How can I help pheasants escaped from local shoot survive?

They will be used to grain drops but not housed - they are pretty good survivors and if not will provide the local foxes and the odd bird of prey with a dinner or two. Without natural predators Pheasants do very well and are very capable of looking after themselves. Grain drops are used to keep them in an area for shoots.

How do I know this? Prior to the 1980's we did not have Pheasant on the Island (Jersey) a number were brought onto the Island to create a shoot which backfired - if you will excuse the pun when the organisation discovered that under our law it illegal and so the birds were released (also illegal but once gone there wasn't a lot the authorities could do) and we now have a thriving population and they can be a bit of a pest sometimes so I really wouldn't be too concerned about the ones around you

Cin J

In reply to Germain:

They are hardy birds and will have spent most of their lives in outdoor pens prior to release into woods for shooting. The 'keeper will have put down grain for them every morning to keep them in the woods and on the shoots land. You don't need to worry about shelter, they will roost in local trees. But you can keep them close to your home by ground feeding them wheat or the usual wild bird mix.
They are tough birds but the hens make awful mothers. I have lived on a shooting estate all my life, my brother and one of my uncles were 'keepers and I've had many tame peasants and kept golden pheasants too.

Don't forget they are the property of the shoot. The game keeper's livelihood depends on having them to present to the guns and each bird can be worth a great deal of money. When they are driven over the guns they will spread across and outside of the estate. The keeper feeds them back into the drives and they will usually not be shot over for a fortnight or so to allow them to settle. I can understand that you may not like or agree with shooting but it is very unfair to feed them off the shoot and encourage them not to return home. Wait until 1 Feb when the season finishes and then you won't cause any damage to the shoot

In reply to Purdey3 :

If that were true, wouldn’t that make each local shooting estate liable for damage caused?

DawnG said:

Hello,

I have had pheasants in my garden, and seen them all over, they have survived a shoot on the neighbouring estate. It is very cold now and I presume they are used to being housed and fed. How can I help them survive?

In answering please consider that I have a cat who I have previously seen stalking pheasants in the garden. Also that I am concerned about creating dependency on my feeding them, as I may need to move out of the property when my job concludes mid next year.

If they can manage without my help that would be a huge relief, so please let me know.

I live in rural Devon. Not many water sources except the sea immediately near my property. Nearest river puts them back on the estate that wants to shoot them.

Any advice gratefully received, they have been around since last week pecking weeds/ground in the field behind my house.

I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything illegal in law. Even if you think your doing is right by helping the Pheasants!

Regards,

Ian.

Regards,

Ian.

It is quite an old thread, Thomo, that Purdey3 has, for some reason, resurrected. I cant see any evidence of anything falling foul of law. No one enforces it anyway.

In reply to ItisaRobbo:

ItisaRobbo said:

It is quite an old thread, Thomo, that Purdey3 has, for some reason, resurrected. I cant see any evidence of anything falling foul of law. No one enforces it anyway.

I’ve just noticed that! David Attenborough warned the climate change protesters not to break the law. That is why David Attenbrough gets the respects in the UK, far more than other conservationists who I know of some in the past and present have done that. No names. Sadly David Attenborough won’t be here for ever. Who will replace him. and get similar respect in the future>, I don’t know!

Regards,

Ian.

In reply to THOMO:

Sir David Attenborough is a one off. Very few legends actually are. He is.

I don't think we'll be hearing back from Purdey3 as:-
1) what was written was wrong
2) It's about two months after the 1st Feb that was referred to!