Post by: AspenBud on January 04, 2013, 07:07:19 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/us/as-pheasants-disappear-hunters-in-iowa-follow.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/us/as-pheasants-disappear-hunters-in-iowa-follow.html)
Post by: Bob33 on January 04, 2013, 07:36:46 AM
"Over the last two decades, Iowa has lost more than 1.6 million acres of habitat suitable for pheasants and other small game, the equivalent of a nine-mile-wide strip of land stretching practically the width of the state. And these declines have been occurring nationwide."
Post by: turkeyfeather on January 04, 2013, 07:49:09 AM
Post by: Moose-head on January 04, 2013, 08:11:51 AM
Post by: MR5x5 on January 04, 2013, 08:46:10 AM
Take the state by regions;
Columbia Basin - Irrigated and generally farmed to the edges. Canadian beef issues, bio-fuel stock etc have driven feed corn production in the basin area hugely over the last 5-10 yrs. There has been so much corn that hunting has been pretty tough until the end of Nov when enough came down that the birds were around. I believe hawks, eagles and yotes are the biggest pressure outside of weather. And the spring weather this year was tough. Birds in the basin are down this year.
North Central Wheat/Barley - Dry farmed scab lands - does not support corn - what is farmeable is largely already in crops. In fact more crop lands would help by producing more feed. Predators abound in this area. Last spring the weather was moderate. Bird numbers were good but not great this year.
Central/Central - Dry farmed scab lands - dry dry dry - a lot of years to damn try to support spring chicks.
SE WA - Oh the Palouse... Same as it ever was - Dry land wheat - will not support corn. The ground that can be farmed is being farmed. Lots of CRP. Lots of natural cover that can't be farmed - to steep - to wet - river bottoms etc. Bird numbers in this region were just fine this year. Helps to be half mtn goat to hunt the Palouse. Pine forests are your friend in this region.
Lots of rambling indeed - nope we don't have the bird numbers of the 70's when the fields were ripe with sugar beats. But there are a lot of birds for those willing to figure them out. My advice is to consider the spring rains. Too wet is bad, too dry is bad. Their are multiple micro climates and rain shadows on the east side. You need to think it through and check regions to find the where the birds are doing well that year.
No BS - we have literally been seeing better than 100 birds a day over the past month of hunting a couple different regions.
Post by: turkeyfeather on January 04, 2013, 09:04:29 AM
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 04, 2013, 09:18:50 AM
Post by: boneaddict on January 04, 2013, 09:33:35 AM
I planted an acre of corn and left it unharvested. The pheasants are loving it. Got some great photos just this morning. Its one little small thing I can do to help.
Post by: rasbo on January 04, 2013, 09:42:10 AM
Post by: JLS on January 04, 2013, 09:54:51 AM
Hawks bug me more than anything. They seem to be as common as starlings these days. I could see and photgraph 10 or more in a ONE MILE drive from my house.
I planted an acre of corn and left it unharvested. The pheasants are loving it. Got some great photos just this morning. Its one little small thing I can do to help.
I agree, there has been a huge proliferation of raptors in the last couple of decades. I think that is a big reason why the "marginal" habitat areas now hold very few birds. A lot of the CRP in Adams County and many other eastern counties is just not heavy enough to provide cover from aerial predators. The good habitat areas still produce birds.
Post by: Special T on January 04, 2013, 09:55:52 AM
Post by: singleshot12 on January 04, 2013, 10:28:49 AM
Post by: Birdguy on January 04, 2013, 10:43:18 AM
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on January 04, 2013, 11:19:15 AM
Post by: Stilly bay on January 04, 2013, 11:40:29 AM
It is actually a pretty good testament to mother nature that we even have what we do have. I was talking to my wife and kids on our trip home from the east side on Monday about all the predators. Seems anymore every light pole or power pole, tree, bush, even street sign has a hawk/owl/eagle on it. I remember as a kid we owner a Toyota landcruiser with a sunroof :IBCOOL:, and man it was cool to see a large hawk or eagle through it as we drove east or west. Now all I see is prey animals that are taking out all the gamebirds I would love to hunt. I can only remember a coupe times seeing coyote killed on the road in the hundreds of trips we took as kids now it seems ever trip has a couple on the road and if you are looking a half dozen along the road as you drive. We have lost chicken to eagles right out of our pens this year and several of them. I have lived in the same general area for almost 40 years and we have NEVER covered our chicken pen form aerial predators until this year. I am delighted to see the return of the bald eagle and many of the birds of prey but too many of anything is not a good thing. I think the state should issue a few hawk tags, and coyote harvest should be mandatory with every small game license just to help out the cause.
:yeah: bingo
in the hay day what ever hawks that survived pesticides were shot in the name of game management. no so much today.
I have read stories from the 20's and 30's about actual hawk shoots where thousands were killed in a few days, and these took place all across the U.S.
plus back in the day every country kid was running a trap line keeping all the varmints in check, today you would be a social outcast in if people found out you were a trapper.
ad that to pesticides and modern farm practices that don't leave any suitable cover and not a drop of extra grain... its not easy to be a wild ditch chicken these days.
Post by: Special T on January 04, 2013, 12:33:51 PM
Post by: boneaddict on January 04, 2013, 01:00:25 PM
Post by: boneaddict on January 04, 2013, 01:00:52 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbucks2%2Fhidongout.jpg&hash=b522f825622392c781c5b3dad9a7617c3c660c53)
Post by: singleshot12 on January 04, 2013, 01:05:44 PM
If pesticides are to blame then why are Quail making a come back in places like the basin? We are seeing more quail in the areas where we hunt. In addition to anecedotal evidence i thought i red an artilce that talked about Qauil making a come back in the area from the basin to the tricities...
Also Quail tend to thrive better in non-agricultural areas. Fringe areas with rocks,sage, and canyons that are not farmable
Post by: singleshot12 on January 04, 2013, 01:07:43 PM
Post by: Bullkllr on January 05, 2013, 11:35:59 AM
Is this happening here too?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/us/as-pheasants-disappear-hunters-in-iowa-follow.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/us/as-pheasants-disappear-hunters-in-iowa-follow.html)
Not happening IMO; already "happened".
Post by: Special T on January 05, 2013, 05:09:17 PM
Post by: boneaddict on January 05, 2013, 08:50:18 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbucks2%2Fbestofwintersm.jpg&hash=7795140c461d6137b805f3c7dcc638e934d2207b)
Post by: JLS on January 05, 2013, 09:04:17 PM
Another thing that hasn't been touched upon is the use of broadleaf herbicides. Look at how many CRP fields and eyebrows are a monoculture of grass. Then, think about where you find the majority of the birds. It's usually NOT the grass monoculture.
Post by: Special T on January 05, 2013, 10:36:35 PM
The problem with most of the "non irrigated" cover seems to be that it takes so damn long to grow. they get taken over by weeds especially if you try and speed things up by watering them. The WDFW will come in and plant native cover for you if you pay them, or you can get seedlings from them, as i remember. He also planted some of those and i think has taken them at least 3 years and they are just NOW starting to look like cover but the birds don't really hang in them.
Post by: boneaddict on January 06, 2013, 01:05:47 AM
Post by: AspenBud on January 06, 2013, 09:25:20 AM
My brother in law planted a couple of strips of bird plots. The best ones for holding birds was a mix of different crops. I think he did 5 rows sweet corn, 5 rows Milo 5 rows sorghum and kinda layered them from lowest to highest. seemed to really hold the birds and made it great for hunting them.
The problem with most of the "non irrigated" cover seems to be that it takes so damn long to grow. they get taken over by weeds especially if you try and speed things up by watering them. The WDFW will come in and plant native cover for you if you pay them, or you can get seedlings from them, as i remember. He also planted some of those and i think has taken them at least 3 years and they are just NOW starting to look like cover but the birds don't really hang in them.
I believe Pheasants Forever will provide seed at no cost if you're a member and your land meets their requirements. I know they do that in other parts of the country at least.
Post by: Bullkllr on January 06, 2013, 11:55:16 AM
Apparently this plan involves 29 states and is focused on improving habitat for ringnecks. The article detailed how in Washington the effort is focusing on improving/diversifying the vegetation on dryland CRP lands. Sounds like it should already be making a positive impact, but like any of these programs it needs to be widespread and continued to have much impact and that depends on funding and long-term cooperation from landowners.
Post by: Special T on January 06, 2013, 06:25:18 PM
One of the problems with CRP is that even when you plan grasses and sage brush, the sage takes so long to get big enough to provide any real cover. bro in law had a fire on his CRP field after about 6 years worth of Sage growing. :'( It was just starting to hold some birds and deer. An electric pole shorted out and wiped out 3/4 of a square mile of really promising habitat.
Post by: Stilly bay on January 06, 2013, 07:35:43 PM
. An electric pole shorted out and wiped out 3/4 of a square mile of really promising habitat.
damn
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 07:08:54 AM
Post by: AspenBud on January 07, 2013, 08:33:35 AM
My understanding is that Pheasants forever will give you the seed, maybe even plant it IF you open it to the public. Since that is not gona happen on his farm that is what he plants.
That's the first I've heard of that. Not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that before. Seems counter productive since I would think the goal is to create enough habitat that birds start spilling over into public land.
Post by: Gringo31 on January 07, 2013, 08:53:36 AM
So....it brings up a good question. Many people see all farm ground as prime habitat. They need to go visit that same ground in the next 30 days. Much of this ground is bare with no cover and no/limited access to water. The areas that hold birds this time of year is the same ground that you find the deer and the coyotes as well. You need to look at those areas that can support winter survival and realize that is the bottle neck and what should be used as acreage for true carrying capacity. Then come late fall, don't be surprised when you have a population of birds over 10,000 acres that seems low when those same birds will all be in a 500 acre area to surive the winter :twocents:
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on January 07, 2013, 08:56:25 AM
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 11:19:06 AM
Might have to duck for cover when the success pics start getting posted.
Post by: Special T on January 07, 2013, 11:23:01 AM
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 11:27:27 AM
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on January 07, 2013, 11:33:56 AM
I can tell you one thing that has been paying dividends is shooting mag pies. You normally find them in all the public ground. When you are driving around looking for hunting spots and see those funny 4x8 boxes on legs out in the middle of hay field, find the owner and help them kill abunch. Those boxes are for cutter bees used in the pollination of the crops and those magpies just LOVE to eat cutter bees and thier Larva. :twocents:Magpies are scavengers, I seen em eating the carcass of something out by a Pond in Moses.
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 11:35:25 AM
Post by: Special T on January 07, 2013, 11:40:34 AM
Post by: nwwanderer on January 07, 2013, 12:07:08 PM
Leaf cutter bees are a great thing to see for pheasants, those acres of alfalfa are for seed, and are harvested late so the birds have the cover and the great insect populations alfalfa produces for baby bird nutrition.
Water use efficency has reduced pheasant habitat in our irrigated basin. A pivot does not waste water like rill irrigation so the edges are dry. Not so good for pheasants.
Direct seeding and CRP have helped upland birds. Food in the standing stubble and cover in the CRP is a good winter combination.
Raptors and other avian predators have increased so great cover is even more important. Late, wet and cold springs are the most limiting factors. Even if the hens can brood a clutch they starve to death in a few days without good bug growing conditions.
The numbers will vary drastically but generally the birds are doing pretty good.
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on January 07, 2013, 12:24:39 PM
Post by: Stilly bay on January 07, 2013, 12:33:59 PM
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on January 07, 2013, 12:39:54 PM
Post by: nwwanderer on January 07, 2013, 03:27:16 PM
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 04:22:35 PM
Post by: boneaddict on January 07, 2013, 04:24:04 PM