Nesting Cover

Pheasant habitat needs broken down by type

Pheasant habitat needs broken down by type

Nesting cover is the single most important limiting factor for pheasant populations and should be the cornerstone of all pheasant management plans.

Three Keys for Good Nesting Cover:

Increase nesting success by implementing buffers on the landscape. These "travel links" along cropland edges, stream or riparian corridors, field borders, and grass waterways protect water quality while providing nesting areas between fragmented agricultural habitats. Wider is better – nesting success for pheasants increases measurably or every 1-foot increase in strip width.

Not Sure About the Quality of Your Nesting Cover?

Ideal pheasant cover is relatively easy to define

Ideal pheasant cover is relatively easy to define

Conduct this simple field exercise in mid-April to test the adequacy of your nest cover: Throw a football 20 feet into the field. If it disappears and there are several species of grasses and forbs, you likely have adequate cover. Pheasants live out their lives within a home range of approximately one square mile, requiring all habitat components - nesting cover, brood habitat, winter cover and food - to be in close proximity.

Ideally, 30-60 acres (about 5-10 percent) of this range should be nesting cover. That may sound like a lot but every bit of undisturbed grass cover helps, roadsides, waterways, center pivot corners, fencelines all offer pheasant nesting opportunities.

For more about nesting cover, consult Pheasants Forever's Essential Habitat Guide or contact the Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in your area.