Assa's epic flight!

[gila-river]

Yeah, the good old days. Funny thing. It wasn't all that long ago.

Sounds like you need to get some good trappers in that area to thin out the predators. I'll bet when there were strong, healthy pheasant populations there were also professional trappers working that area keeping the bobcats, foxes, coons etc. thinned out.
Just a guess on my part but very possible.

I think it's a combo with the mosquito abatement theory being a big part. Just in my life time I've seen farming practices change a lot. Farmers disk and spray all the vegetation around their fields and along gravel roads in the name of weed prevention. This is happening all over the valley and these areas that use to hold huntable numbers of pheasants no longer exist. More rice is also flooded now and what's not flooded is disked in the fall leaving no stubble for the birds. Less cover makes the birds more susceptible to predation. All these changes with the war on west Nile and we got problems.

Boot, why the sudden attention to weeds surrounding production crop? Is there a major shift to organic in the area? Or are they just farming every available inch?

[aunt betty]

Yeah, the good old days. Funny thing. It wasn't all that long ago.

Sounds like you need to get some good trappers in that area to thin out the predators. I'll bet when there were strong, healthy pheasant populations there were also professional trappers working that area keeping the bobcats, foxes, coons etc. thinned out.
Just a guess on my part but very possible.

I think it's a combo with the mosquito abatement theory being a big part. Just in my life time I've seen farming practices change a lot. Farmers disk and spray all the vegetation around their fields and along gravel roads in the name of weed prevention. This is happening all over the valley and these areas that use to hold huntable numbers of pheasants no longer exist. More rice is also flooded now and what's not flooded is disked in the fall leaving no stubble for the birds. Less cover makes the birds more susceptible to predation. All these changes with the war on west Nile and we got problems.

Boot, why the sudden attention to weeds surrounding production crop? Is there a major shift to organic in the area? Or are they just farming every available inch?

Whole different area of country but here the farms are huge. Not one property but many. They are more like farm corporations. Their equipment...wow.
You name it.
When your company controls an entire township or half of one its easy to see how elimination of all weeds for miles would lower the cost and use of herbicides as time goes on. Eventually only the border farms would need regular treatment.
Same theory for bugs but obviously insects move way quicker.

[Rick]

Sounds like you need to get some good trappers in that area to thin out the predators. I'll bet when there were strong, healthy pheasant populations there were also professional trappers working that area keeping the bobcats, foxes, coons etc. thinned out. Just a guess on my part but very possible.

An old bird dogging buddy of mine theorizes that our Southern quail went the way of the small family farm, largely because serious predator died off with those farms. Aside from the other varmints commonly shot on sight in those days, most didn't give a rat's ass about laws protecting a hawk eying their chickens.

And the very few large Southeastern tracts I've been blessed with invites to hunt weren't just spending insane money on maintaining optimum quail habitat but practiced large scale, shall we say "aggressive," predator management.

[aunt betty]

It would take a huge investment in coyote control to get things back to being right around in this area. Coyotes are fat and brave around here.
As a teenager...coyotes were hunted to near extinction in central Illinois. There were problems in the Monticello, Illinois area. The farmers in that area, Piatt County, were and are voocoo wealthy. Put a $5 bounty on yotes. Ppl were bringing them from other counties too.

[waterfowlman]

Sounds like you need to get some good trappers in that area to thin out the predators. I'll bet when there were strong, healthy pheasant populations there were also professional trappers working that area keeping the bobcats, foxes, coons etc. thinned out. Just a guess on my part but very possible.

An old bird dogging buddy of mine theorizes that our Southern quail went the way of the small family farm, largely because serious predator died off with those farms. Aside from the other varmints commonly shot on sight in those days, most didn't give a rat's ass about laws protecting a hawk eying their chickens.

And the very few large Southeastern tracts I've been blessed with invites to hunt weren't just spending insane money on maintaining optimum quail habitat but practiced large scale, shall we say "aggressive," predator management.

Those fellas out west might have a completely different set of problems but I know that predators can put a hurting on quail populations. Can't be much different with pheasants??
Years ago some farmers in eastern NC asked me to trap some areas that were prime quail habitat but their bird numbers were way down.
The first week of trapping was unbelievable. Every other set had either a red or gray fox, bobcat, lots of raccoons and tons of possums (which will also raid nests)
I hammered their properties for a month or so and had my best trapping season ever.
Within just a couple of years their quail numbers were back to "the good old days" and I had permission to do just about anything I wanted to on those properties as far as trapping was concerned.

[aunt betty]

Used to trap and hunt the same ground and some I just trapped due to owners saying no guns.

In the back of my head I knew I was creating more ducks, pheasants, and rabbits by killing the predators. With my lines I'd start in the water, trap the rats, minks, and coons. That upset the balance so I'd slip in some Fox and coyote sets as things slowed on the water line to keep traps busy.

I quit trapping and my hunting suffered. Never thought of that til now.

Discovered ducks and the trapline and upland was history. Tried doing it all but it's all about DUCKS! Always ducks.

You guys trap.

[Glimmerjim]

The above posts by WFM and ab make me wonder. There certainly are very few that trap/shoot etc. predators here in the Scaramento area. And I know that some of the refuges have plenty of those in addition to feral cats.....hmmmm.may take up a new hobby! What do cat skins go for these days?

[Tiler_J]

Since the conversation has turned to pheasants, I think what has changed here in CA the last few years is like Gaddy said the spraying to kill the Mosquitos. Also the biggest change is the rice, the rice was always left dry in the fields after harvest. Now with almost all the rice being flooded for decomp, the birds have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of feed and habitat. There use to be thousands of pheasants along I-5 when the rice was still burned, now I barely see any.

By the way Jim, another CA guy here. I shoot a club in the sink a few miles south west of Grey Lodge near the base of the Sutter Buttes.

[Glimmerjim]

Since the conversation has turned to pheasants, I think what has changed here in CA the last few years is like Gaddy said the spraying to kill the Mosquitos. Also the biggest change is the rice, the rice was always left dry in the fields after harvest. Now with almost all the rice being flooded for decomp, the birds have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of feed and habitat. There use to be thousands of pheasants along I-5 when the rice was still burned, now I barely see any.

By the way Jim, another CA guy here. I shoot a club in the sink a few miles south west of Grey Lodge near the base of the Sutter Buttes.

They may be getting some dry habitat back this year, Tiler, with the drought and all! I think rice farmers were told to cut back production by 20% in most areas due to lack of water.
There are some nice clubs in that area. How was your year last year? Our club SUCKED, but the refuges actually shot pretty well.

[Tiler_J]

Since the conversation has turned to pheasants, I think what has changed here in CA the last few years is like Gaddy said the spraying to kill the Mosquitos. Also the biggest change is the rice, the rice was always left dry in the fields after harvest. Now with almost all the rice being flooded for decomp, the birds have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of feed and habitat. There use to be thousands of pheasants along I-5 when the rice was still burned, now I barely see any.

By the way Jim, another CA guy here. I shoot a club in the sink a few miles south west of Grey Lodge near the base of the Sutter Buttes.

They may be getting some dry habitat back this year, Tiler, with the drought and all! I think rice farmers were told to cut back production by 20% in most areas due to lack of water.
There are some nice clubs in that area. How was your year last year? Our club SUCKED, but the refuges actually shot pretty well.

Our club shot pretty good last year. I didn't go a lot and tried to pick my days (damn work getting in the way of hunting) but between my buddy and I and our guests we averaged about 4 birds per hunter per day. We were quite suprised, hope this year is better. Not many mallards last year but the gadwall made up for it.

There are some great clubs in our area, my club is more like the red-headed step child of the area. We have a great vantage point to watch all the birds going into the high dollar clubs though. Haha!

[Rick]

...my club is more like the red-headed step child of the area. We have a great vantage point to watch all the birds going into the high dollar clubs though. Haha!

Sounds like our "Observatory" blind, a pretty good one sullied by its view of "the big blind," one of our great ones.

[Glimmerjim]

Since the conversation has turned to pheasants, I think what has changed here in CA the last few years is like Gaddy said the spraying to kill the Mosquitos. Also the biggest change is the rice, the rice was always left dry in the fields after harvest. Now with almost all the rice being flooded for decomp, the birds have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of feed and habitat. There use to be thousands of pheasants along I-5 when the rice was still burned, now I barely see any.

By the way Jim, another CA guy here. I shoot a club in the sink a few miles south west of Grey Lodge near the base of the Sutter Buttes.

They may be getting some dry habitat back this year, Tiler, with the drought and all! I think rice farmers were told to cut back production by 20% in most areas due to lack of water.
There are some nice clubs in that area. How was your year last year? Our club SUCKED, but the refuges actually shot pretty well.

Our club shot pretty good last year. I didn't go a lot and tried to pick my days (damn work getting in the way of hunting) but between my buddy and I and our guests we averaged about 4 birds per hunter per day. We were quite suprised, hope this year is better. Not many mallards last year but the gadwall made up for it.

There are some great clubs in our area, my club is more like the red-headed step child of the area. We have a great vantage point to watch all the birds going into the high dollar clubs though. Haha!

A 4 bird avg is great, Tiler. It didn't seem to me that there were a lot of mallards anywhere.
At least you've got birds nearby. For some reason they just changed their typical flight pattern and were not to be seen. I can only hope we get some weather next year, for a lot of reasons! And whatever happened to fog in the valley. I remember driving 20 mph because you couldn't see the road 5 years ago. Haven't seen that since.

[Tiler_J]

A 4 bird avg is great, Tiler. It didn't seem to me that there were a lot of mallards anywhere.
At least you've got birds nearby. For some reason they just changed their typical flight pattern and were not to be seen. I can only hope we get some weather next year, for a lot of reasons! And whatever happened to fog in the valley. I remember driving 20 mph because you couldn't see the road 5 years ago. Haven't seen that since.

I miss hunting in the rain or fog. Our weather has sucked for the last few years. All we get now is cold in December and January and a few day of wind. I hate it. I had one foggy morning hunt with JuiceBox (another Yuba City member) this last year, it was awesome! Hopefully next season the weather will cooperate.

[Glimmerjim]

A 4 bird avg is great, Tiler. It didn't seem to me that there were a lot of mallards anywhere.
At least you've got birds nearby. For some reason they just changed their typical flight pattern and were not to be seen. I can only hope we get some weather next year, for a lot of reasons! And whatever happened to fog in the valley. I remember driving 20 mph because you couldn't see the road 5 years ago. Haven't seen that since.

I miss hunting in the rain or fog. Our weather has sucked for the last few years. All we get now is cold in December and January and a few day of wind. I hate it. I had one foggy morning hunt with JuiceBox (another Yuba City member) this last year, it was awesome! Hopefully next season the weather will cooperate.

Let's hope for everyone's sake!

[Redbeard]

Y'all weren't the only ones with blue bird days. I think Humboldt county had a record number of them last season

[Tiler_J]

Y'all weren't the only ones with blue bird days. I think Humboldt county had a record number of them last season

How's the drought effecting you again?

[Redbeard]

Y'all weren't the only ones with blue bird days. I think Humboldt county had a record number of them last season

How's the drought effecting you again?

so far it ain't so bad. Rain wise we were doing pretty good so far this spring. Obviously there's no snow melt though. And the temps are higher than usual. We'll see