but
What is the possession limit in MN?

A guy I work with released a hundred and some birds around his land around the Fergus falls area this last 2002 fall.
said he had been out to see if he could find any, didn't find a one.

cant see why the birds cant survive in slough bottems or tree rows, things like that, the fox and coyotes must be haven a feast or something, I dont know.

Anyway, I know it'll be tough hunting by myself with a young dog as well, but its just greeat to get out and do it anyway,
so if anyone has any input on where to start as far as land, please let me know.
thanks

[Guest]

The limit is two a person.

I have still been seeing birds all over south of the cities, hopefully we will have a decent spring!!!

[Dano2]

I know, but what about the Possession limit?

Like in ND its 3 per day, with a total possession limit of 12.

thanks

[Grand River Zip]

Dano,

You mentioned your buddy released a buch of birds and couldn't find them. Although I am not involved anymore, I know that Pheasants Forever has proven that releasing birds does not affect the long term of pheasants. The released birds don't make it, that is why the $ PF gathers goes into habitat. You decide on which Benelli yet? You mentioned Sheels, and ND pheasants, you must be located west MN somewhere. Where

[Guest]

Released birds dont make it?

Wow I think that it kind of false. A good friend has been releaseing birds for years now and there are alot more birds in his areas then in most other places we hunt.

I helped him release alot of birds this year and have been checking up on them and they are still around. I have been dropping food every couple of weeks and there are still tracks every where!

But at the beginning of this year he had not released any for a few monthes and the land we hunted still had a very good population!

So I would have to say they make it just fine.

http://www.geocities.com/wish_i_was_fishing2002

[Dano2]

Zip, yes , I live in Moorhead MN,
The Benelli of choice so far is the
M1.

As far as released birds, I wonder if it
depends on where your located as far as their survival, He lives around the fergus falls area,maybe further south it isn't as bad for weather, i dont know, but i guess
with the mild winter we had this year, you'd think there would be some around. Maybe their the hibernating kind, heh!

thanks

[Sarge]

I've been looking into raising afew pheasants myself, and alot of what I have read has said that you will probably average about 10% making it threw to possibly breed next spring.

That doesn't seem like the best odds and it makes me wonder what percentage of wild hatched pheasant make it to breed the following spring?

[Hoyter]

The MN possesion limit is 6.

[Surface Tension]

Sarge 10% seems about right. Now concider how pheasants can triple in numbers in one year that aint so bad. I used to raise pheasants. I kept around 2 dozen hens and a few cocks for breeding. Out of these birds I hatched by incubatetion around 600 chicks a summer. I sold anything from chicks to adults. And Yes I had a Game Farm Lisence.
I would release some when they got to be 8 weeks old for some fall fun. They will stick around at that age if you feed them. A pen with other birds helps to keep them around. If you let an adult go you would never see them again. Anyway I did this for a number of years. Was a fun hobby.

[Dano2]

Thanks hoyter

[Grand River Zip]

Birds that are released then have an easy food source through feeding will obviously have a higher survival ratio. The game farm I go to has a few that make it through the winter also. Just saying, PF has looked into "stocking" and decided their money was better spent concentrating on developing habitat. Not arguing for PF, just passing along their thought process.

I am already looking forward to Oct........Dan

[BLACKJACK]

Another bad aspect of stocking pen raised birds is that the predators in the area will actually start concentrating on hunting pheasants, they'll scarf up the released ones and more wild pheasants. If you have any wild pheasants around and some decent habitat (cattail sloughs, CRP, evergreens), your best bang for the buck would be to put in a food plot, either corn or grain sorgum. I've shot pheasants that have been in sorgum and their crops were packed to the size of your fist with seeds!!

[Guest]

Surface Tension,

How many eggs will one hen usally lay?
And when you released birds what age is the best for releaseing, We waited quit a while.

[Guest]

I have seen anywhere from 4 to 12 eggs.
Biggest problem I have seen is raccoons, skunks, and crows. Those three will raid a pheasant nest and the eggs will be gone. Good cover will solve some of this and they will relay again but usually the nest gets raided again. Hard winters are a problem but around here it is mostly the predators. If you can keep them in check you will have pheasants. Pen raised pheasant usually wont pick the best nesting areas and are more apt to get there nest and even themselves eatin.

Make sure it is legal but shoot or trap as many predators as you can.