PHEASANT FACT FRIDAY - What do pheasants eat this time of year? It's been six months since last fall's crop harvest. A new crop of weed seeds won't be available for four or five months. Juicy insects are still two to three months away. Even at this barren time of year, they still show a preference for farm crops. In March, over 80 percent of their diet is farm crops, with corn being number one. Less corn is consumed now than was during last year's corn harvest, but the difference is made up by increased consumption of wheat, barley and oats. This change to small grains is probably due to less corn being available. In March only a small part of the pheasant's diet is weed seeds. Insects make up four percent, consisting mainly of grasshopper parts and eggs. Green plants comprise percent of their food. Pheasant Fact Friday is presented by Irish Setter Boots #pheasantsforever #pheasantfactfriday

Spring Dance // Impressing Hens is a Lot of Work When the sun gets warm and the world starts greening up, ringneck roosters come out of hiding to display their feathered glory — and their fitness to perform breeding duties — for all, including the objects of their desire, to see. Welcome to the spring dance. Like at any good dance, a good fight is apt to break out between amorous suitors. Roosters jump at each other, kicking and flailing and biting — a real hullabaloo. Then there are tender moments between victor and prize. Rooster pheasants put on a grand spring show indeed. Feathers puffed. Bright red wattles aflame with blood. Ear tufts erect. Strutting, wing-flapping, cackling, drumming and crowing. But it is the hen that chooses which suitor she will mate with — the biggest, baddest and bestest. Let the next generation begin.

One hunter’s relentless quest to chase upland birds across America’s wildest terrain. This conversation dives deep into the reality behind the “upland slam” — not just the birds, but the dogs, the habitat, and the wild game meal at the end of a hunt. Listeners will pick up practical insights on upland bird hunting strategy, from breaking down unfamiliar terrain to identifying productive habitat like timber cuts, chaparral, and sagebrush steppe. There’s a heavy emphasis on how to adapt when things aren’t working, including when to abandon a spot and trust your instincts. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4sFU7ZV “On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Pro Plan Sporting Dogs

BIRD DOG ISSUE BOUNDING IN Is there any heart purer than that of a bird dog? Where would we be without our bird dogs? And where would upland conservation be without our bird dogs’ eager eyes egging us on to accomplish more of Pheasants Forever’s habitat and public access missions? John Stewart Wright’s cover photo, which I dub simply “Joy,” captures the perfection and purity of our bird dogs’ hearts, and kicks off PF Journal’s annual Summer Bird Dog Issue. It’s coming fast though: Make sure you are joined up or renewed with PF by April 7 to get it. Let’s keep doin’ ‘em proud. And lovin’ ‘em up. - TOM “CARP” CARPENTER, EDITOR Join PF here: https://bit.ly/4bYQG9l

Prescribed burns use a controlled application of fire to regenerate and renew the landscape. Clearing invasive plants, dry brush, leaf litter, thatch, and monoculture grasses. They reduce wildfire risk, stimulate new growth, restore biodiversity, and create an inviting environment for wildlife. Planning is the key to a safe and successful prescribed burn. Preparation is time-consuming: pulling permits; contacting the local fire departments and any neighbors who might be affected; making sure that fire breaks are adequate and that the equipment is prepped; and gathering an adequate number of burn crew volunteers to match the requirements of the acreage to be burned. Read "The Gift of Fire" & "Blueprint for a Chapter Burn Program" here: https://bit.ly/3PHhLGT EDITOR'S NOTE: With ongoing wildfires impacting parts of Nebraska, we're thinking about everyone affected — residents, landowners, firefighters, livestock, and wildlife alike. While wildfire brings real loss, this story explores a different side of fire: how prescribed burns, when used carefully, can restore habitat and even reduce future wildfire risk. Words & Photos by Gary Krukar

PHEASANT FACT FRIDAY - Do you have to replant or start an alfalfa field this spring? Consider planting a variety that matures a week or two later than usual. Alfalfa reaches peak nutritional value just prior to most hens hatching their nests. Alfalfa is the first, lush, green growth each spring, and hens will concentrate their nests in the fields. Unfortunately, up to 70 percent of the nests and 50 percent of the hens will be destroyed by the swather. If that alfalfa field matured a week after the peak pheasant hatch, its chick production would triple. Pheasant Fact Friday is presented by Irish Setter Boots #pheasantsforever #pheasantfactfriday

Introducing Habitat University! Habitat University (HU) is a new educational initiative from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever that features free, self-paced, how-to courses online. The goal of HU is simple: provide practical training that helps develop more and better-equipped habitat managers, putting quality upland habitat on the ground. These courses are designed for anyone looking to implement or improve habitat projects, with a focus on clear, skills-based instruction you can apply right away. Explore Habitat University and see all the available courses here: https://bit.ly/3NrdTt1

Learn what it really takes to guide upland hunts across the ruffed grouse woods and through the desert quail country. Behind the Instagram photos of bird dogs on point is a far grittier reality. Brian Vander Maazen of Amaazen Outdoors pulls back the curtain on life as a full-time bird hunting guide, from the aspen covers of Wisconsin to the desert edges of scaled quail country. This conversation gets into the daily grind of guiding upland hunters, reading habitat, training gun dogs, and building a lifestyle around wild birds. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4uRT3Ua “On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Pro Plan Sporting Dogs