Where'd the pheasants go?

[Zuus]

Just got back from a week of pheasant hunting in the Pomeroy, Central Ferry area. Poor dogs hunted their butts off for us and we only found ONE bird. And it jumped up 75 yards out in front of us. Not one shot fired. A large group of hunters staying in the same CG were having the same kind of luck.
Last year, the two of us limited two days and got three birds between the two of us the last day. What happened to all the birds?

[bobcat]

Wow, that's disappointing! I thought there would be lots of birds this year after the warm/dry spring.

[jackelope]

I was talking  to a group of 3 guys in pomeroy who were hunting last weekend. They had killed 3 birds in 1 afternoon with no dog. They said they were just screwing around.

My inlaws are of the opinion that there are more pheasants than normal this year.

[Zuus]

The birds must have just migrated out of the areas we hunt. Or they have moved into private land. Or those three guys are the luckiest guys in Pomeroy!!

[jackelope]

The birds must have just migrated out of the areas we hunt. Or they have moved into private land. Or those three guys are the luckiest guys in Pomeroy!!

I'm pretty positive they were hunting private ground, which I'm sure helped. They were at my inlaws house for a quick visit. I never did ask specifically where they were hunting.

[wildweeds]

Hunted this weekend as well near colfax, 2 days hunting we saw 2 roosters and 2 hens, 1 rooster died and was a holdover bird,the other rooster flushed 100+ yards wild. the saving grace for the weekend was having an absolute hoot hunting quail, I'd guess we moved 4-5 hundred birds in various covey sizes from 25 to 100+ birds.I know that one covey was at least 100 birds,they flushed in groups of 20+ for 5 minutes.Tough shooting though,in the trees and that neck high red brush on a hillside.Totally fun and the dogs did a great job finding the ones we knocked down deep into the brush.I hunted all that area from Pomeroy to lamont and all points between starting 20 years ago.There flat out is only 10% of the pheasants there used to be,yet another species the state has mismanaged into threatend status if you ask me.Released birds on the eastside I'd guess is where the most success is taking place.I talked an hour last week with a guy I used to lease 1000 acres from in wheat country,he has been seeing 20 or so birds hanging around when he does his daily mile and a half walk.He commented that 40 years ago that number being triple digits.Avian predators,ground predators,modern farming that leaves virtually no waste,and mother natures weather are to blame.It is great to have a nice warm dry spring for nesting but when that turns to summer drought conditions your chicks are going to starve to death because their diet is comprised of mostly bugs.Follow that up with a long season and generous bag limit and then a hard winter and................ well you get where we are today.

[JJB11B]

It was a ridiculously dry year on this side, it may have something to do with it. I have not seen many pheasants this year either. I did see good numbers of quail and huns though

[Sumpnneedskillin]

From what I've seen pheasant numbers are up but not the best I've seen.  They were running around good til about deer season and poof they're gone.  Have seen a couple but not like we were several weeks ago.

[ELKBURGER]

I was in Pomeroy for the rifle deer season and saw a couple roosters while driving to my camp up Sweeny gulch, on private farm land of course, but it was good to see some. I will be checking out some private ground along the Palouse river right after elk season.

[wonder]

Glad I read this thread, I'm heading over there for Dad's weekend on Friday and was hoping to check out some decent spots from Colfax to the Palouse.  At least now I won't be disappointed.

Is there really much Feel Free to Hunt land in that direction.  Looked over the maps on the WDFW and the only places I saw were just SouthEast of Colfax?

Thanks for the info and glad some of you at least got into other birds!

[jjhunter]

Most birds I've seen in several years.  Can't wait to get out in December.

[Injun kid]

I think the pheasants had a case of the blue tongue this year lol

[rosscrazyelk]

I have not been out this year for birds yet but cant wait... I hope to get out in December and I always hit the last part of the season in January.. My bird hunting buddies have all flaked out this year, anybody want to let me tag along?

[zike]

I hunted the senior hunt central Ferry this year and there wasn't many birds then. The state usually stocks for the youth and senior hunts, but not so much this year.

[Forks]

They're all at this Montana gay bar!