# Pheasant age structure



## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

I was wondering if anyone had noticed any differences in bird ages this fall in the southeast. From the birds we shot this past weekend in SE North Dakota, the adult to juvenile ratio was about 1:2. Usually this early, you would see a lot more young of the year. It doesn't bode well for the quality or quantity of the hatch this year. Anyone else notice if they were shooting more adults than normal?


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## morel_greg (Apr 16, 2007)

Went out south of Dickinson for awhile and we shot five with all of them being young birds.


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

indsport said:


> I was wondering if anyone had noticed any differences in bird ages this fall in the southeast. From the birds we shot this past weekend in SE North Dakota, the adult to juvenile ratio was about 1:2. Usually this early, you would see a lot more young of the year. It doesn't bode well for the quality or quantity of the hatch this year. Anyone else notice if they were shooting more adults than normal?


The hail may have played a large role in what you saw. We saw fewer birds overall vs. the last few years. Between standing crops and what seems to be fewer birds I'm betting there'll be lots of complaints after next weekend. Especially after all the promotion that's been done regarding high bird numbers. We'll all know in a week or so.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

One obvious factor not addressed: Sample size.

Even if your group took 20 birds, that's not sufficient to come up with an accurate prediction (nor a doom and gloom forecast) of bird numbers.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

There are two levels of maturity in my area. The normal hatch and a late hatch due to wet weather in June. In mid August there were chicks a week old. There was also probably the largest carry over of adults that I have seen due to a mild winter. Because of the tremendous cover and also unharvested corn it will be hard to detrime the actual hatch for awhile. And that is going to vary by last summers rainfall. A few miles make a big differance. Once the sloughs freeze up, snow falls, and the corn stubble is worked down it will be easier to get on the birds.

If you like to hunt pheasants get on it his year. CRP is going under this fall.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

I saw a lot of young birds this last weekend.


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## Heavy Hitter (Dec 10, 2004)

All six of my birds this weekend were very young. The only old birds I saw were on the gravel after having my limits each day. Umm, does anything beat fresh phez on the grill wrapped in bacon?


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

We did take 21 birds with our group this weekend. I saw representatives of three different 2007 hatches. Probably not widespread, but I am sure one of our birds was no more than six weeks old. We did take two from last year, but nothing older.
Burl


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Very Young in my neck of the woods...Nothing to worry about. The average life expectancy of a pheasant is 11 months. As long as we got hens and a few cocks around to service them...It's golden. Worry more about the tracks of CRP that is noticably leaving the state!


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

I'll agree that the sample size from the weekend was small, but these are the same areas of private land we have hunted for the past 20 years and we have never seen the adult juvenile ratio so skewed from the data we have recorded. Second, I was out on Monday and today, same skewed age ratio but few miles farther east from our regular location. Just an oddity I suspect due to hatch problems or weather. One thing, this was my 49th year of making opening weekend for pheasants. I love this time of year.


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