Feeder time approaching!

[BLACKJACK]

Imagine how much better off they'd be if they didn't have to gather around your feeder but instead were able to pick up what they needed while spread out under the cover of a patch of cattails.

Like I said, feed 'em if you must but consider the advantage of doing it with their safety in mind.

Bob

Bob, I guess I disagree with your 'feed them in cover' advice. In cover, predators have easy ambush points. Right now, ground predators are the biggest threats to birds because most of the big hawks have migrated south. Also, if you dump corn in the cattails, the next wind and snowfall will cover it up.

I do put my feeder by cover, my current main feeder is in the open, 20 yards to the west is a evergreen patch, 10 yards to the east is a big willow patch, the birds go back and forth from the evergreens/willows to the feeder and back again, I've sat and watched them and timed them, they're rarely out in the open more than 10 minutes, by then they've filled up on corn and back into the cover they fly.

I also disagree with your advice not to dump corn out in the field where you see pheasants feeding. There is a cattail slough down the road that I drive by every day on the way home. I've seen anywhere from 10-30 pheasants feeding on the blown off hilltops in the surround fields and on the roadsides. I've started spreading some shelled corn on those blown off hill tops, by doing that it helps 1) keep the pheasants off the road 2) it lets the pheasants fill their crop in 5-10 minutes and fly back to the cattail slough and cover rather than spending an hour scrounging and walking around that open field.

I'm also not concerned about 'congregating' the pheasants. More pheasants means more eyes watching for predators. When I watch them on Sat mornings, if one pheasant gets alarmed, they all take off. And if you've ever hunted in SoDak, have you noticed that when you surround a spot and then the birds start escaping, pretty soon they're all escaping out that side. Pheasants are a flock bird and key off each other for food and protection.

[BobT]

You introduce some very good points.

Bob

[Tom7227]

My read on the advice is that if you are going to spend money do it on habitat. Can't disagree with that in general, but IMO there are times when you take steps to deal with a short term problem. If the snow is too deep or too crusted then I think feeding makes sense - short term. Keeping a brood stock around just has to be important and spending money then has a decent payback. Sure cover should be available or the food isn't going to do any good. Congregating the birds and creating predator problems is just something that has to be accepted.

[landscaper]

whos got some homemade feeder ideas for us

[Tom7227]

whos got some homemade feeder ideas for us

I put a link to the plans on the second page of this post. Pretty straightforward.

[landscaper]

thanks i will check them out

anyone else?

[muc33]

I also posted two different types in my first post in this thread. Go back to the first page and you will see what this started as and where it came to. enjoy