2012 wild pheasant flushing survey

FLDBRED

FLDBRED

Well-known member
It's hard to believe but it's that time of year already. I really look forward to this every year, it's neat to get to flush Wild Pa. pheasants!

The times and dates are,

Sun. Jan 15, 2012 Hegins Valley, Schuylkill county & Gratz Valley,
1:00 - 4:00 PM Dauphin county

Sun. Feb 12, 2012 Greenwood Valley, Columbia county
1:00 - 4:00 PM

Sun. Feb 19, 2012 Turbotville area, Northumberland & Montour
1:00 - 4:00 PM counties

Sun. Feb 26, 2012 Turbotville area, Northumberland & Montour
1:00 - 4:00 PM counties

Volunteers with bird dogs needed!

Spotters are also welcome!
 
Thanks for the information! I'll have to look it over and see where I can help out. Any ideas where you might go? I'm thinking Dauphin County looks good for me.
 
Here is some more info on the surveys:

2012 Wild Pheasant Flushing Surveys

Hegins-Gratz Valley & the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas

Annual Flushing Surveys gather data on wild pheasants released in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas. This is the 1st year for flushing surveys in the Hegins-Gratz WPRA in Schuylkill and Dauphin counties and the 5th year for the Central Susquehanna WPRA. We appreciate all your help and support!



Volunteers & Bird Dogs Needed!

Come prepared for “not-always-easy” walking through tall grass fields and brush and spending time outdoors. Good bird dogs are welcome and essential. Volunteers without dogs are also needed to be “spotters” along the edges of fields. Spotters are very important!



Registration Required;

Please pre-register. We must organize groups ahead of time & be able to contact you in case of a weather cancellation. Feel free to check in with us if the weather forecast looks bad.

To register, Please email or call: Colleen DeLong cdelong@pa.gov 570-380-0833

Please Provide the following information:

Name, Email or phone #, Number of people in your group, Number of dogs, Type of dogs - flushers or pointers, Dates you will attend (Because of the great interest, you may NOT get all the dates you want. If so, we’ll contact you ahead of time.)

Date & Time: Sun, Jan 15, 2012 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Locations being Surveyed:

Hegins Valley, Schuylkill county & Gratz Valley, Dauphin county

Registration Deadline: Wed, Jan 11, 2012

Meeting Place: Wenger Feeds Inc., 8959 Rte 25, Spring Glen, PA 17978

Rain/Snow Date Sat, Jan 21, 2012



Date & Time: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 1:00 - 4:00 PM


Locations being Surveyed: Greenwood Valley, Columbia County


Registration Deadline: Wed, Feb 8, 2012


Meeting Place:

Deihl Vault & Precast Co., 1786 State Rt 254 Orangeville, PA 17859

Rain/Snow Date: Sat, Feb 18, 2012



Date & Time: Sun, Feb 19, 2012 1:00 - 4:00 PM


Locations being Surveyed: Turbotville area, Northumberland & Montour counties



Registration Deadline: Wed, Feb 8, 2012


Meeting Place: Turbotville National Bank Parking Lot, 4710 State Rt. 54 Turbotville, PA 17772


Rain/Snow Date: Sat, Feb 25, 2012


Date & Time: Sun, Feb 26, 2012 1:00 - 4:00 PM


Locations being Surveyed: Turbotville area, Northumberland & Montour counties


Registration Deadline: Wed, Feb 8, 2012


Meeting Place: Turbotville National Bank Parking Lot, 4710 State Rt. 54 Turbotville, PA 17772


Rain/Snow Date: Sat, Mar 3, 2012





Thank You for your support of Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas!





Colleen DeLong

Wildlife Biologist

Pennsylvania Game Commission

570-380-0833

cdelong@pa.gov
 
I would like to attend them all, but I have to check my schedule. The first date kind of snuck up on us.


If any one would like to get their dog some work on wild birds this is a great way to do it!
 
After talking to my wife it looks like I will be doing the Hegins area on Jan 15 and Turbotville on Feb. 26.
 
I haven't heard anything about those areas yet John, if I do I'll be sure to let you know. Or you could contact Colleen Delong from the information above, I'm sure she would know.
 
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Thanks,

I'm tossing around bringing my dog and heading east. It'd be nice to meet some of you guys and my dog could definitely use the bird contacts...Better opportunity than at Pike run that's for sure.

-John
 
These events are a lot of fun for sure! As far as seeing birds goes a lot depends on what farm you get assigned, one farm one year flushed over 70 birds while some others only flushed a handful. A lot of people are keeping their fingers crossed this year because of the very wet spring and it's effect on the nesting and hatch.
 
You're right about being on the right farm. I was on one of the wrong farms that had one or two birds. But we did see a good number of deer and saw a lot of turkey tracks. It's a lot like hunting, just without the guns.
 
Just got back from the flushing survey. The group I was in hit 3 different small areas. Each area did not get any birds when the releases happen last year. We didn't find any birds on our first field. The second area we were able to get a rooster out of a small field of switch grass and a hen out of a thicket area I walked through with the dogs. We didn't find any birds in the last field. So we found one hen and one rooster in areas that did not get any birds last year. I did not hear how any of the other groups did. I'll be helping out with one more survey at the end of Feb.
 
We just got in a couple of minutes ago. The group I was in also worked a farm that hadn't received any birds, this means that any birds seen had to travel a few miles to get there. We flushed 7 pheasants,3 roosters and 4 hens. That's a real go ratio! The habitat on the farm we worked was great,we flushed a flock of turkeys from the center of a big bluestem field. I heard that group one flushed 35 birds from their fields, but this is not confirmed, I haven't heard the totals yet.
 
Here are some of the numbers from the most recent flushing survey:
97 people and 74 dogs on 9 different farms flushed a total of 36 roosters and 60 hens. Lets hope for a good hatch this spring!
 
That's pretty darn good, we didn't spend a lot of time on these farms and this is just the first year after the release there. The main purpose was to get the sex ratio, and that looks good!:thumbsup:
 
Just got the email from Larry Crespo,

Looks like there will be a flushing at the Somerset WPRA in the first week of February. Still working on the details it seems.

-John
 
John

If you can, you should try to attend. There are a lot of really good people involved in this program!

The Somerset County WPRA is a little unique! The county is loaded with some great cover "outside" of the WPRA.
 
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