Locally released pheasants

[Ruralhideaway]

There are release points nearby and most years I end up with a few ring neck pheasants lurking nearby.

This year the weather held off late then got very cold very quickly, 8 days straight of snow all day etc(about 15 inches on the ground).

This year's crop of pheasants seem to be taking it hard, hanging around near my driveway, standing around puffed up, seeming unable to fly like they could last week etc.

I put out some all flock mixed with a little cat kibble and a bowl of water. Anything else I should do? I know they are released for hunting but I hate too see them freezing and likely starving.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Wow, released for hunting I would never have known that happens.
It just wrecked my whole idea about hunting. I figured that these brave men with their really big guns and manly camouflage gear would be hiking miles in the woods, crawling on their bellies at times to sit and wait, sneaking up on their prey and firing the lethal shot from 75 yards away. And now I find out that they just go to where they dropped off their pen raised birds and hopefully find one that's still alive and walk up and shoot it.

I'm devastated to find this out.

Gary

 

[imnukensc]

No different than stocking fish, planting shellfish, relocating turkey stocks, etc.

 

[ShiftyShickens]

i end up putting out some wild game nesting boxes filled with straw facing the back wall against the wind so they don't fill up with snow. often i'lll see a pheasant nuzzled down and even a quail once coming and going. putting food near the back helps to keep it dry as well, meal worms can be costly but often a packed with fats which help the birds stay warm, cracked corn as well.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Well. The state DEC provides the chicks I believe so it's normal here. No opinion really, just hate to see farm raised birds suffer, seems unfair.

I have a big bag of mealworms so I'll offer some of those. They are super flighty though. There's a big brush pile in the field they hang out in, also holding a rather huge horse manure pile. Likely decent shelter and foraging if they know enough to dig down under the snow. Maybe I should check the brush pile, see if it got snowed in too much.

 

[lcwmt]

Well. The state DEC provides the chicks I believe so it's normal here. No opinion really, just hate to see farm raised birds suffer, seems unfair.

I have a big bag of mealworms so I'll offer some of those. They are super flighty though. There's a big brush pile in the field they hang out in, also holding a rather huge horse manure pile. Likely decent shelter and foraging if they know enough to dig down under the snow. Maybe I should check the brush pile, see if it got snowed in too much.

Black Oil Sunflower Seed might be an inexpensive way to help them out too.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I have a bunch of birdfeeders, normally these guys find those by the time there's snow. Snows deep though. Maybe I'll shovel them a path from the creek they are huddled by to the feeders, tons of stuff on the ground under them.

 

[ShiftyShickens]

while it's still dark in the morning might be the best time to approach the wild birds since they will be less apt to be spooked because of darkness, but if they do take off they will have all day at least to figure out where they flew to and then back to the others