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Pheasant rebound…

Snail3496 said:
How large is the cattle pasture and what are some of the larger changes or plantings you made to it?
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It's right around 22 acres. We established around 5 acres of a pollinator prairie blend. We also put a couple acres in sunflowers that once the sunflowers get established we let whatever weed/grass come up under them. There's also a couple acres of clover. The rest is timber, and pasture I haven't decided on what I want to do with, yet. It'll either be more food plots, prairie, timber, or all of the above.
 
2.5YR8 said:
We also put a couple acres in sunflowers that once the sunflowers get established we let whatever weed/grass come up under them
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That's good to know. I'm planning on planting a couple acres worth of long narrow strips for them at the moment. Thinking grain sorghum because I hear they like it, plus I liked the idea of being able to use a corn residual in it. Maybe I should do half clean sorghum and the other sorghum and suflowers with no residual?? Haven't grown either before
 
Things to consider- pheasants need three types of cover throughout the year to survive and propagate. (1) nesting cover in late spring to hide/protect the nest and the hen (2) brood rearing cover in summer that is fairly open at the ground level to allow chicks to move freely with a "canopy" to hide them from predators above and (3) winter cover that is thick to block winter wind and snow. If you have these things, you will inevitably have the food for them to also survive and you'll have more pheasants than you know what to do with. Likely quail and turkey too.
 
I saw 11 roosters today in a short hunt (2 hours). Good to get out !
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These were AG country birds. Pretty much every farm: no cover for miles. Farm to the creeks. Doze every drop. Nothing but bare corn & beans with a touch of creek flowing through. Occasional tiny weed patches or small wet cattail areas.

I put in 40 acres of CRP. 3 years now & it’s full. Tons Now, I wish it was “400” as that would be insane & could make constant trips & guests out of this. But 40 acres for a few days …. Amazing. Killed all the coons year round as well.
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With with a few of our kids home for Christmas with a buddy and his dog.
- Everyone who carried a gun shot at least one bird.
- My youngest daughter’s first time dropping a bird.
- Son from out of state had success.
- 4 roosters and one quail.
- amazing to see a good pointing dog at work
- we would not have recovered 2 of the birds in the 6ft CRP without the dog.

A great time!

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Wild to see 3 years worth of pics in this thread with these growing kids! It’s Still good!! I wish I knew how many birds were really there. I try to be conservative on harvest but I also know it’s not as big of deal vs like big game animals & shooting roosters doesn’t hurt a whole lot. Think I maybe saw 150 birds this last Tuesday. Hit 2 I could not find- drives me insane when that happens!!!!!
Over the whole season u would usually see 50-200 in a day depending on how much covered between 2 farms. This year pry shot 15 roosters.

40 total acres of CRP & maybe 20-30 in ditches, trees & random cover. Before CRP…. For years…. Maybe saw 10-30 birds. So- CRP & trapping is for sure game changing.
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I went out new years day. Flushed a total of 25 birds by my count. Zero shot, flushed several roosters, but all to far out ahead for a shot. I guess not to bad for just two people walking and no dog, felt like a lot of walking though for what was seen. Walking crp ground.
 
sep0667 said:
I went out new years day. Flushed a total of 25 birds by my count. Zero shot, flushed several roosters, but all to far out ahead for a shot. I guess not to bad for just two people walking and no dog, felt like a lot of walking though for what was seen. Walking crp ground.
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That sounds like amazing action to me! Did you guys try blocking for each other?
 
Drove around last night checking fields and looking for a coon strolling our fields before dark. Saw one coon and it was educated enough it survived. But we probably saw 30 pheasants and 25 turkeys.
It’s been a long time since we struggled to find a coon in our neighborhood.
 
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