quail hound
Moderator
Nice set up fc. I plan to upgrade my pens and incubator soon you are giving some great info. I know releasing pheasants is a sore subject with but I don't see how people deny success. It takes work, habitat, and predator control, but it does work. Our local preserve has 6000 acres other wise devoid of pheasants with the nearest population being about 40 miles away. Now he is seeing broods in the spring. Am I to believe these birds came from the weak population 40 miles away as the crow flies through purely un inhabitable farm land?
not an inch. they just sit there and die. those biologists are more gifted at finding every bird that was released to get their count then anyone, even more gifted then the greatest bird dog of all time. But if 5% survive, out of a hundred that leaves a few nesting hens, which comes say 20 more birds , left alone on private land, becomes that hundred. I can see how that would work fine in a few years for me.:thumbsup: they also talk about there study releasing birds at 8- 14 weeks. That is sure to have far less success then releasing 1 year old birds in the spring. maybe they should try more of that. I don't disagree that releasing young birds has less success as this is what I have noticed as well, most likely the same thing the so called thousands of land owners that had bad luck were doing as well.The first storm takes many. Weather some like it or not it has been proven and even to some extent is evident in there article. they simply needed to go about it a little different. Not all birds in the wild came from wild birds. Once they were put in a pen and raised they now are pen raised birds that get released, DA. Now as for them to talk about predator control, and to stop season is again silly. Just as they say thousands of land owners failed, you can here from many that say the opposite. I fail to understand the reluctance to try to improve. Why does the talk always revert to the release of young birds, and as said released on public ground, always lean toward it not working? Maybe because it doesn't very well. So why don't they follow footsteps of sportsmen clubs that have success releasing 1 year old birds and bred hens in the spring on private land, each to control predators in their own small region, maybe if they tried that the success ratio would go up to about 50% which is what I would say is close to what I see from my and others effort. Even as said 5% success is something. Now those 5% have young, now at this point they become wild right? what is there success rate? same as a wild bird right?, they are born wild, never seen a pen, or a human? so now what do those 20 or so turn into. On a small or medium sized track with cover to sustain them this is a huge accomplishment. In a few short years you now have a sustained flock from a measly 5% of your effort. this is doing it the way they describe. There are better ways. My guess is their way is the cheap way, you don't have to feed them all winter. Yes feeding them over winter is expensive, but works way better. If your diligent you can find places that help with food. I never thought for a second that it was going to not cost time money and effort. I did it because I had a vision, that vision was sustained bird populations on my land and land I can use elsewhere for future hunting. I am proud to say it has never been better, and I am enjoying the spoils now.
