Help! Found A Male Silver Pheasant in My Yard!

[KJenMA7]

Thanks for the info, but there would be no point in buying a trap now. The Silver Pheasant has not been around since last Wednesday. We wanted to try to capture him days ago when he was coming around, but no one we spoke to was willing to take him, which made attempting to capture him a bit useless. By the time we found someone willing to help him, it was too late, as he was already gone. Rather frustrating, but at least we know we did everything we could to help him.

 

[Tony K T]

He may return knowing that there is food at your place.It would be much easier to capture him at night,but I am sure he is roosting as hi as he can go.And this time of year he is more then likely in a spruce or evergreen tree with branches to block the wind off from him.He may be sitting up hi until the snow stops just sitting there watching to see what's going on down below.
The NAS meeting in Westford,Ma was canceled due to the snow,but as you know I made the trip and found out the hard way.Next meeting is March 1st.Go to www.neasociety.com for more info.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[KJenMA7]

He's definitely not in the evergreens on our property. Our neighbor also has a row of evergreens, but he never went to the left of our property. The wooded area to the right of our property just has bare trees, so he's not roosting in any of those trees either. My husband walked the area Friday (it's not a very large area), and there was absolutely no sign of him. I started to wonder if he made his way to our property via the brook. When I first saw him on January 30th, he was sitting on the edge of my property that is right by the brook. Afterwards, he kept going into the brook, and he would spend long stretches of time in it. The brook weaves through numerous properties in our town. Perhaps the Silver belongs to someone whose property also has the brook running through it. If he got out of his enclosure, maybe he ended up in the brook, followed it, and came upon our property, which had a lot of food thrown on the ground for the birds. I definitely know he was not enjoying having to eat among many squirrels and birds. It was a bit like Grand Central Station, with all the critters trying to get a meal. He would often stand up and open his wings when there was too much commotion. So, he may have left to find a more peaceful spot, or maybe he found his way home. I doubt, however, he'd find another yard around here with food. We're probably the only people around here who feed the birds in the winter. Whatever the case may be, he is definitely not around our property. If he comes back, we'll do everything we can to capture the beautiful guy!

 

[KJenMA7]

The Silver Pheasant (aka Benjamin; yes, I gave him a name shortly after he arrived because I was getting tired of referring to him as "the Silver Pheasant") is back!! I just awoke with this thought that I should go look out the window, and there he was standing at the bowl of food I made up fresh yesterday. We were hit with more snow yesterday, and more is coming Thursday. My husband is going to call Peter again to make sure he will still take him. He will then stop at Home Depot on his way home to get the Havahart Trap. Keep fingers crossed everyone that we can save this beautiful bird! I wonder where he's been? We have to be his only food source, especially with all this snow. I'm so thrilled that he's come back!!

 

[KJenMA7]

I need some advice on the trap, which my husband is going to get after work. He is currently on his lunch break and is picking up some goodies to lure him into the cage. Should we place the cage where the Silver is currently eating from the bowl? Should we try to camouflage the cage somehow (although not quite sure what we could use to do that)? Finally, is it best that we only put it out in the daylight and bring it in at night? I don't relish catching something at night that we then have to figure how to release during the day (raccoon, fox, coyote, etc.). Plus, we need to be able to see when/if we catch him, so we can get him out of the elements. If we do get him, what then? Bring the cage into our garage? I have no idea how we'll orchestrate this with Peter (assuming he'll still take him). We won't be able to fit the cage into our car. So, the last time my husband spoke to Peter, he said we could get him into a box to transport him. I don't feel comfortable doing that, as we don't know the first thing about dealing with pheasants. How exactly would we get him into a box without being attacked? I highly doubt he'll cooperate and just walk in of his own accord. I don't want to stress this bird unnecessarily. He's already stressed enough.

 

[KJenMA7]

My husband had a message left on his cell phone from Peter. He is still willing to take the Silver. Since he hasn't spoken to him, we still have unanswered questions. In addition to the ones I asked above, my husband was wondering if he is better off placing the cage (with the pheasant inside--assuming we catch him) inside our shed rather than inside our garage in case he is "dirty and germy". (His words, not mine.)

 

[Tony K T]

I would place him where predators can't get to him in the cage.Peter will quarantine him for a few days and medicate him to be safe.If it's a wire cage try to tie a piece of foam to the top because pheasants get jumpy and tend to scalp themselves on the wire.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Tony K T]

A dark box is excellent to keep him in as they tend to calm down better in the dark.Just have some apples in there with him for food and moister.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[KJenMA7]

There wouldn't be any predators in our shed or garage. In order to trap him, the cage needs to be where I can see him, so I can immediately move him somewhere safe. Therefore, the only spot is where he is currently coming for food. My husband will not be home. So, I will then have to carry the caged Silver into my shed or garage (assuming I can carry it--no idea the weight of the cage). He will be safe in either the shed or garage. Which would be best? Shed? I really don't think my husband wants him brought into the garage. As for the box idea, how in Heaven's name do we get him in there? I don't even think we have one big enough. Even if we do, we're not breeders of pheasants. We haven't the slightest clue what to expect upon capturing this guy, how to handle him, or how to get him into a box! And then we have to transport him to Middleboro in said box that we have no idea how to get him into.

 

[Tony K T]

He's really not going to be easy to catch.They are very suspicious birds and look things over many times before they become comfortable,if they become comfortable at all.If you do catch him,maybe you can just throw a blanket over the cage to darken it so he'll calm down.They do not like be handled at all and usually when you grab on to them they will throw feathewrs and you think you are hurting them so hold on tight and be careful of his spurs.They are very sharp and can do a lot of damage even by just graising it it can cut you pretty good.Like I said earlier to put a piece of foam or something soft on the top of the cage as he will pop and scalp himselve.A blanket over the cage should keep him calm enough to transport,but he may get jumpy while you are moving him around.The shed would probably be better if the cage is wire he will make a mess on the floor.
In N.H.,Tony.