New...Open Fields Program

[Bucketmouth]

Mt ugbep

I, as a landowner in Eastern MT, tried "planting" pheasants through the UGBEP program in 2010. The Program paid $8 per bird plus transportation costs to an individual that raised them until release time. I did not incur any expense for the birds. The property was clearly marked as open to hunting and was included in the UGBEP booklet. I did not have one request to hunt pheasants on the property.

The "plant" failed miserably. I have decided not to plant birds in the future, but will consider using the program for improving habitat.

 

[Montana Husker]

Over in Medicine Lake area, I know the state releases pheasants on landowners property a few days before the season so the out of staters can have a chicken shoot on the Block Management land. Ofcourse, most that land is over hunted in the first couple of weeks of the season, with people hunting it every day of the week, sometimes you see the same outfit there 3 or 4 days in a row. I am not a fan of the govt. providing pen raised birds for any objective. Like Bucketmouth said....improving habitat is crucial!

 

[calamari]

I, as a landowner in Eastern MT, tried "planting" pheasants through the UGBEP program in 2010. The Program paid $8 per bird plus transportation costs to an individual that raised them until release time. I did not incur any expense for the birds. The property was clearly marked as open to hunting and was included in the UGBEP booklet. I did not have one request to hunt pheasants on the property.

The "plant" failed miserably. I have decided not to plant birds in the future, but will consider using the program for improving habitat.

Not all of the areas that I looked for were unsigned and I appreciated the landowners who were conscientious and put them up. It is a program that results in many thousands of acres of extra land to hunt on with the owners permission. it's just that it's so hard to know where you are when the owners don't put them up because of the poor quality of the information on the UGBEP maps and booklets. Thanks Bucketmouth for the effort.

Over in Medicine Lake area, I know the state releases pheasants on landowners property a few days before the season so the out of staters can have a chicken shoot on the Block Management land.

I don't know what FWP does through other programs but I understand that the birds planted through the UGBEP have to be planted by the end of August to get acclimated before the season and not result in a "Chicken shoot." It looks like a recipe for some fat coyotes but the habitat part of the program and the additional hunter access seems very positive.

 

[calamari]

Bucketmouth, check you pms.

 

[mnmthunting]

I am aware of the programs Bucketmouth is talking about. And it's a program that is popular among some landowners wanting to establish a wild pheasant population.
Fact is, pen raised pheasants have little or no chance of surviving where by now wild pheasant populations have not been established.

 

[2point]

Ten days till grouse and hun season and they still don't have a map for the open fields properties. Sometimes I wonder about MFWP. This link http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/hunterAccess/openFields/ says coming soon. Is there another link to a map?