Pheasants crossing river

[flyingfisherman]

Well, just thought i would post a thread to see what everyone else thinks or if anyone has proof or experience in this area. Ive been around keepering and pheasants my whole life and something which was grown into me was the theory that if pheasants are pushed over your boundary ie a river, then the chance of them coming back are slim..

 

I still believe this today and think that on my shoot we lose a fair number of birds over the river every year. Theres no better cover or food on the other side of the river to my knowledge and no rough shoot as such. What do you think? Do they come back to their home?

 

I think birds will 'wander' home normally and because the pheasant is a walking/running bird predominantly, it wont fly across a river unless it is pushed to do so...?

 

 

Any thoughts or experiences would be great!!

[farmerjohn]

We have a drive we push over a river across our boundry and birds are back within a couple of days they will usually head for home to roost or too a warm bank to feed cheers john

[Winnyman]

The River runs the full length of my shoot, as its getting dark and you can watch plenty of Pheasants going back across the River too roost, first light and they are on their way back again.

[Ferretboy111]

We have a river on our boundary; birds from one of my release woods wander all the way down too it too fly over and feed from my neighbours feeders.

 

Alex

[hillmouse]

I have worked on several shoots with rivers, one a big wide one.

Birds readily fly over with no prompting and just as easily fly back.

The river here is up to 20 yards wide and birds hop backwards and forwards across it all day long.

They cross at one of the widest points where a sidestream a few feet wide with fences on both banks stops them wandering along the bank.

Hundreds cross at dusk to roost on the far bank and come back off to this side at dawn.

[demonwolf444]

if you leave the feeders empty and there is no cover for the birds, and the woods are dead. they will find somewhere better. every year we must loose about 100 birds over the river which go unnnaccounted for each year, i assume they ****** off into some setasides on the otherside care, all our woods are old and arnt holding birds well, on a night some of the birds are roosting allong the river then in the morning they flutter over the other side ,i think we need some more cover crops and feeders well stocked *just not allot of money about and grains only going ^ but dont really have much sayy in things, im really just a beater there, we shoot a happyenough number anyhow just think we should be getting more! can never have to much eh ?

Edited February 3, 2011 by demonwolf444

[demonwolf444]

just out of interest where is this shoot in question?