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Pheasant decline

JNRBRONC

JNRBRONC

Well-Known Member
I didn't want to hijack Commentary in the des moines register by answering Bonker's pheasant concerns.

I think the biggest reason for the decline of pheasants in the loss of CRP acres. I went looking for the numbers of acres lost and found this PowerPoint presentation. For those of you that have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you will need to copy and paste the following into a new browser window: swat.iowafarmbureau.com/conservation/FBPheasantSWATMeeting.ppt

So if I had to list what I feel has lead to the decline of the pheasant populations it would be:
1) Loss of habitat, not just CRP but lots of fence rows have come out to raise corn/soybeans.
2) Increase of predators. Fur prices have stunk for quite some time now and not much pressure has been put on raccoons, skunk, opossums, fox and coyotes. It also seems to me that the population of birds of prey is booming as well. I've even seen a bald eagle eating a rooster pheasant.

So take away the cover and increase the predator pressure and it is no surprise to me that their numbers are down.
 
It's pretty sad, because all they really need is cover. We have plenty of food. Fenceline cover is thin, waterways are mowed, loss of CRP, hell they even mow the ditches around here. I have seen just a couple birds in the last year. The numbers are so low here I wonder how long it will take them to recover even if we have some habitat programs come through.
 
I didn't list weather in the text of my previous post since it was in the PowerPoint presentation, but some of you maybe couldn't open that. The last two winters, with all the ice and deep snow, haven't helped pheasants at all. Then, the torrential rains and flooding of '08 hurt nesting.

I've got fair numbers of pheasants on my farm because I have habitat, food and I apply very light hunting pressure. I have a couple of neighbors with CRP which helps as well. I don't think hunting pressure really matters though when you are shooting the males and one male can breed multiple hens. I try to trap but I could up my predator pressure a bit.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head as far as the habitat goes. Look how many fence rows have been cleared in the last 5 years. The number of CRP acres is also a good point. I think the last two winters have been the reason for the sudden and most noticeable decline. They sure are a fun animal to hunt. This year after opening weekend I didn't even take a gun along. I was simply working the dogs on what few birds we could find.
 
From my perspective, just having more CRP acres may not mean very much...IF it is all in brome. No doubt, brome is better than nothing, but not by much IMO.

I have 90 acres of mostly brome CRP and it just doesn't support much in the way of pheasant, quail or rabbit population. Now then, if you are talking about switchgrass, then you are going to have loads of pheasants. Brome is a good choice for CRP because it is cheap, low maintenance and it is good at holding the soil and reducing erosion. But it stinks as wildlife cover, particularly for birds.

I would estimate that 5 acres, or less, of switchgrass would be far superior to 100 acres of brome. (Not scientific, but my opinion there.) Soooooo, even though we have lost CRP acres, I think we could still come out way ahead if we could convert CRP out of brome into something much more wildlife friendly, even with fewer acres.

Apart from CRP acres though, the continued elimination of brushy fencerows and waterways, primarily as a result of tiling, are also big factors in the decline. Of course, weather is huge too and we have been combining tough winters AND wet springs so we are really seeing the numbers go down.
 
Pheasant population decline is definitely a complex subject, and one that in my opinion, needs to be studied and answered better.

Habitat loss is undoubtedly a contributing factor. Anyone that lives in Iowa can see the losses in CRP acres and fencerows. In my opinion though, there is much more to it than that. There are areas that have plenty of cover, and yet their bird populations are plummeting as well. Predators, weather, habitat loss, etc. etc. have all been playing against pheasants these last few years.

My biggest question as of late is: Is there something else going on? There are pockets of ground that have good bird numbers, and then it seems as if there are hardly any in other places. Is there an underlying issue? Disease maybe? I know that on our farm, the cover hasn't changed in the last 10 years, and yet pheasant numbers are about done-in. Predator numbers aren't different maybe lower than earlier, and it is hard to blame it on weather alone; we've had bad weather patterns before. So, what is the reason we haven't justified?

All I know for sure is that something needs to be done. It is becoming more apparent in my mind that populations aren't going to rebound on their own. If we want a healthy pheasant population in this state we need to be finding out what is truly going on, and we need to be doing something different trying to fix it.
 
This was one part of Natural Resource Legislation. It has passed the House and passed SNRC, should pass senate.

Well balanced committee should be very helpful.


28 32 Sec. 49. UPLAND GAME BIRD STUDY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. An
28 33 upland game bird study advisory committee is established for
28 34 the purpose of studying the best ways to restore sustainable
28 35 and socially acceptable populations of pheasants and quail in
29 1 the state to maximize the economic value of upland game bird
29 2 hunting to Iowa's economy while balancing the needs of the
29 3 agricultural industry.
29 4 1. The advisory committee shall be composed of the
29 5 following members:
29 6 a. One representative from each of the following
29 7 organizations or entities who, if possible, is involved with
29 8 policy decisions for that organization or entity, to be
29 9 appointed by the governor:
29 10 (1) Iowa association of county conservation boards.
29 11 (2) Iowa farm bureau federation.
29 12 (3) Iowa farmers union.
29 13 (4) Iowa conservation alliance.
29 14 (5) Pheasants forever.
29 15 (6) Quails forever.
29 16 (7) Iowa hospitality association.
29 17 (8) Izaak Walton league.
29 18 (9) Iowa realtors association.
29 19 (10) The department of transportation.
29 20 (11) Iowa chapter of the sierra club.
29 21 (12) Iowa sportsmen's federation.
29 22 (13) Outdoor writer's association.
29 23 (14) A person who represents a farm land management
29 24 company.
29 25 (15) Two persons who are farmers, one who farms in
29 26 northern Iowa and one who farms in southern Iowa.
29 27 (16) Two persons who hunt upland game birds, one who
29 28 resides in northern Iowa and one who resides in southern Iowa.
29 29 b. Two legislative staff members, one from the staff of
29 30 United States Senator Tom Harkin and one from the staff of
29 31 United States Senator Charles Grassley, or their designees.
29 32 c. The director of the department of natural resources, or
29 33 a designee.
29 34 d. The secretary of agriculture, or a designee.
29 35 e. The director of the department of economic development,
30 1 or a designee.
30 2 f. A representative of the United States fish and wildlife
30 3 service.
30 4 g. The executive director of the farm service agency, or a
30 5 designee.
30 6 i. A member of the state soil conservation committee, or a
30 7 designee.
30 8 j. A representative of the Iowa state university fisheries
30 9 and wildlife cooperative unit.
30 10 k. Two members of the senate, one of whom is appointed by
30 11 the majority leader of the senate and one of whom is appointed
30 12 by the minority leader of the senate.
30 13 l. Two members of the house of representatives, one of
30 14 whom is appointed by the speaker of the house of
30 15 representatives and one of whom is appointed by the minority
30 16 leader of the house of representatives.
30 17 2. The director of the department of natural resources or
30 18 the director's designee shall serve as the chairperson of the
30 19 advisory committee.
30 20 3. Legislative members of the committee are eligible for
30 21 per diem and reimbursement of actual expenses as provided in
30 22 section 2.10.
30 23 4. The committee shall review, analyze, and make
30 24 recommendations on issues relating to the state's upland game
30 25 bird population, including but not limited to the following:
30 26 a. The current status of Iowa's upland game bird
30 27 populations and harvest and habitat management programs.
30 28 b. Current farm programs and their impact on upland game
30 29 bird populations.
30 30 c. The economic impact and value of Iowa's upland game
30 31 bird populations to Iowa.
30 32 d. Upland game bird population challenges and programs in
30 33 other midwestern states.
30 34 e. New and innovative ways to restore sustainable
30 35 populations of Iowa's upland game birds.
31 1 f. An assessment of public opinion concerning the impact
31 2 and value of Iowa's upland game bird populations.
31 3 5. The advisory committee shall complete its deliberations
31 4 in December 2009 and submit a final report to the governor and
31 5 the general assembly summarizing the committee's activities,
31 6 analyzing the issues studied, and including any other
31 7 information or recommendations that the committee deems
31 8 relevant and necessary by January 10, 2010. Copies of the
31 9 final report shall be sent to the national resource
31 10 conservation service, the United States fish and wildlife
31 11 service, and to members of Iowa's congressional delegation.
31 12 Sec. 50. EFFECTIVE DATE. The section of this Act
31 13 establishing the upland game bird study advisory committee,
31 14 being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon
31 15 enactment.
31 16 HF 722
31 17 av/cm/25
 
dwilk,

I agree completely.

Until the issue is researched again under current conditions, extinction is certain.

As I said in the other post, we spent a month in Saline county Missouri driving EVERY road in the county and neither saw nor heard a single pheasant or quail. Habitat,predators or weather are NOT the cause down there.

Personally, I think it is related to agricultural practices. Probably one or the other of the current crop of chemicals. Does anybody remember what happened to the eagles???????
 
wow. look at all of those committee members that actually care about the pheasants (hunters, and hunting groups). compare that to the people representing deer hunters on the deer advisory committee.

sorry for the derail


in my area, i'd say lack of cover, 2-3 hard winters/wet springs in the last 5 years (the worst is a bad winter, followed by a wet spring, NO chance at a rebound) and predators....especially hawks and nest raiders
 
Yes, I believe weather has been a big contributing factor, as well as agricultural practices. BUT, it HAS to be something else that has killed the population in MOST of Iowa. I live in South Central Iowa and our numbers are crap. But I've been hunting NW Iowa for several years now and have found that their numbers are remarkable, year after year, after year. They don't do anything different than we do. I hunt the same types of habitat up there that I do down here: draws, crp, edge habitat, etc. After last years winter and spring, they still saw an increase in bird numbers while my area plummeted. Maybe many of you are right that there needs to be more research done. Or, maybe it really is nothing more than a trend...? I've heard great arguments from both sides of the issue. REGARDLESS, destroying what habitat the birds do have left is going to do nothing more than compound the issue. If we want the birds back then we need to protect their habitat. Maybe there is more to the issue, but it won't matter if we figure that out and realize that there's nowhere for them to go anyways. Just my pov...
 
I know I don't understand it. Our numbers are not great like they have been in years past, but not bad either. A hunter with permission, a good bird dog and a decent shooting eye will bag birds if he puts in some time. Limits are not necessarily easy, but not uncommon either. We have very little CRP. Most of the birds we get are in heavy waterways, and filter strips. Switch grass is great in November, but it takes a good grove or similar "shelter belt" type cover to get these birds through December, January and February. The DNR says it's pretty uncommon for birds to starve, and I agree. Our fields were totally snow covered for many weeks, and yet I'm now seeing a good number of birds that have made it through. If it were only a weather and habitat issue, southern Iowa should have waaaaay more birds than we do, and just the opposite seems to be the case. I can't imagine it's farm chemicals, as those are abundant up here as well. I have to think it has something to do with predators, but who knows....

NWBuck
 
Our numbers in our neighborhood have been reducing the last couple of years. I have 500 birds coming in mid May that I am going to release out and hope some take seed.
 
The only thing I hear bird hunters up here complain about is access. I see birds all over the place, the problem is deer hunters lock up every inch of our limited cover. I'm no different, I have a few acres of switch that is packed with birds. I put the switch in for deer and don't hunt the pheasants.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DWilk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I know that on our farm, the cover hasn't changed in the last 10 years, and yet pheasant numbers are about done-in.

</div></div>

That could be part of the problem DWilk. There's an article in the last PF magazine that talks about the need to upkeep current habitat to open it up a bit. Fire, discing, etc.. It's much better for brood rearing.

This was that first year that I didn't shoot a pheasant during the season. I just didn't have the heart to even bring a gun. It's bad.
 
I am far from an expert on pheasant production but over the years I have seen what I think are the main culpits in our pheasant decline: Habitat loss is always at the heart of many species decline but that is one of many in this case. The weather may hold some of the reasons but I seen the bad weather in the 70's when we had tons of pheasants but maybe not as many back to back seasons. Otherwise I think the major cause of the pheasant's decline is the number of predators. Hawks and coyotes may take a few but they only take individuals and they have always been in the equation. I think the cause is predators such as skunks, coons, possums and every other ground predator that can destroy a whole nest rather than just one bird. This is the only big difference that I can see between now and the 70's. Then it was hard to find a place to trap as every 80 acres had a trapper on it. I don't hunt pheasants anymore as the site of a whopper sized whitetail has taken the zest out of seeing a rooster erupt from underfoot I think everything in nature needs a balance and right now the predators have the upper hand. Just my opinion.

Sincerly
Hornhnter
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: timekiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DWilk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I know that on our farm, the cover hasn't changed in the last 10 years, and yet pheasant numbers are about done-in.

</div></div>

That could be part of the problem DWilk. There's an article in the last PF magazine that talks about the need to upkeep current habitat to open it up a bit. Fire, discing, etc.. It's much better for brood rearing. </div></div>

I was just stating that the percent cover on our farm hasn't declined. We have definitely improved habitat in the last 10 years (converting brome monoculture to switch, natives, food plots, burn rotations, ect.) I was just pointing out that habitat loss is not a major player in the declines we have witnessed.
 
I posted this on the DM reg. thread but when saw this so I'll re-post it here.



I have heard some very interesting ideas on Pheasant / Quail numbers. The one that sticks out in my mind is not so much “how much” habitat but what type of habitat. By that I mean, what is growing in all those fields and CRP acres? Birds need small grain producing plants to not only thrive but just to survive. We no longer grow oats and wheat here in Iowa like we used to, but those are exactly what these birds need. (Think about it, what do they grow in Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota?) If the DNR would change the mix for CRP or buffer strips I think we would see those numbers go way up. Did you know that some of the plants in the CRP mix actually are harmful to birds and even deer? Some plants cause the blood to thin which cause a bird or other animal to be more susceptible to the cold. I read somewhere that quail eating wheat can survive -25 degrees but a quail eating beans can only survive 0 degrees.


You guys up in the NW area that have birds around, I'd like to hear what you have to say in this theory. It's been years since I've been up your way so don't really know what types of crops you're growing now.


As for herbicides, they get rid of broad leaf vegetation. Broad leaf vegetation is what bugs eat. Bugs are what young birds eat. See the connection?
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> You guys up in the NW area that have birds around, I'd like to hear what you have to say in this theory. It's been years since I've been up your way so don't really know what types of crops you're growing now.
</div></div>

honestly, small grains are rare up here. most the ground up here is soys and corn with some alfalfa and occasional oats. crp pretty much only exists on public ground and I'm not sure what they are putting in those mixes. I'm sure our numbers are far lower than southern Iowa was in its prime, but it's still hard to get to town without seeing a few around the road.
 
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