Pheasant x3 problem...

[Seabeggar]

I have grown quite fond of 3 pheasants that have spent much of the winter raiding our birdtable. I suspect our veg plot will be under attack once things start growing. I am wondering what the options are, I would prefer non lethal, the wife wants them gone dead or alive. Any advice????

 

[Toddy]

They could be caged. You could then shift the cage over the garden bit by bit and they'd scratch up and eat the pests. Once your veg are up a bit let them free ?

You do know you're going to get dozens of replies with recipes

cheers,
Toddy

 

[phill_ue]

Out of season now, so you shouldn't be shooting them. On the other hand, if they are a pest then I believe you can! I'm not sure if that applies to urban type homes or if it is just commercial premises and farms, but you could try and catch them with figure four trap on a bird cage made from criss crossed sticks. I heard that gamekeepers use this method. Failing that, get a bag of seed and feed them up, it wouldn't cost you much and if you enjoy them visiting then encourage them. Set an area aside for them so that they don't purloin the song birds feed. You never know, they may stay with you and you could end up with loads of pheasant and you could charge toffs a fortune to try and shoot them!

 

[phill_ue]

Same idea Toddy! Caging them is quite an idea though, make them work for their feed!

 

[Seabeggar]

Is there an online diagram of it ? Thanks

 

[phill_ue]

Is there an online diagram of it ? Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iR_3zWd0hA

 

[JonathanD]

Is there an online diagram of it ? Thanks

Certainly is

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Spartan2.gif

 

[tobes01]

Remember that if you cage them they will most likely get stressed, and in pheasants that can be fatal. Personally I'd put some netting round the veg garden, a bird table on the lawn, and let the pheasants do their thing - they're attractive and can be very funny to watch (being birds of very little brain...)

 

[fishfish]

theyre a pest and non native species,just kill them,theyll breed and by mid summer pringing a dozen young onto your plot or worse still someone elses.

 

[Katanic]

we have the same issue down our allotments weve got a trap set out for them now the hope is to catch them an move them to the wood where we have our local shoot every year

 

[John Fenna]

We have regular visitops to our garden - but during the spring and summer they disapear!
We enjoy their winter visits but have had no trouble from them attacking the veggies.....

 

[Bushwhacker]

theyre a pest and non native species,just kill them,theyll breed and by mid summer pringing a dozen young onto your plot or worse still someone elses.

Yep, what's to say they didn't run over by a car............ tridge ?