# The rise, fall, and future of the ringneck pheasant



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I just took a look at June issue of Retriever News---Airing the Archives. There is a good assessment on the decline of the Ringneck. BTW, according to my sources, they were first released on what is now Governor's Island off of Manhattan in NYC but they didn't take. And Long Island used to be loaded with pheasants. Not anymore.


Worth a look.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Wild turkeys are in decline too, all birds are. Wildlife preservation is definitely something we should all care about, whether we hunt or never plan to. Losing thousands of acres every year to development has to stop https://www.fs.fed.us/projects/four-threats/facts/open-space.shtml

Pheasant abundance is related to the amount of harvested and unharvested crop land, types of crops produced, amount of total pesticide applied, minimum temperature, precipitation, and numbers of avian competitors and predators. Specifically, major changes in agricultural practices over the last three decades were associated with declines in pheasant numbers and likely reflected widespread loss of habitat. Agricultural practices and chemicals for pest control, mowing and pretty much everything for increased production is a direct contributor.

I don't know what the answers. It may not be during our lifetimes but this will not end well for our country - and it's actually a world wide problem - read up on Europe. The corridors between major cities in the south, like Atlanta to Charlotte to Raleigh, are all being lit up at night, you can see the loss of forested land by looking at nighttime maps https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/8269691015. 

There seems to be no end in sight.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Maybe hunting them should be banned.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

George,
what do they attribute the reduction in numbers to? I'm sure it's not hunting, we hunt in the US less than ever.


I do think feral and non-feral cats have a negative effect on birds populations.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Stacey


Habitat destruction is what has done it. Clean farming, no hedgerows or wind breaks from what I can see, nests destroyed by mowing. Farming without any resting fallow fields. Stewart Forest had some holdovers from the put and take season. While I was training I could hear two cockbirds cackling. Where were they? In the hedgerows. The big farms that I see don't seem to have this cover. I do some preserve hunting and what I especially like about this one preserve is that it is very much set up like an old farm: 200 acres with at least 8 small fields with plenty cover and isolated small stands of trees, swamps, cattails, hedgerows---stuff a modern big farm doesn't want. Reminds me of the old days.

Also realize that pheasants are not found in the South. I had read somewhere that there was some correlation with I believe it was glacial soils with high lime content. They never took in the South because the soil lacks these characteristics.

Realize I am referencing an issue of Retriever News from 1975 but it is very relevant. I once saw a flock of birds, at least 30 cockbirds on the median of the Wantagh Parkway in the Winter. I had no idea they would congregate like that. Hard to believe, a sight to behold, Winter conditions had concentrated these birds. I haven't seen a bird on the Parkway in at least 25 years.


I also lived across from a wooded area, Alley Pond Park, and it afforded me the opportunity to observe these birds. I have seen hens with chicks, I have seen two cockbirds that I believe were roosting in trees---I was hiding and saw them fly down. No more, all gone. 

I actually have a file folder on pheasants, I should take a look at it.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Our family farm was in central Illinois. It was sold back in 1975. My father grew up on it. It’s now a large cooling pond for a nuclear power plant. My father told me when the land was divided up, farmers would throw a rock onto the other guys property next door. That’s where they agreed to end the farm fields. The area at the property line was left treed as far as the rocks were thrown. I don’t know if its true, but probably partially. Illinois had very few trees when farming began. It is one big swamp. The highest point in Illinois is just over 1200 feet. The only states flatter are Louisiana and Florida. 150 or so years ago farmers started putting in drain tile in the fields to drain them. They also put in canals and ditches. Channeling the water gave trees a chance to grow. They also cut down whatever Osage orange trees there were and made them into fence posts. Back in the early 70’s farmers started taking down those ancient wood fence posts and replacing them with metal fence posts. They could get another row or two of corn in. Then the farmers started encroaching into the ditches. They would add another row into the bar ditches along the roads every few years. Then they started looking at the trees on the property lines or windrows. They were cut down. Now when I drive down state to visit family I see fields and fields and nothing in between. It’s really sad. Nowhere for the birds to go and live. Yes I also agree, turning the fields in the fall doesn’t help either. Lots of farmers do it to speed planting in the spring. Which is also hard on the birds.

I’m in Alaska. We don’t have pheasants. I’ve heard someone brought some into the Homer area. There is no season because they are considered a non native species. So nobody cares if you shoot them.

We do have annual reports on grouse and ptarmigan covies. Some years they do pretty well. But we see people on snow machines wiping them out in the winter. Piles of dead birds. Who the heck is going to clean and eat 50 grouse or 50 ptarmigan? That’s a lot of work for a tiny bird. Blasting away for no reason. They will be gone too.

On the other hand, sandhill cranes have done really really well. Warmer summers, earlier springs mean chicks have more to eat and have longer to develop before making the big flight south. We have so many cranes up here anymore. Quite annoying noise they make. They look like teradactyls when they fly.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

the Pheasant numbers go hand in hand with the availability of quality habitat. If the quality of the habitat degrades or the available area available to the birds shrinks, you will see a decline in bird numbers. 


Pheasants are a bird of farmland and prairies. They are not woodland dwellers.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Long Island used to be pretty good pheasant habitat. After all, it is formed from the terminal moraines of glaciers and the soil is transported soil---that soil high in lime. My friend used to train his GSP on the pheasants in the city cemeteries, small isolated populations. Long Island used to have lots of farms, known for Long Island Potatoes, cabbage, etc. Lots of development and changes to vineyards out East does not help. (I used to work produce, Long Island Potatoes had a rep. Now you say Long Island potatoes and people say "What?".)


And as for grouse, the last time I saw a grouse on Long Island was about 35 years ago. No habitat, no season. Quail are gone too. No season on State Land.


Habitat that is good is black duck nesting habitat. In fact there was a study done a few years back using collared black ducks. We had the biologists speak at our club's meeting and the study appeared in DU magazine. But that's ducks. I miss my pheasants here on the Island.


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## Sweese (Sep 25, 2013)

It is certainly all about habitat and what God provides each year in the way of rain and small bugs to eat. When cities and urban sprawl arrive the birds will perish. Even in the harsh cold climate of South Dakota and a drought year, there were over 800,000 native pheasants harvested in 2017. and ducks....The prairie pothole region of the Dakotas are full of em'. I have chased pheasants and ducks in the Dakotas the last few years and hope to go back this fall too. 

We chase technical water here for training but there are places in North and South Dakota that were made technical naturally and give your retriever some of the same technical type retrieves on wild birds - beautiful country!


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

When I was growing up in Western Pennsylvania (lots of years ago) it wasn't that unusual to see pheasants in our suburban neighborhood along the roadside under trees and brush. Here in Fairfield County, Connecticut I'm not sure I've seen any pheasants but wild turkeys seem to be on the increase. I've seen them in my suburban yard, along the back roads, even in the roads with their young.


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## myluckypenny (Nov 29, 2016)

Come to South Dakota, we have plenty to share lol! Usually a decline in pheasant population here is due to an overly wet spring or a drought. That said, like @Sweese said, a low year for South Dakota is 800,000 harvested. A good year is around 1,000,000. Go to the airport on opening weekend and you will see only a sea of orange, and everyone carries a gun case.


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