PSA: Clean PF Journal

[A5 Sweet 16]

It appears to be clean. I didn't notice any pictures of flare nare pseudo roosters in the latest issue of the PF Journal. So good job this time, PF. Many people wonder why I care if PF uses flare nares in the Journal, in The Flush, calendars, etc. Many of you have heard my answer before. I feel like "The Habitat Organization", dedicated to habitat for populations of wild pheasants, ought to walk the walk & have absolutely nothing to do with flare nares. I used to think an exception would be sponsoring youth "hunts". But my opinion these days is that if they're going to put on a youth hunt, and they want to virtually guarantee the kids opportunities to shoot pheasants, hold the hunt at a pristine place full of wild birds. If that means other members need to avoid it until after the youth hunt, then so be it. There are plenty of member landowners out there that would (and do) host the hunts. I would, but the drawback is I don't own any land.

That said, if you see a flare nare in the Journal that I missed, please point it out. Thanks.

 

[remy3424]

I will do that, it is important and needs to be covered if such is happening. #stopfarmraisedpheasantpics

I really don't care if others pay and shoot farm raised birds or not. It is going to happen. Guessing they must be much easier to get pic of...ever try to get a pic of pheasants in the wild?? Not easy at all. Maybe if you have a lens that is 2 feet long. I guess that is why they pay folks for the pics.

OT. I would like to try to release some farm raised quail as our habitat matures, but the survial rate is about 2% here from what I read. I would not release them just to shoot them the same season only to try to get a population established. Our winters are just too harsh for those little buggers.

Back to the pics, does it really matter? It is filler between the articles and ads. I need to run to the PO now and get my journal!

 

[Golden Hour]

In the North American model of conservation, there is no "guarantee" when it comes to hunting. Releasing a pheasant that has had it's food, water and safety ensured for the entirety of its life and then releasing it to be killed for commerce/entertainment is disgusting. Quite simply, it is not fair chase. Exposing children to this practice is disconcerting.

I've said more than I need to say about PF. They have done, do and will do great things for habitat development. More than any other organization. But a slong as PF continues to tacitly promote domesticated pheasants, I'll continue to rail against it.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

I will do that, it is important and needs to be covered if such is happening. #stopfarmraisedpheasantpics

Thank you remy. I sincerely hope you don't find any. I love this....#stopfarmraisedpheasantpics

 

[Munster927]

See for me, I'm not opposed to pen raised bird "hunts" when it comes to kids and introduction to hunting. If it means a kid gets interested in hunting for the rest of their life, I'm all for it. And I am VERY anti "game farm" hunts for myself. I'll never do that sort of a "hunt" outside of using it as a tool for a young dogs training.

I think the biggest issue for getting kids into hunting is that it's "boring". Taking a kid pheasant hunting all weekend long and never getting a chance at a bird or seeing a bird, I can see how that would be boring for a kid.

When I first started deer hunting, I didn't get a chance to shoot a deer for almost 10 years. I almost quit deer hunting because of it.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

See for me, I'm not opposed to pen raised bird "hunts" when it comes to kids and introduction to hunting. If it means a kid gets interested in hunting for the rest of their life, I'm all for it. And I am VERY anti "game farm" hunts for myself. I'll never do that sort of a "hunt" outside of using it as a tool for a young dogs training.

I think the biggest issue for getting kids into hunting is that it's "boring". Taking a kid pheasant hunting all weekend long and never getting a chance at a bird or seeing a bird, I can see how that would be boring for a kid.

When I first started deer hunting, I didn't get a chance to shoot a deer for almost 10 years. I almost quit deer hunting because of it.

Maybe I don't fit the mold. As a kid, I didn't get a ton of shot opportunities, & for a couple years, missed every one of them. But it was never boring. I wanted to go hunting as much as Dad could possibly take me. Then again, I'm the type who can sit on a 5-gallon bucket in the middle of a frozen lake for hours & not be discouraged if I don't catch fish.

I'm not 100% against game farms/preserves or the people who shoot there. They have their place, although in a state like SD, I don't think they do wild bird hunting any favors. I just don't think PF should have anything to do with them.

 

[Munster927]

Maybe I don't fit the mold. As a kid, I didn't get a ton of shot opportunities, & for a couple years, missed every one of them. But it was never boring. I wanted to go hunting as much as Dad could possibly take me. Then again, I'm the type who can sit on a 5-gallon bucket in the middle of a frozen lake for hours & not be discouraged if I don't catch fish.

I'm not 100% against game farms/preserves or the people who shoot there. They have their place, although in a state like SD, I don't think they do wild bird hunting any favors. I just don't think PF should have anything to do with them.

I don't disagree with you really, I never found hunting to be boring as a kid (other than deer hunting ) but I think kids today, with cell phones, internet, all the instant gratification things they can do, don't gravitate to a slower pace activity like hunting can be. Even fishing, they tell you to start with taking kids panfishing because there is usually action. Versus taking them walleye fishing where you can fish for hours waiting for the fish to turn on or locate them.

I remember being stoked as a kid when it was hunting season, and all I did was follow my dad around without a gun

 

[hyresmack]

first off I don't care if PF uses pictures of pen raised birds. Like some of you were talking about in that other post, theyre most effective in states that will never have good wild populations so their money is being not spent very wisely. Them states are never going to have great wild populations so if anyone wants to hunt there going to need preserves. But even though I guided, more like babysitted at one once preserves don't do no good in state like SD where they have good wild numbers. It just advertizes this idea of immediate success and goes against the idea of learning to hunt real wild birds. Kind of like whore houses don't really do a kid no favors either. Just like I said a while back. Teaches them a trashy nock off that don't take no effort or skill is better than learning to get a really good one. Golden hour called it the north American model. It takes a lot of skill and hard work to get one. but its worth it. Sort of the phez equivalint of this north American model.

 

[BrownDogsCan2]

and a5 just took his phone and stepped into the bathroom for a bit. It’s Phoebe Kates all over again

 

[remy3424]

Just flipped through the Journal (it is the "super" issue, so it took awhile), love the different species of quail available in the CUSA, it makes me really hope I make it to retirement with my health. I would enjoy chasing some of these birds (quail & grouse) that enjoy limited ranges of their population and are foreign to me. My taxtidermist would get paid based on my success! They don't have rooster pheasant colors, but they are neat little birds. Oh, I didn't recognize any pen-raised birds.

A5, I can total relate on going pheasant hunting with Dad, shooting holes in the sky! We only had one shotgun when I was young. I didn't get a rooster for several years after I started carrying my father's handed-down 870 12 guage, full choke, 30-inch barrel with kick-pad removed to shorten it up a bit (he bought a new 1100). I acutual just gave that 870 back to him a few years ago. He would always let me shoot first, if I was in position (we always had a GSP at that point, so I was generally ready). It was always 2 shots, followed by, "did I get that one"..."nope". I must have been a slow kid, if I would have got it, there would not have been a second shot from Dad. I must have had a pattern about 8" in diameter with that long full choke! Once I bought my 11-87 and grew-up a bit, the improved cylinder made things MUCH easier! My father is likely still surprised when send him pics every weekend with pheasants, as bad as I was as a little kid!

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

and a5 just took his phone and stepped into the bathroom for a bit. It’s Phoebe Kates all over again

That is pretty Phoebe-esque, that's for sure. A top notch photo. But I think you're thinking of Judge Reinhold. Easy mistake.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

A5, I can total relate on going pheasant hunting with Dad, shooting holes in the sky! We only had one shotgun when I was young. I didn't get a rooster for several years after I started carrying my father's handed-down 870 12 guage, full choke, 30-inch barrel with kick-pad removed to shorten it up a bit (he bought a new 1100). I acutual just gave that 870 back to him a few years ago. He would always let me shoot first, if I was in position (we always had a GSP at that point, so I was generally ready). It was always 2 shots, followed by, "did I get that one"..."nope". I must have been a slow kid, if I would have got it, there would not have been a second shot from Dad. I must have had a pattern about 8" in diameter with that long full choke! Once I bought my 11-87 and grew-up a bit, the improved cylinder made things MUCH easier! My father is likely still surprised when send him pics every weekend with pheasants, as bad as I was as a little kid!

Yeah, my dad always wants to see pictures of me & Ace with pheasants. You're right, he probably wonders how I manage to hit any. I started with a single shot 20 gauge but got a 12 ga. 870 Wingmaster when I was about 15. Same thing. 30" barrel. Fixed full choke. For a couple years, if I managed to hit a rooster, he really got shot hard. But I mostly missed. At some point we took it out to "pattern" it. I bet it through about a 90% pattern on a dinner plate at 30 yds. It was incredibly tight. Barrel must've been made near 5:00 on a Friday. Anyway, we had it reamed out to MOD & things improved dramatically after that.

 

[david0311]

first off I don't care if PF uses pictures of pen raised birds. Like some of you were talking about in that other post, theyre most effective in states that will never have good wild populations so their money is being not spent very wisely. Them states are never going to have great wild populations so if anyone wants to hunt there going to need preserves. But even though I guided, more like babysitted at one once preserves don't do no good in state like SD where they have good wild numbers. It just advertizes this idea of immediate success and goes against the idea of learning to hunt real wild birds. Kind of like whore houses don't really do a kid no favors either. Just like I said a while back. Teaches them a trashy nock off that don't take no effort or skill is better than learning to get a really good one. Golden hour called it the north American model. It takes a lot of skill and hard work to get one. but its worth it. Sort of the phez equivalint of this north American model.
View attachment 3886

And as good as those look do you think they are natural!!
Guess you would want nothing to do with them .if they weren’t

 

[Fox Walker]

I think there are probably some instances where some good that can come from released birds in the great state of South Dakota.

I agree that the released birds that don't get shot probably wont survive very long in the wild. But when they are inevitably eaten by a fox, coyote, hawk, owl, etc. they may be creating enough diversion of those predators for a few additional wild birds to survive. If those wild birds would have otherwise been eaten, the released birds did in fact make a contribution to improving pheasant numbers.

Of course we all know that life in the wild is multivariate and the counterpoint can be made that if the release of wild birds permits additional predators to survive the winter due to the easy meals they provide, pheasant depredation will increase and any advantage gained is quickly lost.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

I think there are probably some instances where some good that can come from released birds in the great state of South Dakota.

I agree that the released birds that don't get shot probably wont survive very long in the wild. But when they are inevitably eaten by a fox, coyote, hawk, owl, etc. they may be creating enough diversion of those predators for a few additional wild birds to survive. If those wild birds would have otherwise been eaten, the released birds did in fact make a contribution to improving pheasant numbers.

Of course we all know that life in the wild is multivariate and the counterpoint can be made that if the release of wild birds permits additional predators to survive the winter due to the easy meals they provide, pheasant depredation will increase and any advantage gained is quickly lost.

This seems like kind of a stretch, but it's fun to discuss (it's pheasants, right?) & not completely off base. To expand your initial point...
A mature, wild pheasant is nothing like a released pen-reared bird, which is much, MUCH easier to catch. So it's nothing near a 1:1 ratio. Maybe it's like for every 10 pen-reared birds eaten by predators, 1 wild one is saved that might have otherwise been caught. And unless we're talking about a very small, local population, that 1 wild bird spared has to be a hen in order to make a difference in the population next spring.