By Daryl Fisher. Biologist
One thought that often comes up when folks talk about not having enough pheasants or quail around, is the idea of predator control to increase bird numbers. It is true that predators destroy many eggs and kill young and adult birds. After all, that is how predators live, by killing and eating other animals. So, does it make sense to expend a lot of time, effort, and money in removing predators to increase quail and pheasant numbers? ( continue reading here ).
PHEASANT ECOLOGY: PREDATORS
No single predator gets more blame for pheasant predation than coyotes, but research over several decades has proven that coyotes focus their foraging on rodents and rabbits and do not take adult pheasants or nests as frequently as the other mammalian predators (red fox, striped skunk and raccoon). In addition, the larger home range and territorial nature of coyotes can actually result in lower populations of these other, more destructive predators. Predation accounts for three-fourths of unsuccessful nests, and nearly all of adult mortality (excluding hunting) is directly predator related. ( continue reading here )
There are a few important types of habitats that pheasants need in order to have an abundant population in an area. Nesting cover, brood-rearing habitat, and winter cover are probably the most important.
Pheasants are a very short-lived species. If you want to have an abundant population come hunting season, you need a lot of young birds, and that starts with nesting. If you have green wheat on your farm, you may already have a very good nesting cover. Pheasants nesting in a vigorous, healthy stand of wheat usually have good nesting success. Years with poor wheat stands usually result in poor pheasant chick production. Having some areas in a warm-season grass cover, such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields, or better yet, Continuous CRP (CCRP) borders, grassed terraces, or “wet” areas, can provide needed secure nesting cover during those years of poor wheat stands. (continue reading here )
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