[Hamilton Reef]

Better habitat would help pheasant survival more than eliminating predators

LANSING -- Although predators play a significant role in game bird survival, pheasant enthusiasts would be better served by creating better pheasant habitat than trying to eliminate predators, a research biologist says.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/statewide/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/107464205497910.xml

 

[bishs]

That has been the scenario on my place. I have not removed predators, in any major numbers. But have increased the pheasant population greatly. All my cover and winter foodplots have created a pheasant sanctuary. They are wintering in a large flock on my place. I seen around 40 pheasants Sunday. They must be still grouping up, because I had seen a flock around 30, a few weeks ago.

The pheasants are flying around constantly to avoid traveling through the deep snow. Interesting, they are roosting in the evening in my brushy fencerows, and brush piles more than the prairie grasses. Any morning I can see a rooster or two, come out of a brush pile 40 yards behind my house. I have a strip of 15 foot tall willows, growing very thick in a fencerow, they are roosting there in large numbers.