FCSpringer
Moderator
Not exactly the same. He is talking full grown adult birds. Fact is it has worked for hundreds of years. Chicks, not so much. Those birds released will become wild, and will reproduce.
An interesting conversation I had about ND and SD pheasants
- Thread starter calamari
- Start date
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Chicks raised in the wild are much more in tune with their environment. Chicks raised in mass under warm lights and then thrown into flight cages do not learn these life skills.
Yes at one time - wild ringnecks were trapped and released and survived. I believe MN purchased some wild ringnecks from SoDak in the late 1990s to release in MN to jump start areas without any pheasants (winters of '96 and '97) did a lot of damage ...
ND and other states that released birds found that maybe 1% survive to the following hunting season and that is why they stress habitat rather than hatcheries... ND used to band pheasants released ...
Yes at one time - wild ringnecks were trapped and released and survived. I believe MN purchased some wild ringnecks from SoDak in the late 1990s to release in MN to jump start areas without any pheasants (winters of '96 and '97) did a lot of damage ...
ND and other states that released birds found that maybe 1% survive to the following hunting season and that is why they stress habitat rather than hatcheries... ND used to band pheasants released ...
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Some time ago ... Avian predators also where shot, poisoned and indirectly poisoned (DDT) which probably helped game bird populations too.
My late uncle had a farm neighbor that set traps on posts and killed dozens of hawks and owls each year. Owl showed up to feed on wintering birds ... not for long with a .22 scoped rifle.
I know every one loves to hate the skunk, coon and fox ... but when you remove them from the food chain ... other species can fill that void.
My late uncle had a farm neighbor that set traps on posts and killed dozens of hawks and owls each year. Owl showed up to feed on wintering birds ... not for long with a .22 scoped rifle.
I know every one loves to hate the skunk, coon and fox ... but when you remove them from the food chain ... other species can fill that void.
I am going to agree with FCSpringer, on this one. Pen raised pheasants can reproduce, after initial high mortality. And massive repeated releases of pen raised pheasants over a 10 or 15 year period will fortify the local wild population by putting more healthy hens in nesting cover.
In addition the estimated number of pen raised pheasant given in the first part of this thread is way under estimated. We have to remember the vast number of individual land owners, private citizens and Mom and Pop game bird hatcheries raise and release tens of thousands of pheasant of release.
I even had a little back yard pheasant operation one year and released about 400, 12 week old (wilder strains) pheasants alone. I go 20% survival. We also saw chicks that spring.
A friend in the late fifties and early sixties had a small game bird farm and was asked by a shooting preserve in the Texas Panhandle to raise 10,000 pen raised adult pheasants pen year.
This guy obtained from (what he called the federation) Utah pure Chinese Ringneck from China. And he crossed them Afghan White winged (bianchi) pheasant. The offsprings all had rings and were wary and fast fliers.
This went on for ten years the hunters on the preserve only shot half of the pheasants released. But the wheat farmers after about 6 years in that area started seeing pheasants with chicks in green wet years. That increase in wild birds did not come from Kansas.
In addition the estimated number of pen raised pheasant given in the first part of this thread is way under estimated. We have to remember the vast number of individual land owners, private citizens and Mom and Pop game bird hatcheries raise and release tens of thousands of pheasant of release.
I even had a little back yard pheasant operation one year and released about 400, 12 week old (wilder strains) pheasants alone. I go 20% survival. We also saw chicks that spring.
A friend in the late fifties and early sixties had a small game bird farm and was asked by a shooting preserve in the Texas Panhandle to raise 10,000 pen raised adult pheasants pen year.
This guy obtained from (what he called the federation) Utah pure Chinese Ringneck from China. And he crossed them Afghan White winged (bianchi) pheasant. The offsprings all had rings and were wary and fast fliers.
This went on for ten years the hunters on the preserve only shot half of the pheasants released. But the wheat farmers after about 6 years in that area started seeing pheasants with chicks in green wet years. That increase in wild birds did not come from Kansas.
I am going to agree with FCSpringer, on this one. Pen raised pheasants can reproduce, after initial high mortality. And massive repeated releases of pen raised pheasants over a 10 or 15 year period will fortify the local wild population by putting more healthy hens in nesting cover.
In addition the estimated number of pen raised pheasant given in the first part of this thread is way under estimated. We have to remember the vast number of individual land owners, private citizens and Mom and Pop game bird hatcheries raise and release tens of thousands of pheasant of release.
I even had a little back yard pheasant operation one year and released about 400, 12 week old (wilder strains) pheasants along. I go 20% survival. We also saw chicks that spring.
A friend in the late fifties and early sixties had a small game bird farm and was asked by a shooting preserve in the Texas Panhandle to raise 10,000 pen raised adult pheasants pen year.
This guy obtained from (what he called the federation) Utah pure Chinese Ringneck from China. And he crossed them Afghan White winged (bianchi) pheasant. The offsprings all had rings and were wary and fast fliers.
This went on for ten years the hunters on the preserve only shot half of the pheasants released. But the wheat farmers after about 6 years in that area started seeing pheasants with chicks in green wet years. That increase in wild birds did not come from Kansas.
In addition the estimated number of pen raised pheasant given in the first part of this thread is way under estimated. We have to remember the vast number of individual land owners, private citizens and Mom and Pop game bird hatcheries raise and release tens of thousands of pheasant of release.
I even had a little back yard pheasant operation one year and released about 400, 12 week old (wilder strains) pheasants along. I go 20% survival. We also saw chicks that spring.
A friend in the late fifties and early sixties had a small game bird farm and was asked by a shooting preserve in the Texas Panhandle to raise 10,000 pen raised adult pheasants pen year.
This guy obtained from (what he called the federation) Utah pure Chinese Ringneck from China. And he crossed them Afghan White winged (bianchi) pheasant. The offsprings all had rings and were wary and fast fliers.
This went on for ten years the hunters on the preserve only shot half of the pheasants released. But the wheat farmers after about 6 years in that area started seeing pheasants with chicks in green wet years. That increase in wild birds did not come from Kansas.
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That was just what the guy said the single operation produced where his son worked not all that may be planted.
Our DFG used to catch wild birds at night for transplanting to suitable unused habitat. They tried raised birds and even from wild stock had poor success. They got much better luck transplanting 20-30 caught adult birds per area. The program stopped because the guy running it found he just couldn't keep his hands off his nubile seasonal aides while night trapping. He was transferred to DFG's equivalent of Diego Garcia and there's been no transplanting since that I'm aware of.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Of course pen raised birds can survive and reproduce. I did not say they could not. Most G&F departments estimate survival at under 1% - not really a cost effective route is it ?
10,000 birds released would mean less than 100 are there in the spring... Economics - yes for paid hunts, no for creating a self sustaining pheasant population.
Michigan and North Dakota mess around with the sichuan pheasant. The experiment failed. I occasionally hunt in areas where they were released in ND and have seen evidence of these genetics (or some guy is still releasing them).
In Minnesota - pheasant preserves are not the "hub" of "wild" pheasant populations.
In ND Pheasants for the Future releases a lot of birds in the Minot region ... the birds get shot in some youth hunting areas and on some local public spots - but come spring there is nothing substantial there - nor has the population become high and self sustaining.
Weather, habitat and momma pheasant are what make fall seasons productive or tough (still fun I guess).
10,000 birds released would mean less than 100 are there in the spring... Economics - yes for paid hunts, no for creating a self sustaining pheasant population.
Michigan and North Dakota mess around with the sichuan pheasant. The experiment failed. I occasionally hunt in areas where they were released in ND and have seen evidence of these genetics (or some guy is still releasing them).
In Minnesota - pheasant preserves are not the "hub" of "wild" pheasant populations.
In ND Pheasants for the Future releases a lot of birds in the Minot region ... the birds get shot in some youth hunting areas and on some local public spots - but come spring there is nothing substantial there - nor has the population become high and self sustaining.
Weather, habitat and momma pheasant are what make fall seasons productive or tough (still fun I guess).
FCSpringer
Moderator
Most game and fish guys have said that for eons. They want a job. Don't believe everything a college grad tells ya LOL. If it works here, it can work anywhere there is wild birds. 50% minimal, minimal here. And I banded mine too. 2 years later was harvesting them yet, so I know it works. It is why where ever we have field trials in the mid west, the land owners want us back. If they get by the first week, they are good to go. Food, water, cover, and some wild populous will = success. We have leg bands on our trial birds as well. And we frequently see many of them in that same area the following spring. I used to release chicks as well, well young ones I should say. It did not work. That is where the 1% hype comes from I believe. Pope county released adult birds by the thousands per year for a while. That area has had some of the highest bird per square mile numbers for a while now. Add that with good winters, and they will boom again. Bad winter, big kill off, wild or not. It's been going on since they were first "released". All wild birds are decedents of "released" birds. They are not native to the US. I like to say they are now however. Thank your lucky stars some guy originally "released birds". If it does not work, and the DNR says so LOL. Why is it law that they have to release birds in the Dakotas on pay to play operations? Kind of hypocritical of them don't ya think LOL. I would be willing to bet the big rooster by my pen last night was an escapee from training this last spring. He looks much better then he did in the spring. And when I got out of my truck, he ran like the wind. Crops are down, so they start to come back. I even see some brown hens here and there. We have not used them for 2 years. It works. Especially if you help them through the worst of winter with some grub.:thumbsup:
I used to release chicks as well, well young ones I should say. It did not work. That is where the 1% hype comes from I believe. Pope county released adult birds by the thousands per year for a while. That area has had some of the highest bird per square mile numbers for a while now. Add that with good winters, and they will boom again. Bad winter, big kill off, wild or not. It's been going on since they were first "released". All wild birds are decedents of "released" birds. They are not native to the US. I like to say they are now however. Thank your lucky stars some guy originally "released birds". If it does not work, and the DNR says so LOL. Why is it law that they have to release birds in the Dakotas on pay to play operations? Kind of hypocritical of them don't ya think LOL. I would be willing to bet the big rooster by my pen last night was an escapee from training this last spring. He looks much better then he did in the spring. And when I got out of my truck, he ran like the wind. Crops are down, so they start to come back. I even see some brown hens here and there. We have not used them for 2 years. It works. Especially if you help them through the worst of winter with some grub.:thumbsup:
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BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Sure - everyone knows the best hunting in Minnesota is adjacent to the hunting preserves. There areas are super sites for MN pheasant populations.
ND released banded adult birds ...
It is a law that they have to release birds on SD pay to play preserves only and they do this in exchange for a Sept - Mar season and a separate license.
Outfits that offer wild bird only hunts within the SD hunting season framework and requiring hunters to purchase the regular 10 day season license are NOT required to release a single bird.
There areas are super sites for MN pheasant populations.ND released banded adult birds ...
It is a law that they have to release birds on SD pay to play preserves only and they do this in exchange for a Sept - Mar season and a separate license.
Outfits that offer wild bird only hunts within the SD hunting season framework and requiring hunters to purchase the regular 10 day season license are NOT required to release a single bird.
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FCSpringer
Moderator
Actually in MN I would say there is very few of those, and 99% of our birds are wild. In 40 years I guess I have never hunted by a preserve, or on one yet. But this is about Dakotas anyway.
But this is about Dakotas anyway.
FCSpringer
Moderator
I did shoot ducks in ND that were banded in WA state 3 years prior. Funny how released ducks can live 3 years and be a half a country away, yet some believe the pheasant dies from spontaneous combustion or something LOL.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
When my brother lived on the farm he used to raise 100+ pheasants, plus peacocks, rescued canada geese chicks, chickens, and other fowl etc... each year.
One year someone gave him a dozen mallard (wild strain) mallard ducklings. They were allowed to leave as winter set in. Next spring he had two hen mallards running around his farm yard.
About half the 100 pheasants were let go around their farm every year by his sons ... next spring he would hear one or two crowing. No one hunted them. He never saw any wild hatched chicks.
One year someone gave him a dozen mallard (wild strain) mallard ducklings. They were allowed to leave as winter set in. Next spring he had two hen mallards running around his farm yard.
About half the 100 pheasants were let go around their farm every year by his sons ... next spring he would hear one or two crowing. No one hunted them. He never saw any wild hatched chicks.
1pheas4
Moderator
Here in IL, the state releases roosters on controlled hunting lands. Over the course of 4 years or so, wild pheasants on these lands were tested (DNA tests).
Through testing of the wild rooster's DNA--they did not find any trace(s) of released rooster's blood-lines/DNA within the established wild pheasant population.
Talking with one of the gentlemen involved with the study at the University of Urbana-Champaign, he said it appears one of two things are happening;
1. the released roosters are not surviving until spring--to breed. (not likely that none are surviving)
2. the wild established roosters are preventing the pen raised roosters from breeding. (likely)
I'd like to add another possibility; wild hens are not finding the pen-raised roosters as suitable mates for breeding.
I made the suggestion that pen raised hens be released--instead of roosters only. In my experience, this is were re-production in the wild has the best chance for success. Particularly hens from good blood-lines and that are not used to humans/"tame".
If you see birds in a pen that immediately run to the opposite side of the pen the second they see you, this bird will oblivious run from other dangers once in the wild. If the birds stand around like pets--come winter--will find themselves in the open while looking for food or "sunning" themselves to warm up, or, when walking in the open to get to another area. This is when they often get killed.
Nick
Through testing of the wild rooster's DNA--they did not find any trace(s) of released rooster's blood-lines/DNA within the established wild pheasant population.
Talking with one of the gentlemen involved with the study at the University of Urbana-Champaign, he said it appears one of two things are happening;
1. the released roosters are not surviving until spring--to breed. (not likely that none are surviving)
2. the wild established roosters are preventing the pen raised roosters from breeding. (likely)
I'd like to add another possibility; wild hens are not finding the pen-raised roosters as suitable mates for breeding.
I made the suggestion that pen raised hens be released--instead of roosters only. In my experience, this is were re-production in the wild has the best chance for success. Particularly hens from good blood-lines and that are not used to humans/"tame".
If you see birds in a pen that immediately run to the opposite side of the pen the second they see you, this bird will oblivious run from other dangers once in the wild. If the birds stand around like pets--come winter--will find themselves in the open while looking for food or "sunning" themselves to warm up, or, when walking in the open to get to another area. This is when they often get killed.
Nick
FCSpringer
Moderator
People think too much LOL. DNA? On a genetically the same entity? Huh. Sounds like a huge waste of time. I ran in to guys in IA that had collars on them, with big antennas on a truck tracking them. They made it through winters, and ranged 25 miles or so. Might just be why your pheasants disappear. Possibly had sex 10 miles away LOL. They did the study back in the late 80's near Ledyard IA. I will say it one more time. All pheasants come from "released" birds. Period, end of story. And that's a fact you can take to the bank.:thumbsup: There actually is a guy in the history books that brought them here, raised them and released them. Until that guy did that, there was none here.:cheers: Now people look for ways to prove that it cant or does not work? Odd.
. I ran in to guys in IA that had collars on them, with big antennas on a truck tracking them. They made it through winters, and ranged 25 miles or so. Might just be why your pheasants disappear. Possibly had sex 10 miles away LOL. They did the study back in the late 80's near Ledyard IA. I will say it one more time. All pheasants come from "released" birds. Period, end of story. And that's a fact you can take to the bank.:thumbsup: There actually is a guy in the history books that brought them here, raised them and released them. Until that guy did that, there was none here.:cheers: Now people look for ways to prove that it cant or does not work? Odd.
FCSpringer
Moderator
Here ya go. Thank the Denny's:thumbsup: Take the time to educate yourself with truth. And in particular, read down to the first hunt in the state of OR, and the 50,000 birds harvested the first days hunt. Kinda spells out "why" the DNR is full of it..
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8444
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.http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8444
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It's funny how threads can get all over the place and discuss all sorts of things from my chicken transfer story to equating banded wild ducks to released pheasants. FC, I think you know those ducks weren't pen raised but were captured wild birds held only long enough to do simple measurements and then banded and released to continue their migration. Not even close to being comparable to pheasants. lol
The DNA testing described sounds very accurate to me. They take samples of the released birds DNA and then can check the DNA from later recovered birds to see if any of those released birds genetic material is present in the birds killed. It's very established science. lol
I don't know why they require released birds in other states but in Calif. they break the state down into two three zones as I recall. Where wild pheasants occur, where they could occur but don't have a wild population, and where they don't and won't occur. The pheasant clubs in the first zone where birds exist have a shorter season and must plant a higher ratio of hens to roosters. You can shoot hens on all the clubs and some of them even plant an occasional Golden Pheasant or Lady Amherst pheasant as a bonus surprise. All birds receive a leg band when you leave the club to identify it as a club bird if wardens check. I assume they require hens to be planted to compensate for any wild birds that may wander onto the club and be shot outside the regular season but within the club season. Just my guess.
Ca.DFG over time has tried planting every kind of non dangerous game animal you can think of including throwing Golden Pheasants out of the window of a fixed wing plane while it flew low over the San Joaquin Valley. Chukars, Chinese Ringneck Pheasants and White Tailed Ptarmigan are the only bird species I know of that survived all that and they came from planted wild birds or recently wild. The raised birds were only a few generations away from a wild bird. here, the raised birds are a hundred if not hundreds of generations away from wild. The method of having wild roosters breed captive hens seems very smart and would result in a more vigorous bird more likely to survive.
Lots of hens are released here but they just don't result in surviving populations. We have youth hunts where hundreds of pen raised good fliers are released on public property. The kids don't get a very high percentage of them and thanks to adult hunters cleaning up after the kids and predators nothing survives on those or adjacent lands to the next year. I've seen roosters on non huntable adjacent land right after the birds have been wiped out on the hunt property and even after the season but still no birds the next year.
Our weather is mild with winter kill not being an issue in all but the far NE part of the state. It's moisture and invertebrates in the spring that limit our pheasant production and which has caused our population to drop to almost nothing.
Thousands of hens and roosters are released and escape from the clubs here and disappear into some kind of black hole. Our farms are agribusiness with few farm houses out in the fields to provide small sanctuaries like you'll find in the prairie states. Shelter belts? Rank ditches? Fallowed ground? A waste of farmland with the appearance of an untidy, poorly run farm. Couldn't show your face at the corner farmers cafe.
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1pheas4
Moderator
FC, I think I get what you mean by "entity". I'll use your word to make an example.lol
Human's come from the same "entity", each human's DNA differs from the next. My DNA will be closely in-line with my family's DNA, but not so much in-line with my neighbor's DNA. Same thing with pheasants. There's 50-sum subspecies of ringneck pheasants. Our wild birds are a mix of many different blood-lines. So the answer to your question is "no" they are not the same and yes they do differ.
It seems we've found why wild IL pheasant numbers never bounced back after the winter of 1995/96. Now it comes down to how bad our state wants to increase our wild pheasant populations to fix an issue that goes beyond habitat and predators.
Just for the heck of it. Iowa--- did you know after 7 years of studies and releasing pen-raised pheasants into the wild, they almost gave up on establish a wild pheasant population in Iowa? It wasn't working out. Finally, after many years of trying some took to the wild and they were then able to pen-raise their blood-lines for later release into the wild. Obviously it worked out.
Anyway, in conjunction with the DNA study we too radio collared birds here in IL. Turns out what they found was a wild pheasant that had behavioral characteristics that differ from birds prior. Radio collars (in conjunction with the DNA study) studies found that today's wild Illinois pheasants;
1. will not cross highways/over expressways---(hence why most people will not ever see a wild IL pheasants crossing roads anymore--unlike min-90's and prior)
2. will not enter into wooded areas--(even to reach food and better habitat).
3. they are staying within concentrated areas--(hence not moving around enough to cross breed with other pheasants).
A few other differences; Broods numbers are shrinking and roosters are not taking on more than one hen to breed with in the spring. Something I told them I've been witnessing over the years, and have had landowners tell me they too are witnessing a change in breeding/brood rearing behavior. Wild roosters sticking around to help the hen raise their brood. This is great, but think about this; Instead of one dominate rooster breeding with 2,3, 4, or 5 hens, putting them on the nest, he's only breeding 1 hen, so there's only 1 nest. That's not good.
Anyway, if that were the case, the DNA study would have picked up on it. It was a state-wide study. Samples where gathered from just about everywhere there's pheasants--including other states. The state's pen-raised pheasants PLUS that of other game farm raised pheasants had their DNA sampled too--hence, it could be tracked through the DNA samples of wild pheasants. The DNA of such (pen-raised) birds did not show up within IL wild pheasant populations. With that said, I'm positive there is some cross breeding from these birds somewhere out there, it's just not wide spread in anyway what-so-ever as one would expect.
Yes, I got that. It's just not always as simple as you may think it is. I know there's cases where you and I have both witnessed easy success stories with releasing pen-raised pheasants and they live and reproduce in the wild, but unfortunately that's not always the case and may be due to a whole host of reasons.
Again, Iowa as an example--7 years almost pulled the plug/gave up on releasing pheasants. They wouldn't take to the wild in Iowa. It took a lot of time, hard work, and $ to get them to finally take.
It's not always a matter of opening up the pen door and "poof" there's wild pheasants crawling out of our ears. lol
Nick
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That's very interesting and I believe it to be true for those birds.
I've only recently hunted pheasants with a dog and for 50 years and in the past always hunted by myself. You get to be a good hunter and very observant of how birds behave when you aren't distracted by a dog. Pheasants are very similar in their behavior to turkeys in that they like to form flocks and use calls to stay in touch with each other and to reassemble or attract mates. I've called roosters to me using a pheasant call on a number of occasions with one being a bird that crossed a fairly busy state highway. Almost all the birds I called saw me before they were in range or I saw them. Much better than the very wild turkeys we have here on public land. I even made a pheasant silhouette out of an enlarged pheasant photo to put out and use as a decoy but felt that the call was dangerous enough. I get all the hunters within earshot coming to me as it is. Having them ground sluicing my decoy is a little more fun than I want.
If there are turkeys in the woods that the pheasants want to avoid that would explain their behavior. Turkeys are spreading out into the riparian belts in calif. and are dispossessing the pheasants. As the turkey populations have risen they take over the best nesting habitat and shove the pheasants out.
If there is water and cover available easily for pheasants out here they really don't want to leave the place where they were hatched. Hunters will flush all the birds out of a nesting field on the hunting portion of a wildlife area and onto a sanctuary area and with 20 minutes they will be running or fly hopping back into the field they just left. Planted birds have no ties like that to a spot so may wander more as a result.
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FCSpringer
Moderator
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8444
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:thumbsup:
:cheers:t[/QUOTE]
Lets keep this on a friendly dialogue basis. This is a good thought provoking learning thread with historical information involved. Lets not get too worked up about it, we all care about wild pheasants.
Three main points and I will be quiet.
1. Look at the photo below taken in the Texas Panhandle by bird watchers this July, 2015:
https://photoavian.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/its-a-small-world/
Those are wild seven to eight week pheasants that are descendants of wilder strains of pen raised pheasants released on shooting preserves and by land owners 50 to 60 years ago. All of the dumb were eaten by predators years ago.
These pheasants are truly wild. I am sure the 80 to 90% of the original release (of maybe 50,000 pheasant over a 20 year period) were taken by predators.
But they were successful in establishing a self sustaining wild reproducing population.
We have to remember that 50 years ago the wildlife biologist told the land owners that putting pen raised pheasant out would be a waste of time because that part of Texas was too hot and the land did not have the right mineral to support wild pheasants, they needed a certain type of calcium. We now know that undisturbed nesting cover and timely spring and summer rains that produce green nutritious vegetation and fat high protein insects is most needed for the wild pheasants.
2. You can raise "tame" pen raised pheasants or "wilder" pen raised pheasants. I have a friend the grows fat tame pen raised pheasant for local preserves and field trails. He has used the same brood stock of 20 years.
I asked him to switch to wilder most alert birds, but this is what he told me, "you play around with pheasants for fun a hobby, but for me this is a business. I have to have hens that lay almost 100 eggs and I can catch these birds easy when I need them". He is not concerned about who survives in the wild.
3. Thank for the article about Judge Danny. I am glad wild pheasants took hold in this country. I don't care about deer, ducks, turkeys, rabbits or doves I can easy find them nearby. But I am not the only one that gets excited about a truly wild pheasant.
Three main points and I will be quiet.
1. Look at the photo below taken in the Texas Panhandle by bird watchers this July, 2015:
https://photoavian.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/its-a-small-world/
Those are wild seven to eight week pheasants that are descendants of wilder strains of pen raised pheasants released on shooting preserves and by land owners 50 to 60 years ago. All of the dumb were eaten by predators years ago.
These pheasants are truly wild. I am sure the 80 to 90% of the original release (of maybe 50,000 pheasant over a 20 year period) were taken by predators.
But they were successful in establishing a self sustaining wild reproducing population.
We have to remember that 50 years ago the wildlife biologist told the land owners that putting pen raised pheasant out would be a waste of time because that part of Texas was too hot and the land did not have the right mineral to support wild pheasants, they needed a certain type of calcium. We now know that undisturbed nesting cover and timely spring and summer rains that produce green nutritious vegetation and fat high protein insects is most needed for the wild pheasants.
2. You can raise "tame" pen raised pheasants or "wilder" pen raised pheasants. I have a friend the grows fat tame pen raised pheasant for local preserves and field trails. He has used the same brood stock of 20 years.
I asked him to switch to wilder most alert birds, but this is what he told me, "you play around with pheasants for fun a hobby, but for me this is a business. I have to have hens that lay almost 100 eggs and I can catch these birds easy when I need them". He is not concerned about who survives in the wild.
3. Thank for the article about Judge Danny. I am glad wild pheasants took hold in this country. I don't care about deer, ducks, turkeys, rabbits or doves I can easy find them nearby. But I am not the only one that gets excited about a truly wild pheasant.
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