Hi All, I have been enjoying the valley pheasant discussion and noticed, no one
has mentioned the population that occurs in Kings Valley, along highway 223 in
Polk County. I travel that route weekly, and have for a number of years.
Especially in Spring, I have to be careful as there are usually at least 2 or 3
roosters, and sometimes a dozen or more, as well as sometimes with them as many
as 2 dozen hens. I have watched them/seen them there for at least the last 5
years, and on occasion even found dead ones that got plastered by vehicles
speeding along the nice long straight bit there before the fire station. These
guys spread out as the summer progresses, and I have seen lone roosters as much
as a mile before and after the straight bit there.
We used to have pheasant at our place on the outskirts of Dallas (Polk Co.) but
I have not seen any in the last 5 years, though rarely now I might hear a
rooster call (Springtime). I think the cold wet winters that are seeming to
run late are having an impact on the nesting success possibly. I know that
when my friends used to hunt them in Eastern WA. they were always very
concerned about cold, wet Springs and the impact on successful rearing of
pheasant chicks. Apparently chicks do not do well in wet, cold Springs. They
had been hunting out there for decades on decades and had lots of anecdotal
observational correlations between their success or lack of and conditions in
the previous Springtime, and that is what they would say.
best wishes
Andrew
Author of "The History and Evolution of the Trout Fly, part 1" now available at
http://www.reellinespress.com/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-trout-fly---part-1.html
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