Where have all the pheasants gone?

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Originally Posted by welsh

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Originally Posted by blasted_saber

Pheasants are an introduced species from Asia. It doesnt hurt my feelings at all that native species are forcing them out.

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Well, first off, there is no evidence that native species are forcing them out. Their populations have failed in Ontario because the landscape is no longer suitable to them. And we ought to be concerned about that, if we care about native species, because many native species are facing the same problem because of the same changes. Even if we don't care about pheasants, we ought to care about bobwhites.

Taking care of the habitat means better opportunities all around. This is where the Americans are way ahead of us.

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This ^^^ even the state of Michigan which has been hit with tough times still recognized that good cover for bird's and more opportunities for hunting are money makers, they have started a program called GEMS.

I think some have missed my point. The habitat around my area is perfect. The habitat in NS where I no the are many is not techincally suitable yet they do very well. That seems to contradict everything.

Refer to points 3 and 4 in my previous list of reasons, GW.

NS limit is two birds, roosters only. Also, I think you need to look more carefully at the kind of habitat they have in the Annapolis Valley before proclaiming that it isn't suitable.

Actually I was thinking Yarmouth, Arcadia and all around there, never hunted in the Annapolis.

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Originally Posted by welsh

Refer to points 3 and 4 in my previous list of reasons, GW.

NS limit is two birds, roosters only. Also, I think you need to look more carefully at the kind of habitat they have in the Annapolis Valley before proclaiming that it isn't suitable.

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The Annapolis Valley is supposed to be the centre of NS pheasant hunting, where the real numbers are. Of course they have birds elsewhere, too.

Instructive to look at the history of NS pheasants, too. They initially released pheasants for something like 8 years before allowing any hunting. Then they closed the season when things went bad. More recently, when populations crashed after the 1950s, they started releasing tons of birds ... but then realized that the birds they were releasing were unsuitable and were interbreeding and competing with the wild birds, so they stopped the releases. NS has managed their pheasant hunting to sustain wild pheasant numbers all along.

Look to Ontario ... the Pelee hunt started because the island was overrun with tens of thousands of wild birds that were eating the crops. Now, those birds are gone and Pelee is essentially an oversized game farm with released birds. We have never managed for wild birds in Ontario and so we shouldn't be surprised they're gone.

I don't think Ontario hunters would be happy with a five-year moratorium on pheasant hunting, followed by a bag limit of two, roosters only, with a possession limit ... but the fact that we bag hens and shoot all the birds soon after they're released is part of our problem.

I seen a rooster and 4 hens the other day , first pheasants I've seen outside of Hullet is a lot of years

And this one in vaughan today

That's one of the reasons why I still take the dog for a walk around here.

Yes you never know

The economy grows and the birds disappear.

Drove past a few beautiful big woodlots to day, , that I have always enjoyed; they are now sold to be torn down for a new subdivisions.

Having pheasant and quail in SW On is a battle lost imo.
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For those that know London, I lived much of my on Wharncliffe Road South when it was a dirt road. Stepped out the door and went pheasant hunting.