attracting and holding a small pheasant population

[hedge wanderer 51]

Hi

was curious on people’s thoughts about holding pheasants in a reasonably small area (is a large area of permission but is small in comparison to land managed for game). Recently asked the bloke allowing me to shoot ( had the permission many years now) and he said no to putting a few feeders up on the condition that the area of woodland has is open to the public and is sometimes frequented by youths (chavs haha) who may simply just damage the feeders.  so I was thinking of just scattering grain along woodland edges and hedge bottoms on a regular basis as I’ve been told by keepers and shoots who have took on land where no birds have been seen for many years (before any further releasing has been done) that simply putting out feed with sometimes of just one hopper in an ideal area does happen to draw a substantial number of birds as long as this food source is kept topped up will hold them well, also knowing pheasants, especially the cock birds take up woodland edges as apart of their territory. There is no farmland as the permission is mainly woodland with meadows.  I may also attempt to rear and release my own small population of pheasants as i know the surrounding farmers and dont fancy stealing them haha

Any suggestions feel free, especially falconers who normally rely on wild populations of birds.

ATB

Edited January 12, 2018 by hedge wanderer

[Hands of Stone 154]

Yes it would work..... just have a look under oak trees on a pheasant shoot. Try feeding wheat with a few handfuls of maize

 

[hedge wanderer 51]

Cheers mate.  Like I said, ideal habitat with a stream for water. All that is missing is an abundant food source

ATB