38 MANAGEMENT OF PHEASANTS IN PRESERVES. 
It is probable that this procedure is frequently carried too far, and in confirmation 
of this view I have much pleasure in quoting Mr. J. D. Dougall, who, in his 
“Shooting Simplified,” says: “It is customary to shoot cock pheasants only, and 
to impose a fine upon the sportsmen who break this rule, the money being escheated 
to the head keeper, or applied to defray the expenses of a dinner at the end of 
the season, when shootings are rented by a party of gentlemen. This rule is very 
frequently overstretched. It should not be forgotten that the desired end may be 
frustrated by having too many hens, as well as by having too few, and in 
whatever way the disproportion of sexes is caused, the result—reduction in 
increase—is the same. If the cocks are continually killed down, few male birds 
will arrive at that complete maturity so essential to producing a healthy stock. 
On the other hand, if the hens are continually spared, they will not only grow 
out of proportion to the number of cocks, but the aged hens will beat off the 
two and three year old birds. Very old hens should certainly be destroyed. The 
most prolific are the two and three year old birds.” 
A correspondent who supports this view writes: “It is very certain that in 
many instances too few cocks are frequently left in preserved coverts at the end 
of the season; it is also notorious that in the neighbourhood of many preserves 
a nide of above fourteen birds (and I have known eighteen) is not unfrequently 
produced from an outlying cock and hen occupying some detached covert, and 
yields the best birds of the season when the 1st of October arrives. With respect 
to the proportion of cocks to be left much may be written about it, depending 
upon all circumstances connected with the ground under the entire control of the 
individual seeking to preserve a given stock of pheasants. In all cases, in my 
opinion, too much forbearance is shown to hens early in the season, and much too 
little towards cocks at the end. The safe plan, in all cases, is to adapt one or 
two small coverts, as much in the centre of your ground as possible, as your 
feeding places for your stock birds, and before the middle of December the exact 
number of birds which by judicious management you have collected there may be 
ascertained by a few days’ careful observation. With attention and the greatest 
forbearance towards these (no old cocks being left among their number), you 
may kill freely elsewhere, and insure to your friends and yourself plenty of sport 
the following season from them and their progeny.” . 
With regard to the exact proportion of sexes left in the coverts, it is difficult 
to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. One writer states: “It would be to the 
advantage of preservers of pheasants if they would, before it is too late, refrain 
from shooting the cock birds too close, as most game preservers, I presume, wish 
to have as good and numerous a stock of pheasants as they can for breeding; and 
the reason why so many are disappointed in this respect is for want of more cock 
. birds. There should be left at least one cock for every three hens, as eggs then 
