Pa wild pheasants

I agree with releasing 1 year old birds in the spring. I live in a suburban neighborhood with about 100 homes and 100 empty lots all homes and lots are 2-5 acres. The first year I released birds I released one rooster and 3 hens my dog caught 2 hens (I released them too late when they were already heavy with eggs) and my neighbor shot the rooster (he was using a plowed strip of his pasture for a crowing sight).:mad: Lessons learned 1. Release birds earlier in spring when hens aren't heavy with eggs. 2. Get your neighbors on board with the plan. My neighbor felt bad when he learned that the rooster he shot was not wild, but one of my own. In my third season of the experiment I still have one of the original hens still making it. I find that raising pheasants with out blinders gives them a much better chance of survival. Like Preston said don't give up hope.
 
People have been brainwashed into believing that wild quail and wild pheasants will compete, that is not true at all, they will actually help each other, the more eyes and ears that you have looking out for predators the better. I know in western Kansas and in the Texas panhandle (Pheasant Country) they saw more wild quail than in the other parts of both of those states. Perfectly healthy wild pheasant hens, I know that come from the caprock (farming areas) part of the Texas panhandle and move down into the Rolling plains are shot by quail hunters. I have received reliable reports.

I understand why people are concerned about the decline in quail numbers but that is not the pheasants fault.

Just like Quail Hound said keep going, don't give up.
 
I will never understand people who shoot pheasants in areas where they haven't seen a bird in years and a person who will shoot a hen is the worst type of offender. This year I was quail hunting a river bank where I have never saw or heard a pheasant before, the nearest population I know of is about 10 miles away through un inhabitable over grazed pasture land. My dog had busted up a covey and we were chasing singles in a grassy area when my dog put up a very nice rooster. My gun naturally came to my shoulder, but I could not pull the trigger on this magnificent bird. All I could do was marvel at his beauty and hope he was the beginning of a new trend for the river. On subsequent trips to the same spot we heard him crowing as if to say thank-you for sparing his life. We ended up putting him up twice and also put up 2 hens a a trophy all its own in California. I hope they are around again next year for me to pardon once again.
 
Preston1 said:
fsentkilr,
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/120201/whe_legionsofspo.shtml
I personally know one of the guys involved in the program above and he told me that spring time release of full grown (wild strains Manchurian and Whitewing cross, the birds look like your regular Kansas ringneck but they will inherit the predator wary and alert traits of the whitewing) resulted in a well established wild population.
Click to expand...

I've heard of great success from guys releasing Manchurian strains. Areas that have NEVER had a wild population of pheasants now do thanks to the release of these birds. Cross Manchurian with Afghan Whitewing (bianchi) pheasants and you're going to get a wily pen bird. At least on that has a greater chance of surviving in the wild compared to our "traditional" pen raised birds.:) --1pheas4
 
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