# Ideal habitat



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Me and my dad are going to be releasing pheasants next year to train some dogs and just to have some diversity on our property. We live in Spencer very close to spencer lake and there are already pheasants around us near Spencer Lake Wildlife Area. They've been stocking them at Spencer Lake for some years now and I'm beggining to believe that there starting to be a wild population due to sightings all around the area and lots of sightings in CRP fields miles away from the stockings. My buddy shot one on his farm which is bordering a hunt club a couple miles away from me and this was a huge bird that he thinks has survived on his farm from last year. 

I was just wondering what type of habbitat this should provide. We have 17 acres of hay fields on our farm which has small parts of crp, brush and swampy areas in between them. There are lots of hard-wood areas on the property that I know would not help what I'm trying to do. Is there any way I could improve these parts of the farm for pheasant survival? We are planning on taking a couple acres out of a woodlot next to a hay field. 

Any help would be thanked.


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## vinnystatechamp (Jun 20, 2006)

just let the wild grasses grow up. I've hunted pheasants my entire life and it seems they love to run in the tall grasses. Make sure it has a good undergrowth of grasses as well for the birds to hide in. I also know the hunting club I've been hunting at grows sorghum for them.


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## BunkerChunker (Apr 13, 2009)

Letting the wild grasses grow is a good suggestion but you should disc it every 2-5 years to promote the growth of the grasses and weeds that the pheasants feed on. Planting strips of sourgum, corn or sunflowers near you bruhsy swampy areas and leave them standing all winter will provide extra feed and enhance survival. I know it's not always possible if your utilizing your hay for feed or profit but not mowing it between April 15 and August 1 will prevent nesting loses if your looking to establish a wild population. Hope it all works out for you.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Contact Pheasants Forever for help in both planning & improving the property.


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## longhaulpointer (Mar 12, 2009)

plannt some milo or sorghum and let the grass grow. good luck


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2011)

I think pheasants need a little bit of everything! Even woods comes in handy during the winter especially when heavy snow is on! I think nesting and winter cover are the two biggest limiting factors to pheasants! Crops like winter wheat can provide good nesting cover and food later on. Any area that you can provide with good grass for nesting will help a lot! I have noticed in areas with wild pheasants that they use different cover depending on temperature, snow, etc. So variety is your best bet! Pheasants forever is a great resource! I have seen success with keeping hens and a couple roosters through the winter so they are in good shape for a spring release.

Brood pens are another good option! A brood pen can be placed on your property with a hen and rooster in it...she will need good cover in the pen. Once she nests get the rooster out and let her hatch and raise the poults with as little human interaction as possible. Once raised turn out the poults and leave mother in the pen. In theory this will help to hold the birds in the area bc released pheasants can sometimes leave the area in search of other pheasants. Hopefully, they will remain and then hatch there own clutch and you will have an established population!


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I have lots of branches and brush which we're gona move to field edges and such for habbitat. we have a 3-4 acre area which is impossible to walk through that holds rabbits and doves through the winter. Will they retreat to this area for winter? Theres a creek running through it and its blocked off on both sides by woods and the other parrelel side is alfalpha fields. We are probably gonna only release 30 to 40 pheasants next year to train our new German shorthair pup. 10-15 will be hens to hopefully boost the population but ive heard that all the pheasants will be dead with in a couple of months since they will starve. How Could I help this? There are plenty of grasses growing on field edges and theres a 5 acre area next to me that my neigbor is letting grow up for deer. He tilld it last year and all the grasses are about knee length right now. Will the pheasants hold in that area too?


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## Uglystix (Mar 3, 2006)

Maybe buy some pheasant eggs, build a coop and kind of just free range them.. eggs are way cheaper than adult birds too.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I am buying eggs probably around 40 of them and whatever happens, happens with what turns out. They will be in a turkey shed but blocked off and the pen will be fully enclosed with probabaly 30x30 enclosed area.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

Don't let people convince you that your pheasants will starve. Pheasants are sharp and they know how to eat. I have killed birds on release areas late in the season weeks after the last release and they have full crops! 

Pheasants will use briars especially in the snow! Alfalfa is great if you can let some of it for nesting in the spring. One nice thing about pheasants is that they are highly adaptable and can have some success even in marginal habitat. It sounds like you have some decent habitat available so I think you will have some success!


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

I commend you for your efforts!

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## big red (Feb 4, 2010)

your heading in the right direction for your pheasants.
just one other thing to consider is varmit control.if you have aot of racoon,skunk,fox,and ferral cats.you will want to start to get them under control.they will destroy there nest and/or the young.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I second that commendation for your working for a change, I'havealso in the past raised some pheasants and just turned them loose, not to hunt them but to do something anyway. Pheasants are birds of Edges so if you mow the field down the middle you have nearly doubled the bird holding area. But whatever. 
My other thought is raise your birds, sign up your land as official "dog training" area and you can shoot hens. You turn 10 birds loose on 17 acres, within a week you will be down to like 3 in a month gone to other parts of the nation. Take the birds set them down train your dog on them, once they are up and flying 17 acres is not much for a bird to fly out of. If you can just fix up a area to raise your birds and keep them penned and it does not take much space. 
You will find your way.


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