I definitely feel your pain! 20 years ago when I began the sport my dad complained non stop about how much it had declined from the previous 20 years or so, we bagged out about half of the time and it was the only hunting I knew so I thought that we did just fine....to see the decline since then is incredible; I would have to assume a 90% decline or so. Where ditch banks used to be covered with pheasant tracks they are all now covered with **** tracks. I have hunted in two areas that are 95% unchanged from what they were 30 years ago as far as no loss of habitat in 95% of those places, the common denominator being *****. I certainly have not done any extensive studies, but my humble observation has been the *****. Saturday was the first time in 20 years that I was not out in the fields, really sucked!

Can we do anything about it? Wow, seems like an insurmountable task; anyone drive Legacy just to see how many new ***** are hit everyday as they cross? That has opened my eyes to see just how many there are. With an animal like that that is so prolific in breeding, I can't imagine even making a dent in them; they would have to be nearly eradicated to really help the upland game I think. It looks like it would be a fun sport to take on hunting them at night to make up for no pheasant hunting.

 

there is some thing we can do and that is to kill any ***** you see and don't stop killing them.

 

I noticed the exact same thing over the weekend. In talking with my father's uncle, who lives out in the fields, he and his wife have noticed the same thing. We hunted through a WMA and were absolutely astonished at how many raccoon tracks there were in the mud of the river in the area.

I said the same thing to my friend that Huge just mentioned, maybe we should all lay off the phez for a few years and focus on the *****.

It seems to be an epidemic for not only phez, but many other bird species as well. My dad's uncle mentioned that there were over 200 geese nesting in their area this spring, and not a single one was able to raise a brood due to the ***** getting into the eggs and the goslings. Its a shame!

Is the only way to get something done to join DU or PF and get active, and even then, do they do anything by way of predator control projects?

 

I joined PF for 2 years, I do think they do an awesome job with things in the midwest but around here, the meetings I went to consisted mostly of talking about heading to SD or KS and hunting. They did a couple good projects, but it just was disapointing to me what was accomplished. My fault in part maybe but, I am no longer a member.

It's not JUST the *****.... I have seen more D$*N fox's this year then in my whole life.

 

State wide **** hunt? Bring back **** hats and get a few kids to think they're "cool" to have and sooner than later stores won't be able to keep them in stock! :wink:

I've seen a lot more of them lately myself up here in Kamas. Just in town they killed some ducks and chickens my neighbor had. In the foothills they are in abundance with no real enemy but my car, which nailed one a few weeks back.

 

State wide **** hunt? Bring back **** hats and get a few kids to think they're "cool" to have and sooner than later stores won't be able to keep them in stock! :wink:

I've seen a lot more of them lately myself up here in Kamas. Just in town they killed some ducks and chickens my neighbor had. In the foothills they are in abundance with no real enemy but my car, which nailed one a few weeks back.

You guys are on to something; who can teach me how to hunt them?

 

I trapped one My first of hopefully many stupid buggers.

 

We can deal with the racoons and other predators but most people aren't willing to go through the process to help pheasants out and clear an area of *****,foxes,coyotes, and skunks predators of the air there is nothing we can do but if anyone would put in a little effort to help get rid of them predator populations wouldn't be booming right now. I have 1 foot trap and a foot pedal trap cage. I've decided if I am a pheasant hunter and want them around for years to come and forever I have to put something into to keep them around. *****, coyotes, and foxes aren't hard to deal with they are usually on the foot clamp traps and its pretty self evident what I do with them simply shoot them and haul them off. Skunks are a little more tricky and its obviouse why they have more of a weapon while they are trapped a weapon I haven't had to deal with on me yet. I cover my foot pedal cage trap with a black garbage bag which lessens the chance the skunk will get its spray on you although the smell will still be fairly unmanageable. I also attach a rope 15 ft to the cage and drag it to a 55 gallon barrel where I dump the cage in and drowned the skunk and haul it off. Put a little effort, buy a $30.00 trap cage from cabelas and start getting rid of the predators in your area. I usually bait my traps with eggs or a small peace of raw meat but what has worked best for me is after cleaning a pheasant, duck, chukar, etc. place the leftovers in or by your foot trap and you'll catch plenty. I think if every pheasant hunter would put an effort into TRYING to get rid of the predators it could be held under control but very few hunters take the time to trap and only shoot things if they see them while hunting which is fine but it would be nice if every pheasant hunter would get a foot trap and a cage trap and try catching a few of the predators you speak of,and I feel if you want to hunt pheasants you need to do some predator control as well. Thats my feelings if you don't try catching and killing predators you have nothing to be wining about.

 

Traps as simple as this can help get rid of predators a load, buy and try one for the amount of predators you can get rid of the price is well worth it...
Foot trap:

Foot Trap
Cage Trap:

Cabelas Cage Trap

 

Utah's pheasants fate:

 

I been trying to do my part while hunting this year I've killed 2 skunks and raccoon. also when driving to work at 3:00am I see a fox, racoon and even skunks I try to hit them.

 

This is 1 of 9 ***** that my buddy and i have got this year. They are freakin nasty sons of biotches!!!

 

This is 1 of 9 ***** that my buddy and i have got this year. They are freakin nasty sons of biotches!!!

You ain't just a kidden, I have only caught skunks and raccoons trust me the skunks attitudes are like bunny rabbits compared to raccoons you corner one of them suckers (or trap) and they get mean. How'd you get em' just by seeing them, trapping them, or hunting them?

 

We were trapping them at our nursery where we keep all our trees. We have a pheasant coop that they always try getting into but little did they know we buried sheet metal 3 feet deep in the ground all around the coop so they never got in. I was able to get one with my bow. That was fun.

 

Nasty buggers:

 

THEIR NEEDS TO BE A BOUNTy. AND some dedicated sportsman.

 

No dought about it, racoons, fox, coyotes, skunks, they all get a few birds...BUT, I'll tell right now that our worst preditor is the Raven. This airborn nest raider kills more pheasants, chukars, sage hens, etc than all the others combined. I don't know how we can stop him, any ideas?

 

I don't know how we can stop him, any ideas?

high :twisted: brass 6's

 

oops, i meant this: :twisted: high brass 6's :twisted:

 

I agree that predators need to be controlled, and am not a fan of the raccoon.

However, I wonder why pheasant numbers do well in other areas such as the Dakotas or Kansas? Do they have some way of dealing with these predators? I suspect that there would be just as many *****, skunks, and ravens in those states. Maybe even more if there is more prey(pheasants). Any thoughts as to what makes the difference on the impact of predators?

 

Sadly, there is no real "answer" for predators. In a "natural world" predator numbers are controlled by prey numbers, but we are just not living in a natural world. Natural habitat is out of balance and has been changed by development, farming, water distribution, etc. Some predators are opportunistic and can survive better in unbalanced environments, in fact some even thrive because they are better suited for the changed surroundings and can really take advantage of those prey animals that depend on an un-altered ecosystem. This is what has happened in Utah and other "marginal" pheasant states. In those states with larger tracks of ideal pheasant habit, the predator/prey ratio can better stay balanced at natural levels. Don't also forget that we, the hunters, are also predators and in states like Utah with an already out of balanced system, are simply adding to the problem.
In conclusion...Utah will probably never be a good pheasant hunting state. Enjoy what we have, have a safe hunt with the family but don't expect to kill a lot of birds here.

 

No dought about it, racoons, fox, coyotes, skunks, they all get a few birds...BUT, I'll tell right now that our worst preditor is the Raven. This airborn nest raider kills more pheasants, chukars, sage hens, etc than all the others combined.

Seriously? how do you arrive at that conclusion? It is a rare instance for me to see a raven except at Lake Powell.

As to control, at Desert Lake WMA in Emery County they keep on top of the predators trapping normally 20+ cats, about the same number of ***** and skunks with a few fox and coyote and keep a few pheasants around, obviously that is a small controlled environment, hard to do on a large scale. I really am interested in **** hunting, who is going to show me the ropes?

 

Wow, I have not been on since last week and wanted to see how everyones opening day went. And to my surprise, exactly like mine. I was on private land up in corrinne, I have gone there opening morning for the past 5 years. There has never been a time where we didn't get a bird up (on opening morning), dang *****! My GSP got one into a tree, and I put it down hard. About 15 min. later while the dogs were workin the brush I heard another trying to sneak behind me...5 ft. away, point blank range. Ouch. And finally, we were working back to the truck when gage (my wirehair) went on point. I through my gun up only to see him jump forward into the brush. Another ****! but this time, gage was getting his a** kicked. My other wirehair deek heard him and the **** (making the wierdest noise). Went in and somehow ended up in a creek at the bottom of the hill...............the fight lastest about 4 min before I could get to them, get them back and shoot the ****. When all was finished gage had cuts on his back and deek on his mouth, leg, and under his eye. They are mean little buggers.

 

Wow, I have not been on since last week and wanted to see how everyones opening day went. And to my surprise, exactly like mine. I was on private land up in corrinne, I have gone there opening morning for the past 5 years. There has never been a time where we didn't get a bird up (on opening morning), dang *****! My GSP got one into a tree, and I put it down hard. About 15 min. later while the dogs were workin the brush I heard another trying to sneak behind me...5 ft. away, point blank range. Ouch. And finally, we were working back to the truck when gage (my wirehair) went on point. I through my gun up only to see him jump forward into the brush. Another ****! but this time, gage was getting his a** kicked. My other wirehair deek heard him and the **** (making the wierdest noise). Went in and somehow ended up in a creek at the bottom of the hill...............the fight lastest about 4 min before I could get to them, get them back and shoot the ****. When all was finished gage had cuts on his back and deek on his mouth, leg, and under his eye. They are mean little buggers.

They are bad SOB's, my uncle had a Great Pyrenees of no less than 150 lbs, he would eat them for lunch, snap there back pretty quick, but he would still get his face ripped to pieces each time. You must feel a little better after being skunked that you were able to take out 3 critters minus the dog's injury??

 

Yeah I do I guess. Frusterated that my favorite area is no more. I'm going to go back out there tonight or tomorrow to try and get some more of them. I have never had an experience with ***** like that. They just lay on there back and when the dogs go in they just attack! And the sound they make! Oh my god it sounds like smeegle hacking on a fish. The dogs were doing pretty good until they got into the water, I was surprised at how good the **** was in it. In addition to the *****, I saw a badger and a fox. We will see what we get when I go out there again.