Pheasant Industry in SD

[GetTothePoint]

The State of SD releases zero pheasants. Licensed shooting preserves are required by law to release mature roosters. That data is published annually by the Dept of Game Fish & Parks. Last year 235 licensed preserves released 632k roosters and harvested 357k of them, along with 23k wild birds. I assume the vast majority of the remaining released birds became fox food. Those preserve numbers are NOT included in the GF&P's annual harvest estimate, which was 1,311k last year.

What is unknown is the number released by other non-preserve operations, as they're obviously allowed to, but not required to report to the GF&P. That number could be included in the GF&P's harvest estimate. I strongly suspect that number is less than 100k. But say it was 3x that....300k & the harvest rate was similar to preserves, so about 170k. That's still only 13% of 1,311k, & the wild harvest would've been 1,141. I firmly believe that so far, released birds have very little impact on our wild population, which I think recently has varied between 6M & 9M pheasants. Right now I think we're toward the high side of that range.

I don't know if I had heard it, thought I read it somewhere, or what but I was under the impression the state was supplementing birds on public grounds, especially state grounds and PATHs. I feel like I've seen UTV/truck tracks around some of those pieces that don't appear to be farm vehicles. My assumption was random/not so random spots were chosen where birds were dumped periodically. Not doubting A5 and not sure where I had gotten my info but that was my assumption. I figured the ranches were reporting what they were turning out for hunts then those numbers determined what the state was going to turn out on the public behalf.

 

[benelli-banger]

I don't if I had heard it, thought I read it somewhere, or what but I was under the impression the state was supplementing birds on public grounds, especially state grounds and PATHs. I feel like I've seen UTV/truck tracks around some of those pieces that don't appear to be farm vehicles. My assumption was random/not so random spots were chosen where birds were dumped periodically. Not doubting A5 and not sure where I had gotten my info but that was my assumption. I figured the ranches were reporting what they were turning out for hunts then those numbers determined what the state was going to turn out on the public behalf.

I am pretty sure the state doesn’t release birds; they’d have to disclose that if so. I believe they recognize $ is better spent on habitat, which is a perpetual source of pheasants

 

[gps4]

 

[Dixieman]

Very cool. Those were the days

 

[gunflint charlie]

One summer I spent some time researching commercial hunting operations in SD. My dad, in his late 70s at the time, wanted to treat me, my BIL, and our kids to a hunt. My job was to pick the spot. As we all know, consistent success on truly wild birds on pubic land takes time to develop. So we were looking for something private/commercial. I talked to a lot of places. The websites frequently promised wild birds. That was their first answer when you talked to them on the phone--"yes wild birds." Press them a little and they admitted to releasing birds. I suppose in the lodge owner's head "wild" can be a description of their behavior or their current living circumstances, not the circumstances of their hatching. And in that sense, to the operator at least, it's not a lie.

We ended up with a native guide on Rosebud that year. I'm sure they were wild birds, but the experience was not what we were after. The next year we were with UGuide. I'm pretty confident that was wild birds, at least as far as UGuide knew. That experience was better, but still not exactly what we were after.

A couple years after that I started going up with some friends, DIY on public. 4 years into that now, and we're having more fun than ever. Far more fun than those two years we spent in the commercial space.

Anyway, I'd guess that SPUR's numbers are on the low side. There are pheasant ranches in Kansas that ship birds to SD.

My small group has done UGuide hunts for several years. You're right to qualify this: "I'm pretty confident that was wild birds, at least as far as UGuide knew."

 

[Chestle]

That law only applies to birds released on licensed shooting preserve acres. but since commercial pheasant producers may not know where their birds will be released, most mark all their birds by 6 weeks to meet the preserve marking requirement. There are some producers that have non marked production though as well.

Private Shooting Preserves

gfp.sd.gov

"All pheasants released on the shooting preserve must be marked by either toe clipping or by the enlarged nares from some type of anti-pecking device. In either situation, this marking must be done before the birds are six weeks of age. A department representative must verify the marking method and release of the birds. All birds must be kept until they are at least 15 weeks of age. Species of game birds hunted and tagged on the preserve may include only those species listed on the preserve permit. All birds must be released on preserves from August 1 through March 31."

While some producers have non-marked production, releasing those birds on an SD licensed shooting preserve would be illegal and the preserve would be risking loss of license were they to use such birds.

Obviously, a private landowner could legally "salt" his fields with extra birds for the annual family Thanksgiving hunt using non-marked birds. Why would he pay more per bird to do that though?.

That said, some may be willing to take the risk. I sort of doubt that "A department representative" verifies the marking and release at every preserve and every release. Maybe they do.