Something killing pheasants

[welshboy454 3]

On our small shoot the farmer has been cutting hedges and has come across the feathers of a number of pheasants obviously killed- a far greater number than other years.

It is a large pile of feathers sometimes in the middle of a field and at least one site where a cock and hen were almost side by side.

No bodies found or bones.

Any ideas what is happening ?

[killa-combo 142]

some one poaching them ?

mr fox ?

[warm barrels 0]

Put your money on Mr fox

[comanche 3,134]

Health or management problems with the birds making em easy prey?

Runners not picked up after a shoot ?

Primary feathers bitten through could well mean fox ...

Bit of detective work and a few quiet dusk and dawn stake-outs required.

Could be a fox has got to know the birds routines a bit too well.

[Guest bluemink]

some one poaching them ?

it would have to be a pretty thick poacher to leave feathers everywhere...

[waidmann 105]

as said above, try to identify the culprit at the kill. chewed up quill will mean a fury predator clean plucked a feathered one. do you lamp for foxes or trap them? no tracks to be found? fox shit on prominent points on the hedge? any ferrets lost? etc etc

good luck and let us know if you find out who it was please

[Wanna be farmer 0]

SparrowHawks pluck their prey. It could be a fox. Do you do much preditor control? Are there many foxes around?

["Earth!" 503]

SparrowHawks pluck their prey. It could be a fox. Do you do much preditor control? Are there many foxes around?

 

 

sparrow hawks rarely,if ever touch an adult pheasant mate.

[farmboy99 1]

sounds like a fox to me too although it could be a bird of prey where abouts are you in the country?

[paulus 26]

difficult to say without seeing the evidence but if the feathers are under a hedge could be a bird of prey as they do tend to drag prey out of the way of other birds rooks magpies ect. if the feathers have been chewed then most likely mr fox.

[sam3009 4]

If the feathers are snipped at the quill end..................BREAK OUT THE TERRIERS

Edited October 22, 2009 by sam3009

[Wanna be farmer 0]

SparrowHawks pluck their prey. It could be a fox. Do you do much preditor control? Are there many foxes around?

 

 

sparrow hawks rarely,if ever touch an adult pheasant mate.

 

I've seen a SparrowHawk have a pheasant before.

[upperlane2 4]

do u have a resident buzzard around ur shoot or its probably fox. do u shoot near a stream river possible mink stoat weasel . take a day night out and do a bit of research. then when u find out get ur local terrier man rifle man to sort it out for u depending were u live

["Earth!" 503]

SparrowHawks pluck their prey. It could be a fox. Do you do much preditor control? Are there many foxes around?

 

 

sparrow hawks rarely,if ever touch an adult pheasant mate.

 

I've seen a SparrowHawk have a pheasant before.

 

 

probally a peregrine mate..

[Steve McHardy 2]

SparrowHawks pluck their prey. It could be a fox. Do you do much preditor control? Are there many foxes around?

 

 

sparrow hawks rarely,if ever touch an adult pheasant mate.

 

I've seen a SparrowHawk have a pheasant before.

 

 

probally a peregrine mate..

adult pheasants are a bit big for most perries mate goshawks make mince outa them could be one of them if there are any about, or just plain old foxy a few late nights and early mornings required to id cultprit.