# Pheasants out of control!



## Bad Dog (Jan 20, 2011)

I find this quite humorous and thought I'd share. ND Ag Commish is conducting a survey with corn producers to find out the extent of damage to their corn crop from pheasants. Yes, evidently these imports from China have been wrecking havoc in ND corn fields! Maybe it's a Chinese plot to destroy our enthanol program?

Anyways, i ask, WTH? Pheasants ruining a corn field? Com'on man! Why don't those individuals that make their living off of wildlife, be it guides, outfitters, photographers, etc., ask for a survey on what the loss of CRP is doing to this state's wildlife?!

The next time you see one of those ringnecks climbing a corn stalk to eat an ear of corn, help a corn grower out, pull it off and place it in a soy bean field!


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

In pheasant thick regions when the populations were very high, say a few years ago. When the farmer would plant his corn, the pheasants would walk up and down the row eating the corn that was planted. It mainly affects the headlands and around the sloughs. Its not that the pheasants eating the corn off the cob. Remember its not every farmer in every county, its in a very small area.

Black birds will eat the top part of the cobs on the outside rows when there is no sunflowers around for them the munch on.


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## zzyzx (Mar 20, 2010)

Worse than pheasant are the damn geese. Two adults clear an acre of ground. Wheat at $10 a bushel with a 50 bushel per acre yield is a $500 loss in a season. Then you have the young... and a few more acres lost as a result.

One neighbor had 14 pairs on a big pond and figured he lost over $12,000 last year to them. That is with the permits to eliminate geese due to crop damage. We got a couple dozen but you can't get them all.

Blackbirds are terrible on sunflowers. Many in our area have quit trying sunflowers due to the crop losses. Some buy shotgun shells by the pallet load, not just the case. Hardly makes a dent in blackbird numbers.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Bad Dog said:


> I find this quite humorous and thought I'd share. ND Ag Commish is conducting a survey with corn producers to find out the extent of damage to their corn crop from pheasants. Yes, evidently these imports from China have been wrecking havoc in ND corn fields! Maybe it's a Chinese plot to destroy our enthanol program?
> 
> Anyways, i ask, WTH? Pheasants ruining a corn field? Com'on man! Why don't those individuals that make their living off of wildlife, be it guides, outfitters, photographers, etc., ask for a survey on what the loss of CRP is doing to this state's wildlife?!
> 
> The next time you see one of those ringnecks climbing a corn stalk to eat an ear of corn, help a corn grower out, pull it off and place it in a soy bean field!


The old triple dip. "We gotta get paid for the corn, and for the fee hunting, and for the damage the birds do that we don't let people hunt unless we get paid". Makes perfect sense. :rollin: You'll probably see a bill next session for a pheasant damage assesment against NDGF just like for deer. :eyeroll:

You have to understand the thought process in this situation. Those birds are yours if they're doing damage. But they are belong to someone else when it's hunting season. $$$$


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## shaug (Mar 28, 2011)

The pheasant damage survey to corn is simply looking for data.

Manufactored by Arkion Life Science LLC, Avipel is a non-lethal repellent applied to corn seeds. It tastes bitter to pheasants, reducing feeding on corn seeds and corn seedlings. The EPA wants some data to know if the state of ND wants to use this product in certain areas or if the state intents to allow its use state wide.

Nothing more nothing less.

However, if you see agitators Dick Monson or Bad Dog hunting in a corn field please pull them off and place them on some plots land. :rollin:


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

I prefer high antimony #5 shot as a repellent! :lol: Dick does have a VERY valid point. Thankfully, his example does not encompass all farmers. The few that do apply to such mentality, deserve what they get. The majority of farmers where I spend my time frown on such things and are good neighbors to all. 
This does remind me of the non lethal coyote control proposal in Wyoming during the early 90's. Similar situation, except coyotes eating sheep instead of corn. The coyotes were going to be given reproductive suppressants via bait piles. At one point a rancher, at a public discussion of the plan, reminded the committee that "the coyotes aren't screwing our sheep, they're EATING them!" :rollin:


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