Hunting in the snow at Pheasant Valley Farm:

[tallen702]

Got out today at Pheasant Valley Farm with my Nephew (who goes to boarding school in NoVA) and my BIL who drove all the way from Winston-Salem to join us. With 5" of snow on the ground, and intermittent snow squalls throughout the day, it made for a memorable day of upland hunting. We bagged 14 pheasants and 4 chukar in 3 hours hunting over GSPs with our awesome guide, Karen, keeping us on the birds despite snow and wind. My TriStar Upland Hunter O/U performed beautifully, and I had to make myself put it down to give my old Montgomery Ward-branded Remington 878 some time in the field. Despite the wind and temps hovering just at the freezing mark, we never felt the cold. There's just no better way to spend a day.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

DANG, That is a good day.

 

[tallen702]

We certainly got a workout slogging through all that fresh snow. We were all pretty worn out at the end of the 3 hours. There were so many "scratch" birds at the end (birds left over from other hunts that have survived) that it was like mana from heaven. They didn't run as much with the snow as deep as it was, so getting them to fly was a little easier once they flushed from the point.

 

[emerald]

Excellent. I can honestly say I'm a bit jealous.

 

[rseymorejr]

My son and I went up there a couple years ago and had a blast. This thread reminds me we need to do it again.

 

[AlBeight]

Awesome day afield. Brings back some great memories from my teens and early twenties, back in the day.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Excellent. I can honestly say I'm a bit jealous.

I'm more than a bit jealous. Damn I miss the old days of huntable populations of pheasant in Maryland.

 

[remrug]

If you brought back any plucked , whole birds home, brine with salt, water and orange juice. Put on a smoker and heat til done. You will be amazed .

 

[tallen702]

I'm more than a bit jealous. Damn I miss the old days of huntable populations of pheasant in Maryland.

They've been fiddling around the past two years in the western counties with the return of stocking pheasants again. The problem is that farmland is rapidly disappearing in MD due to the spread of housing development. Also, modern farming practices leave little cover and habitat for game birds. With mowers coming back after the combine harvesters have done their work to gather up all the stalks for silage and timothy being supplanted by alfalfa for fodder and hay, there just isn't the cover that there once was. I'd love to see the DNR do like they do at McKee-Besher and do some farming in each county for the express purpose of strengthening the stock of wild birds who might then spread out and populate other areas. They plant sunflowers at MB to draw in the doves for the dove season, It'd be nice if the WMAs had some fields for pheasants, chukar, and quail. Shoot, the area opposite my house at Little Bennett Regional Park is a bird sanctuary, and would be a great quail, pheasant, and chukar habitat, but they mow it all under 2x per year for hay. Doesn't seem too friendly for the birds. I might just have to write a letter or two to the MNCPPC about that.....

 

[2flhun]

Very nice.
Post some pics when they are on the platter

 

[Uncle Duke]

They've been fiddling around the past two years in the western counties with the return of stocking pheasants again. The problem is that farmland is rapidly disappearing in MD due to the spread of housing development. Also, modern farming practices leave little cover and habitat for game birds. With mowers coming back after the combine harvesters have done their work to gather up all the stalks for silage and timothy being supplanted by alfalfa for fodder and hay, there just isn't the cover that there once was. I'd love to see the DNR do like they do at McKee-Besher and do some farming in each county for the express purpose of strengthening the stock of wild birds who might then spread out and populate other areas. They plant sunflowers at MB to draw in the doves for the dove season, It'd be nice if the WMAs had some fields for pheasants, chukar, and quail. Shoot, the area opposite my house at Little Bennett Regional Park is a bird sanctuary, and would be a great quail, pheasant, and chukar habitat, but they mow it all under 2x per year for hay. Doesn't seem too friendly for the birds. I might just have to write a letter or two to the MNCPPC about that.....

I wasn't aware of any such efforts in Maryland. That's good to hear, though it would seem a huge uphill battle.

There is undoubtedly a long list of things that contributed to the disappearance of wild pheasant in Maryland. Many of them are intertwined, with some factors seemingly mattering more than others. Seems no doubt that attitudes play a huge role today. Hunting and firearms use generally is frowned upon in much of this state, as we all know. I'm 50 plus years removed from the days of my youth, when walking down a road with a shotgun over my shoulder wouldn't have had me encountering a SWAT team. This shift in attitudes may well represent the biggest obstacle of all. Especially in this state. Setting aside land, and setting aside land for hunting, are two different things. Again, especially in this state.

I was watching Maryland Farm and Harvest one night, and was absolutely shocked to learn that almost 1/3 of the total land area in this state is being farmed in one fashion or another. Something like 2 million acres! I had no idea! I think you hit the nail on the head with your mention of modern farming practices today. The comparative demise of family farms versus yesteryear has resulted in fewer (but larger) farms, and with that trend the resulting loss of hedgerows and edge and border property. That loss of nesting cover has most certainly played a role. Also playing a role has to be the fact that Maryland land in particular is very expensive. In one way or another, that land is seen as having to produce. As you mentioned, all too often the most productive use of land is seen as housing.

I think it's also noteworthy that the average age of farmers today is well into their 50's. Farming is work, and a whole lot of it. Fewer people nowadays want that lifestyle. As such, "larger and fewer" farms would seem to be a trend that is likely to continue. I think that less accessible farms, especially for hunting, are a reality today as well. Not that less accessible isn't understandable. That's a whole other facet of this story, and a whole other story in and of itself.

 

[tallen702]

I think that less accessible farms, especially for hunting, are a reality today as well. Not that less accessible isn't understandable. That's a whole other facet of this story, and a whole other story in and of itself.

Interestingly enough, the MD Dept. of Ag. and the MD DNR are working on a program to link hunters up with farmers for deer management. Maybe, just maybe, with the program in place and more hunters and farmers talking to each other, some habitat mitigation can happen.

 

[mauser58]

Very nice! You all did and beautiful Pheasant country it looks like. Thanks for sharing..