Show Pheasant H Hunting Fair Hereabouts Pheasant hunting has been rather poor boor in Sanpete this year according to hunters and Game Warden Varden Kenneth Tuttle The fhe pheasants were pretty much hunched bunched on opening day due to drought conditions according to Mr Tuttle with congregations of birds near good feed patches and water There hunting hunt hunt- hunting were some good in ing spots on opening day clay but it was not long before a good or some uncommon good goodluck goodluck goodluck luck was necessary to get a limit lima Warden Varden reports that the phe pheasant ant count was very good goodin in Sanpete this spring and that thatis is one r reason for the five day hunt here But he says there are several good reasons why the birds were not available for the hunting season listing them as follows 1 There has been a g great r rea c a t increase in the skunk population population population tion and the skunks pr prey y on pheas pheasants constantly 2 There are many more farm cats and stray cats which de delight delight delight de- de light in taking the girds 3 High speed tra tractors tors kill many pheasant and ruin luin litany nests when cutting hay in the fields Mr Tuttle suggests that more cover would keep pheasants from rom nesting on crop lands 4 Drought conditions congested congest congest- ed the birds into pockets as us mentioned 5 Magpies are increasing ev every every ev- ev ery year with an unusually large number this year The birds rob pheasant nests and spoil many hatches These same magpies magpies magpies mag mag- pies might be the reason for forth forthe forthe th the decrease in the population o of Robins and other birds also 6 Many impatient hunters falling failing to get their roosters will shoot hens Each hen killed means menns one once less hatch of oi pheasants pheasants pheas pheas- ants the following year Last winter was ideal for pheasants with open fields much of the winter and there was very little winter painter loss Warden Tuttle points out that hunters cannot cure all of the Ills HIs listed but they thoy can help in inthe inthe inthe the destruction of skunks cats and magpies and they can cnn be sportsmen enough to keep the hens alive and healthy n |