The Ringneck Pheasant is considered the king of all game birds and can sometimes be misunderstood. In this section we try to answer some of the most asked questions about this awesome game bird.

Question 1 ) Is it possible to over harvest roosters in one season?

No. Up to 93% of the roosters can be harvested in a given area without having any effect on the next years population. Studies confirm that there is only a need for a 10:1 hen to rooster ratio for adequate reproduction. Most heavily hunted states have a spring sex ratio of 1 rooster to every 2-4 hens.

Question 2 ) We have a decent pheasant population, but a few more would be nice. Would it be wise to release a few more birds to increase the population?

No. Releasing pheasants into an area that has an established population has never worked in the past. A given piece of property will only support a certain number of pheasants based on the amount of habitat on the land. If 50 birds are surviving there now, increasing the habitat will naturally increase the population. Most birds available to the general public are inferior game farm birds and lack natural abilities to survive. Past studies indicate that even wild pheasants captured and released into an area that already supported a population had no effect whatsoever on the population.

Question 3 ) I don't hunt, but I also don't oppose it. I have quite a few hunters stopping to ask permission to hunt my property. I love seeing the birds and I am afraid that they will hurt the population. My neighbor told me that hunting can actually benefit the birds. How is this possible?

Your neighbor is right! There are actually several reasons why hunting can actually help the overall pheasant population. Pheasants roosters are dominant in any flock...the only interest that they have with hens is during the spring breeding season. Any other time of the year, a rooster will compete with hens for food and actually scare them away. The less roosters in an area can insure an ample amount of food for the hens who will need to come into breeding season healthy in order to nest successfully. Where rooster populations are above average, spring breeding competition can effect populations. You want roosters spending time breeding, not fighting. Another great reason for harvesting surplus roosters is that any available habitat will only support a given number of birds. Nature itself will assure this. The best scenario is that if 50 birds are going to survive into spring, you will want a larger percentage of them to be hens.

Question 4 ) Every year I see different age broods throughout the nesting season. How many broods can a hen have each season?

Just one. It is very common for people to think that pheasants can have more than one brood. But the length of season is against them. It takes approximately 20 days for a hen to lay a clutch of 12 to 16 eggs. Then she must spend 23 days to incubate them. Pheasant chicks depend on their mothers guidance for 14 weeks or so before they are capable of surviving on their own. This means that she is occupied with her offspring for almost 5 months, well into September in most states. The age difference that you are seeing during the summer is because many hens first and even second attempts at nesting have failed. Pheasants hens are very stubborn and will continue trying through most of the summer.

Question 5 ) I shot a rooster the other day and I thought it was an adult. A friend of mine said it was a juvenile. Is there a sure way of knowing?

Sometimes a young rooster, especially an early hatch of that year can sport a decent spur length. Spur length has always been a way to determine age up to 2 years. An adult rooster will generally have a spur between 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long and also be quite sharp and pointed. A juvenile can also have, but not really common, a long spur. The difference is that juvenile spurs are generally blunt or rounded. If you still aren't certain you can lift the bird by its lower beak. An adult roosters beak will support its weight, while a juveniles may bend or break.

Question 6 ) Are pheasant hens more susceptible to predation than roosters?

Although both hens and roosters are heavily preyed upon, hens, because of their size are easier targets for most predators. Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are probably the few aerial predators that will kill either without blinking an eye. All in all, predation is nature, and quality habitat will be the best way to minimize it.

Question 7 ) Besides providing quality nesting cover, winter cover, and food plots, is there anything else we can do to increase our pheasant population?

If you have already done the three keys, we salute you. You have done almost everything possible. But there could be one additional thing you could do if needed. Pheasants Forever has always preached that habitat is the key to success. If you were to remove pheasant habitat, pheasant populations would obviously decline Removing predator habitat would do the same to the predators utilizing that habitat. Dead trees along nesting areas and fence rows make an excellent perch for aerial predators. Remove them and it will make it harder for them to hunt. Junk piles, rock piles, and old machinery in middle of fields are homes for all kinds of ground predators. Skunks, raccoons, weasels, fox and even opossum will take refuge in places like this. By removing predator habitat you will help minimize pheasant losses due to predation.

Question 8)  What is the minimum amount of open land that a pheasant needs to survive and prosper?

A pheasant should have a minimum 1 square mile of open country to survive.  This need not be completely open, but 80% of that should be open land.  This is a minimum amount and is if all land is put into pheasant habitat; nesting cover, food/cover plots, ex.  A pheasant needs open land to expand to escape predation.  Small areas, 160 acres or less around forest land are frequented by predators year round and do not provide areas to relocate if predation pressure increases.

If you have questions not answered in this section, feel free to e-mail us and we will do the best to answer them for you