Over reacting to the snow.

[brittman]

One more reply.

Avian predators have the advantage in winter when snow covers the fields.

I agree feral cats, skunks, fox, and racoons are the main threat to nesting hens, eggs on the nest, and young chicks.

[UGUIDE]

I'll say it again, "Pheasant Populations = Habitat ". In reading the other posts it's obvious there are those interested in pheasants that choose reactive short-term band-aids to native wild pheasant pops. Sustainable populations can only be achieved by long-term PROACTIVE actions. And, they are expensive. You'll waste a lot of time, effort and $$ if you don't start by separating myth from fact. If your serious about growing wild pheasant pops you should only be focused on long-term habitat solutions. Here's a list of things proven not to be effective in long-term habitat solutions: releasing birds, mechanical feeders, seasonal food plots (farmers take them out Dec. 15th), leaving a few strips of roundup-ready corn, NOT cutting down large deciduous trees over 4" diameter and 15' tall. The leading biologists say "Forget Food, it is not an issue. There is plenty of food for pheasants. they need food IN there cover". And even larger than that is the issues of nesting cover, brood rearing cover and then winter survival/escape cover. Pheasants have a hard time competing agasint $4+/bushel corn and $200/acre rent. There are great programs that can help and most are specifically focused on proactive solutions.

[doser]

The very few farmers that we have that our chapter pays for their food plots we tell them the corn must stay in the field until spring in order to recieve payments.

[UGUIDE]

Quote:

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The very few farmers that we have that our chapter pays for their food plots we tell them the corn must stay in the field until spring in order to recieve payments.

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That's a great policy! I leave mine in until April 1.

[doser]

I think today it's a policy you have to have with people using the corn for heating and such!

[gorrilla]

Blackjack, When you claim no one has put in a plot on this site you are mistaken. I used to be a habitat coordinator for Pheasants Forever. It was a full time position after I got my degree in Wildlife Management. It didn't pay squat with no benifits so naturally it was hopefully going to be a stepping stone. But as far as seeding grass, planting food plots, and tons of shelterbelts, yes I've done them.

One thing I'd advise is for guys to quit fixating on corn. I think Brittman and Uguide hit on some good points. If you focus your efforts on GOOD longterm prairie grass and cover you'll get a lot more bang for your buck and pheasants to show for it. To plant 40 acres of switch grass and 10 acres of corn, you're just spending/wasting money. Personally I'd rate these as my pheasant $ priorities: 1) grassland (mix of good prairie blend including short, mid, and tall species) 2) Winter cover (optimum ranging from Cane, cattails, shelterbelts, and even thick food plots) 3) water if needed 4) well maintained food plots if money allows (not just wide spaced rows of corn, but sorgam, milow,(sp?) sunflowers as well)...

bags of corn make the spreader feel good, habitat helps provide shelter, food, and predator protection and makes the wildlife feel good.

{ Please read forum policy before posting again Thank-you}

[BLACKJACK]

gorrila, I didn't say that nobody on this site has planted a food plot, I know that guys like BLB and lots of others put in food plots every year. I just wanted to point out that its not as easy to establish a food plot as people think, it takes time and effort and available land and fertilizer and chemicals to get it done right. Declaring that food plots "are the only way to go" and actually getting it done are two different things, talk is cheap. Lets see what you do in five years when you're not associated with PF and not using their funds and equipment, lets see if you plant any food plots then. Talk is cheap.

Grasslands are good, they're necessary for nesting cover, but any pheasant hunter worth his salt knows you need to have some crop fields nearby or you won't see any many pheasants. I live in an area with some big WPA's and if you don't have a crop field within 3/4 mile its a waste of time. And in the winter, any pheasant on those areas are going to starve. If I was to draw up my ideal pheasant spot, it would be 72 acres of switchgrass, a 3 acre shelterbelt, and a 5 acre food plot on the SE side of the shelterbelt. A big cattail swamp nearby would be a big plus.

Grain sorghum is ok, pheasants really like it, but it doesn't stand up very well, the first heavy snow mats it down and then the birds can't get at it. Corn will at least stand up, the first few rows will drift in and catch the snow, and then the pheasants can either eat from those drifted in rows or scrounge what the deer leave. And the corn provides food and cover for them. But I haven't given up on sorghum yet, I'm going to talk to a local farmer and the local ag service about how to grow it, when I have planted it, the pheasants do love it, any roosters shot in that area have their crops packed as big as your fist with sorghum seeds.

Back to the original point of this post, luckily we're going to see 40's and 50's next week, so the pheasants should be ok, but it would be a different story if this snow had come a month ago and we were looking at sub-zero temp. Then well placed pheasant feeders are better than no feed at all for pheasants.

[doser]

Gorilla I agree with almost everything you said on your last post on pheasant habitat, etc. I don't get what the accusation on guys fixating on corn is coming from? Yes there are many different kinds of food plots besides corn also.Your theory is good in a perfect world, but in Mn. you can't get that in many of our counties from the land owners who are almost all farmers. There are parts in my county where after you get a good snow fall there isn't a food plot or food source within 4-5 square miles or more I think feeders should be the last resort also. Go back and read Harvey Lee's post. You mentioned in a different post you used to live in the "black desert". You should know what I'm talking about. If you were on the habitat coordinating team in McCloud you probably worked with Mary Mueller who is in charge of that there now and she also works with PF National and they don't discourage it. I'm not saying everyone should do it just specific areas that lack the resource. I have sat down with and had long conversations and some beers with the regional biologist from PF National like Aaron Kuehl, Matt Holland and Mike Duggan the Dir. Gov. Affairs for PF. This is what they have also suggested. I tend to listen to those guys because they are the so called experts. Yes food plot first I agree 100%, but there are acceptions. We are not the Dakota's or ever will be! The thing I like from this thread is we are all passionate about this bird and wildlife so let's keep fighting for better habitat or more habitat and better programs,better water quality. Write you politicions about Dedicated Funding, The Farm Bill,CREP,WMA's, etc.

[harvey lee]

I would agree that feeding corn is a last resort but can help if placed in the correct location. In a perfect world there would be the habitat in place for all the wildlife but that again is another issue.

The main concern I believe that every member has in regards to this issue is everyone is concerned about the well being of our wildlife and that is great.

We will all never agree on all the issue's of wildlife habitat and other wildlife concerns but it's great that we are all willing to put forth the effort to help.

[UGUIDE]

Blackjack, not sure why your milo is not holding up? I had that problem with Sudan Grass (sorghum) this year but the Milo and Cane is still holding up. I've found grain sorghum and forage sorghum to be excellent "winter food/cover" plot.

On your "ideal" piece of ground you might actually be missing the cover that is the true limiting factor for wild birds.

Think of these as your inventory:

Undisturbed Nesting (good nesting grasses - see PF sheets - NOT Switch)

Brood Rearing - Chick Food plots (forb legume planting to supply chicks with 2 month insect diet (the SD secret)

Escape Cover - edges & diversity of plantings in the area

Roosting cover - See PF sheets - This can be your Switch, Big Blue and Indiangrasses

Fall cover, harvest, kill plots - these can be your milo, cane, corn plots and let the weeds come in too. Roundup corn does not qualify as a cover plot. Food yes but cover no. Since plots are so expensive you better maximize their effectiveness. These will also serve as winter survival (the limiting factor in my area in SD).

Shelterbelts/Trees - blizzard busters (very long-term strategy) Rejuvinate old ones by cutting down trees larger than 4" diameter and 15' tall. Leave lay where they fall for immediate ground habitat/cover. New trees will sucker from roots and seed/sunlight in ground.

Showing cover - for roosters in spring - see PF sheets/data (Plum/lilac thickets for example).

Correct design - makes habitat predator proof, weather proof, starvation proof, or whatever kills pheasants proof.

Do these things and watch the magic.

I would think an effective project short of buying land would be for a group to lease 160 acres of marginal pasture whatever ground in the right location and get a longer term lease and put it into these habitat types. Demonstrate the results and others will follow. You'd be surprised at how many birds you can produce & carry on a quarter.

[gorrilla]

Blackjack, yes you did insinuate that people didn't know the work and complexities involves with putting in food plots...

You don't need to make accusations like: " Lets see what you do in five years when you're not associated with PF and not using their funds and equipment, lets see if you plant any food plots then. Talk is cheap. "

Its been much longer than 5 years since I worked as a PF habitat coordinator or Wildlife Manager's assistant.

I now work in a different career field and live in the beautiful northern lake country. I concern myself more lately with native species like deer, grouse, ducks, and walleyes.

I just wanted to say that normally in farm country, the use of a food plot isn't as vital as every one makes it out to be. There's already grain residue everywhere when the snow isn't deep and if you establish the proper grasses (100% switchgrass stands are fun to hunt but other varieties of grasses mixed in have more to offer to birds) and shelter belts they can have a great amount of supplemental food sources such as plant seeds, etc. The priority in this state is COVER. Plain and simple.

I would like you to show me where more pheasants winter kill from starvation and not exposure in this state...

Exposure, predation, starvation. Thats their risks in order of importance.

The best food plot I ever personally dealt with was established by my coworker and it was a blend of corn, milo, and sorghum planted in a long strip within a large grass field (Big Bluestem primarily). It was on a hill and never drifted in too bad either. He planted it with an old two row planter and kept the rows very tight together which created a safe roosing spot as well as great food source. I couldn't name a time during the fall where we didn't kick at least some pheasants out of it and often deer and numerous songbirds always. It could have been done with a fourwheeler or a small tractor easily and was sprayed only once (carefully).

I'm not going to say don't feed the pheasants in the winter, but I will say, if you keep track of that money and spend equal amounts on semi-permanent habitat you'd be way ahead (and so would the pheasants).

I've put together over 500 feeders and distributed them in McLeod County in '95-'96 when I had the PF job, but I felt I was appeasing the public pressure more than longterm help for the birds. I definately felt a better sense of satisfaction after working on shelter or food plots or just giving landowners management advice. When you give a feeder to a guy, there is no gaurantee they will put it in the right place, maintain keeping it full, or do it again next year. If you plant a shelter belt, or seed grass, its hard to screw it up after that...

[BobT]

It kind of goes back to the adage, "Give them food and they'll live another day. Teach them how to grow food and they'll live a lifetime." In the case of pheasants, putting out corn will help them live another day but putting up a good shelter and habitat and they'll stick around for life.

Bob

[BLACKJACK]

Quote:

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The thing I like from this thread is we are all passionate about this bird and wildlife so let's keep fighting for better habitat or more habitat and better programs,better water quality. Write you politicions about Dedicated Funding, The Farm Bill,CREP,WMA's, etc.

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Right on!! I LOVE to hunt pheasants!!! I've always said when I die and goto heaven I'll be hunting for eternity behind an old lab thats always at 20 yards. Or if I die and goto he11, I'll be hunting behind a young male lab thats constantly chasing roosters up at 80 yards!!!!

[BendnSend]

Have you seriously ever walked in a field after it has been harvested? There is little if any spilled or un-harvested grain left! The way farming practices are today with the efficent equipment they use, there is little left for anyting to find and eat!

[PrairieHunter]

Well I am not so sure about that. Every roster I shoot in the evening is full of corn, beans, sunflowers, etc...

Fields tilled and chisel plowed offer much less, but after the combine - still plenty of feed until the snow flies.

[BobT]

Oh, there's more out there than you think. Ever notice how green it gets under a windrow of straw after combining? That's not grass growing, its seed and parts of seed that were left behind by the combine.

Bob

[CodyDawg]

Bob, I have posts all over looking for you regarding your experience with PF. Let me know and mebbe I can help you.