Pheasants?

[Boss Gobbler]

Can Kentucky support a heathly pheasant population?

[GSP]

I've been told that KY can't support them. I've never been told why though. I've heard everything from, "something is missing in the soil" to "it get's too hot". Any official word out there?

[KYhunter]

I used to know what that missing soil ingredient was, but time has washed it away. I also understood that pheasants do not fare well below the 23rd parallel or something like that. Of course Ky 31 fescue makes it a moot point.

[45 Caliber]

I believe eastern KY has a decent bird population. I also hunt in WV and the bird population is not as good as here in KY.

[GSP]

.45, pheasant?

[CSS archer]

Many folks in east KY call grouse pheasants.

As for the answer to the riddle, ringneck pheasants do not fare well anywhere globally that wasn't glaciated. They are native to China. They were stocked in KY in the 40's and 50's but never "took".

I read in a book by Funkhouser "Wild Life in Kentucky" published in 1923 that pheasants were common in every county of KY, grouse were considered rare or uncommon. At that time most of KY was clear land, even the mountains, I find it hard to believe pheasants were common, also hard to believe KY was deforested, I wasn't there.....does that make me a decendant from Missouri stock?








Edited by - CSS archer on 03/03/2002 12:09:09 PM