# Hatch?



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Saw the first brood yesterday before the rain. 8.


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## Richard (Mar 18, 2006)

Dick, just wondering. Since mother nature is in control, is excessive rainfall more detrimental to the chicks or a nesting hen, i.e. flooded nests? Here in Michigan our weather is headed the other way, soil moisture content is adequate but it won't be long till really need some rain. But then again the grouse broods and fawns do like a warm and dry June. Take care, Richard


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## jimkuhn (Apr 18, 2007)

I just had some prairie dog clients up from Indiana and they were amazed that we had wild pheasants in the front yard and out the bathroom window. They were funny, we had to drive about 10 miles to the prairie dog town and they were counting pheasants coming and going. I haven't seen any young ones yet but the meadows are much taller than usual due to all the rains we've been getting here in Nebraska.


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## coyote_buster (Mar 11, 2007)

I've seen alot more pheasant here than I normaly do. When I was trapping I would see about five a day just on the three mile drive to where my traps were. Like Jim said we have gotten alot of rain here in Nebraska. When I drive through the lowland in our pasture the grass is as tall as the fourwheeler where it is usually 3/4 of the way up the tire.


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## Ben Geaumont (Jun 13, 2007)

The pheasant have also began to hatch in SW ND, but it appears the peak hatch in this area will be later than last year. I have been doing research on post CRP lands for two years now and this year is certainly different than last. A majority of the nests I was monitoring in May were abandoned. I suspect this may be due primarily to the cold damp weather we are experiencing here. In early may we had some very cold nights and above average moisture. Pheasant just aren't as aggresive about sitting on early nests as sharptails and waterfowl appear to be. On the positive side, our most recent nest searching efforts have located many newly initiated nests and the cover here looks fantastic. We will have to see how the summer progresses.


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## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

If broods are just now coming off then it cant bode well for the Richland, Sargeant and Dickey county areas which have had the recent flooding. Anyone in those areas have a report?


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## tsodak (Sep 7, 2002)

Hey Ben, good to hear from you man!!!! Keep the input coming.

One of Game and Fishes retired biologists once told me that in general a wet humid June was better than dry. The humidity really makes a difference on hatching rates of eggs. Here in NESD we are really wet, but have been very warm and humid as well. I am very optomistic. the cover is excellant, and the nights have been very warm. Even the rain has been warm. Thursday the rain was so warm that the kids I had at camp were out doing activities all the way through. We were soaked through and through but no at all cold.

Bugs look good to.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

While one brood isn't an indicator I did see some chicks today that were well feathered. Probably hatched late May.


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Should be another good year for the boys!!


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