# Pheasant Idea?



## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

What does everyone think about my Idea. I know there will be some people that bash it but here goes.
Everyone well a few people and I think that the pheasant numbers are low but what I was thinking that they should do is have tags where everyone who wants to hunt the Ringneck Pheasant should be able to get the tags for FREE, by getting them online or over the counter and be able to shoot 2 Roosters per year in Utah. Would that help on the pheasant numbers. would it mean in less birds harvested.

What does everyone think any Ideas?

Thanks


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## birdman (Nov 21, 2007)

Won't make a lick of difference if you limit the rooster harvest. What you need for better bird numbers is brood hens and good nesting/brood rearing habitat. In fact, higher numbers of roosters over the winter actually means more competition for the hens for feed and can lead to higher hen mortality. Now if you could figure a way to limit urban encroachment on habitat and revert back to old farming practices (weedy irrigation ditches with water year round) you might be able to maintain current populations.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

birdman is exactly right. I never met a rooster that could lay an egg. Look at the best hunting states in the country. They have seasons that last from late October through January. Rooster harvest is 3 birds per day, possession limit as high as 15 birds. 

Habitat + predator control = birds. 

We have a situation of dwindling habitat and almost zero predator control.


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks I figured something like this would be thought I was on to something.


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

Birdman is correct. The biology does not support your idea.
I like that you are thinking and care about pheasants though.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Your idea is as good as any, since none of them work anyway. The one thing that I would do is not give the tags away. Get a good marketing person and determine what price will bring in the most amount of money and go with that. If the pheasant hunt can add a little to the coffers, that's about all we can hope for. :|


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

birdman said:


> Won't make a lick of difference if you limit the rooster harvest. What you need for better bird numbers is brood hens and good nesting/brood rearing habitat. In fact, higher numbers of roosters over the winter actually means more competition for the hens for feed and can lead to higher hen mortality. Now if you could figure a way to limit urban encroachment on habitat and revert back to old farming practices (weedy irrigation ditches with water year round) you might be able to maintain current populations.


Amen, And don't forget to implement a vermin program to take care of all the *****, skunks, cats, and foxes that wreak havoc on the pheasant population as well. :evil:

Utah will NEVER have a pheasant population worth a bent dick, EVER! Those days are long gone and that account is long overdrawn. Besides, the DWR doesn't give a sh*t about them anyway! They can make any money selling pheasant permits, and Doyal Moss can't make any money guiding for them, so why care? :?


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## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> birdman said:
> 
> 
> > Won't make a lick of difference if you limit the rooster harvest. What you need for better bird numbers is brood hens and good nesting/brood rearing habitat. In fact, higher numbers of roosters over the winter actually means more competition for the hens for feed and can lead to higher hen mortality. Now if you could figure a way to limit urban encroachment on habitat and revert back to old farming practices (weedy irrigation ditches with water year round) you might be able to maintain current populations.
> ...


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> Last I checked Mossback doesn't guide turkey hunters.


Duh! that's because he can't charge 20 grand for a turkey hunt like he can for a deer or an elk. He's a smart business man and will always go where the big $$$ is. Now if turkeys were as valuable as deer and elk and we were growing toms with 18 inch beards and 2 1/2 inch spurs...

And to argue your other point, Mr smarty pants, The reason they have dumped all that $$$ and time into turkeys is because we have the habitat for them. It works! We haven't had habitat for pheasants since 1970.


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## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> > Last I checked Mossback doesn't guide turkey hunters.
> 
> 
> Duh! that's because he can't charge 20 grand for a turkey hunt like he can for a deer or an elk. He's a smart business man and will always go where the big $$$ is. Now if turkeys were as valuable as deer and elk and we were growing toms with 18 inch beards and 2 1/2 inch spurs... You just made my point! We have spent a lot of time/money/energy into having the thousands of turkeys running around, YOU said the reason there are no pheasants is because the DWR won't spend money on a species that doesn't bring in big money for/from guide services.
> ...


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

There are becoming a lot of hunts that aren't a bent dick that has to be one of the best quotes on this forum good work. :mrgreen:


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Yup! 8) There's only one thing you can do with a bent dick, pee your pants... :evil:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Yup! 8) There's only one thing you can do with a bent dick, pee your pants... :evil:


You'll shoot your eye out with one of those too!

This is an interesting post, and lots of good points have been made here. But ultimately I think Tex is right that "Utah will never have a pheasant population worth a bent dick" ever again. Unless every upland hunter gets his panties in a twist with the current situation, we wont see many birds ever again. Ultimately, I think pheasants are slowly becoming a memory.

BUT I think if we tried to shoot cats, a few more birds would make it to adulthood. And heck, everyone wants a good reason to shoot cats!


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

ya if we trapped more and got like a reward for it. People would do it more now it's just volunteer.


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## buggsz24 (Mar 18, 2008)

proutdoors said:


> The state of Utah has spent millions on habitat projects for many species, including turkeys and pheasants.


I assume you meant: The state has wasted millions (in an attempt to convince us that they are needed) and yet little if anything has changed, short of an increase in revenue at the expense of an already over taxed population.


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