pheasant survival rate if bought and let into wild

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birdybritt529

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my family has 80 acres and another 80 next to it that is all tall grasses and the owner has not been there in years. i need to buy some birds and work with my dog. its cheaper than a game farm to release them on my own property. just wondering if over time instead of spending thousands to join a game farm if i let these birds loose on my property what the survival rate might be or if it would help me locally? thanks hope this makes sense.
 
Survival rates are low. Even lower with pen birds that have been breed in captivity for many generations. The closer to a "wild" line of birds the greater the chance of survival.

I've heard a handful of success stories with Afghan Whitewings (Bianchii), and Manchurian pheasants reproducing in the wild. I've also seen signs/characteristics of these birds in wild birds throughout SD. Obviously this is prof their lines are surviving and reproducing in the wild.

With all that said, you need habitat. Not just a large field or two. You also need connecting habitats. Are there other fields within the area? Do they have sources of food and water, winter cover, nesting cover, etc. If so, there should be a wild bird population already established.

If you're main objective is to work the dogs and hunt pen birds then I would do it. If they take to the wild it's a bonus.
 
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1pheas4 said:
Survival rates are low. Even lower with pen birds that have been breed in captivity for many generations. The closer to a "wild" line of birds the greater the chance of survival.

I've heard a handful of success stories with Afghan Whitewings (Bianchii), and Manchurian pheasants reproducing in the wild. I've also seen signs/characteristics of these birds in wild birds throughout SD. Obviously this is prof their lines are surviving and reproducing in the wild.

With all that said, you need habitat. Not just a large field or two. You also need connecting habitats. Are there other fields within the area? Do they have sources of food and water, winter cover, nesting cover, etc. If so, there should be a wild bird population already established.

If you're main objective is to work the dogs and hunt pen birds then I would do it. If they take to the wild it's a bonus.
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This is correct. 1pheas4 is right and they survival rate will be low. It all depends on cover, food ,habit, and much more. But give it a try, what can it hurt. You might get lucky, pheasants in the us are all introduced. No Sarcasm pointed your way. :)
 
Buy adults if you want to hunt them this year.

Look into a Surrogator if you want to add to your wild population
 
Buy adults if you want to hunt them this year.

Look into a Surrogator if you want to add to your wild population
 
Depends, If your in an area where wild pheasants can't make it then there is little chance for pen raised birds.
If you have good grass, plenty of good brushy winter and storm cover. Wet cattail areas are important to. Winter food supply is a must, if you don't have it pheasants will move off until they find it. Pheasants especially pen raised don't know of a home range so they will tend to go to the best habitat/food available.

Surprised nobody mentions predation:rolleyes:
If the habitat is in place, pheasants can't make it. So simple IT'S Predation!
 
captaincoot said:
Everyone says how bad pen raised survivial rates are. Whats the survivial rates of wild ones? Can't be much higher.
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That's a good point coot. The average age of a wild pheasant is under one year. Though, pen bird's life spans in the wild are much shorter.

The main difference between the wild/pen birds are reproduction/nesting success in the wild. Obviously with pen birds it's dismal, though as we know they can and do reproduce in the wild.

As I've said in the past, the pen birds with a "wild" line will have a better chance of survival and reproduction.
 
1pheas4 said:
pen birds with a "wild" line will have a better chance of survival and reproduction.
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I have chickens and ducks, considered getting some pheasants this spring to do the same since we are on 40Acres here of tall grass/pasture that's next to a lake, 40Acre corn, 40Acre wheat and multiple 40+ alfalfa fields...

I've been looking in the McMurray catalog where you can get ~30 straight run birds for 100$ ...but I'm sure these don't have this "Wild" Line...

any input on where one could get these "wild" strain birds?

thanks,
-scott
 
You are not going to get a totally "wild strain" pheasant. But I can recommend the closest to the "wild strain" chicks that are commercially available.

Macfarlane Pheasant Farm, has the Manchurian-Cross pheasant (wild genes taken out of China over 20 years ago, thats better than pen raised pheasants taken out of China 70 to 100 years ago) and I heard that they have a limited number of Afghan Whitewing pheasants.
 
I think and see that it is great if you do it right. Adults, A few other birds in the area, cover, water and food which if you did not have, there would be none to begin with. Let them go as strong adults not during season, And you will be successful. I guarantee it.:thumbsup:
 
I started raising pheasants last year with a surrogator. Released about 80 during the summer. Have 160 acres of CRP and there are some wild birds in the area. Have to admit that we didn't see many birds during hunting season.

I'm determined to see improvement and as I read your comments, I will certainly look into these other strains of pheasants.

Also, have some other thoughts: would it help if I released these birds when they are 5-6 weeks old versus 4 weeks as stated in instructions? Don't know if overcrowding becomes an issue at that point.

Also, do you think there's an advantage of leaving this field alone until hunting season? Two of us work our dogs on this property and I'm wondering if we are pushing these birds off the property when we work our dogs before the hunting season.
 
You won't have much luck releasing young pheasants. They have about no skills to avoid predators. Young pheasants are still subject to chill. 60 degrees and wet would likely do them in. Wait until the birds are almost full grown. 15 weeks old at release would give you much better results.

If you work your dogs a lot in an area, their likely to move to another area if there's habitat nearby.
 
mnmthunting said:
You won't have much luck releasing young pheasants. They have about no skills to avoid predators. Young pheasants are still subject to chill. 60 degrees and wet would likely do them in. Wait until the birds are almost full grown. 15 weeks old at release would give you much better results.

If you work your dogs a lot in an area, their likely to move to another area if there's habitat nearby.
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Yep.;) Spot on. Older even, older the better. Fully developed adults. Works great. And I would not even hunt it for a few years.
 
Thanks for your input. This means that if I raise birds in a surrogator that I'll have to add a flight pen if I'm going to keep 'em for 3-4 months.
 
rfmalecki said:
Thanks for your input. This means that if I raise birds in a surrogator that I'll have to add a flight pen if I'm going to keep 'em for 3-4 months.
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Or sell the surrogator to the next guy. Buy day old chicks, use a heat lamp brooder, and a flight pen, use the money you save from the sale of the surrogator to buy pheasant feed, shotgun shells, and gas.
 
Regarding predation:
I am friends with a local hunting preserve owner - he has about 2000 acres in eastern Colorado. He patrols his property 7 days a week, keeps a varmint rifle in the cab of his truck to take out coyotes and other predators as needed. Just last week he was telling me to avoid certain areas because there were nesting hens in these areas. The pheasants on his property are from pen raised lines, the savvy ones survive the hunts and reproduce. There is good cover, water and food in the area, combined with predator control, he has had decent success with the pen raised birds.
 
Weimar, That is the way it is with success with pen raised pheasants. Exactly.
You will get out of it what your willing to put into it.
Get the habitat in order and control predation you will have success with pen raised and released pheasants. It's been done many many times. Always best to get your birds full grown before released.:thumbsup:
 
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