Pheasant nest

GordoSD · May 30, 2010

When I cut the alfalfa last Wed, I saw one hen run, and head for the field edge. I stopped and saw I had mowed over her nest, but all the eggs were still there and not broken, (14)
I made a little ring of alfalfa around it. When I raked I stayed away from it.
Yesterday I took a peek and she is back there doing her thing.

Gordo

JD Seller · May 30, 2010

GOOD MAN!!! they have had a hard time around here the last few winters. I used to see them all of the time now not very often. We do have an abundance of turkeys. The wild life is a big part of the joy of living in the country.

agpilot · May 30, 2010

Ho GordoSD: Yea.. nice going. My cousin attached a one inch pole to tractor front end so that it hung over the hay to be cut. He attached several lite chains hanging down with colored streamers attached so the sitting birds would be flushed out of the uncut hay. This also gave him just enough time to quickly stop or lift the mower. He claimed to have saved quite a few birds with his home made device. I'd add a couple tin cans to the chains to make noise right above the nest. When spraying I did not have a choice in dodging any birds. I hated hitting a bird with the end of the prop as the shock wave could require restoring "trueness" to the prop. $$ The big fear was having a big Buck deer jump up right in front of the prop... That's heavy meat & bones. I had a jack rabbit get so scared he jumped straight up and he got hit right on the leading edge of my wing. About a 3 inch wide & deep dent but it was easy to pop back out later on. ag

Moline_guy · May 30, 2010

Never thought about stuff jumping out of the field when your spraying, I didnt realize you guys spray close enough to the ground to worry about deers and rabbits. Thats a job i wouldnt want, but I bet it keeps you on toes at all times.

Kruse · May 31, 2010

That"s probably why your other birds have disappeared. My brother cut a few turkeys open and they had baby quail in their digestive system.

SJ · May 31, 2010

Yup same thing here in ny.Less farms,no fields,switch grass= no pheasants.Plenty a turkeys though.Think I preferred the pheasants.

Stan

larry@stinescorner · May 31, 2010

we see very few here in central pa and when I was young there used to be many .

8N'r--WI · May 31, 2010

Gordo----way to go!!

There used to be a lot more pheasants around my place, but the amount of nesting cover kept dwindling away each year, and along with the habitat went the pheasants....

Her is a pic of one of my tree planting areas. I put young seedlings in this old pasture in 2005, and now they are anywhere between 4-10 feet high....the high grass growing in there creates good nesting area for not only pheasant and turkey but all kinds of songbirds....

BTW---I got my soybeans planted yesterday...followed yours and others" advice and disced up the chopped corn stalks, broadcast the seed, and disced it in....now we need rain..pretty dry again in S.W. Wisconsin...

Tim

greenbeanman in Kansas · May 31, 2010

Old softie. I used to be an old softie too. I would spot nests while doing field work, stop, and with gloved hands so as not to leave scent I'd push my fingers in under the nest and move it to ground I had already work. I figured before it would be worked again the eggs would be hatched out. Don't know it if worked or not but at least I tried.

Had albino or white pheasants on my land for awhile. Mail carrier spotted them and asked to hunt for them. I said no in hopes of getting more. He wound up getting one of them from off of a neighbor's land----so he said.

RayP(MI) · May 31, 2010

Amazing - our experience is that they wanted the whole hayfield for cover, and would abandon the nest at the drop of a hat. We tried leaving some standing hay around the nests, and it never worked. I hit a turkey nest Saturday, while field chopping a hayfield. Sure she's long gone.

RayP(MI) · May 31, 2010

I was photographing a crop duster doing his thing in a potato field once, realized I was right in his path. Went down flat between the rows. When he flew over, there were potato vines hanging off the wheels.... too close to the ground, if you ask me!

agpilot · Jun 1, 2010

Hi Ray & Moline: In most spray jobs, it is best to get down close and personal to the folage because the Down wash from the wings help mix the chemical into and all around each and every plant for a lot better coverage. Ya ever watch the wind blast comming off a big truck and hit the standing grass along side of the pavement?? If close enough, it will really slap that grass. Similar effect from the wings... ag

Pheasant nest

GordoSD

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JD Seller

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agpilot

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Moline_guy

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Kruse

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SJ

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larry@stinescorner

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8N'r--WI

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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RayP(MI)

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RayP(MI)

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agpilot

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