Wild Pheasant Restoration

HollowWatcher

HollowWatcher

Member
Pheasants are returning to the great state of Pa. Through a partnership between Pheasants Forever and The Pennsylvania Game Commission several areas in Pa have been designated WPRA's (Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas). Once designated a WPRA the area is closed to pheasant hunting and will no longer be stocked with game farm birds. The area will then be stocked with wild pheasants from out west from places like South Dakota and Montana. The program is now in full swing and has been a huge success so far. I look forward to the future!
Here is an article I found talking about the program from the Times Leader.

http://www.timesleader.com/sports/outdoors/Return_of_the_wild_pheasant_03-13-2011.html
 
Mac,
You might be in luck...The very first WPRA established was in Washington County located within the Pike Run Watershed. The birds are doing well and spreading. They are also looking at creating an area in the North West Pa. Things are looking up for Pheasants in Pa!
 
The specific area has yet to be determined..I have heard areas in Butler, Crawford, and Mercer County are being considered. Are you from out that way?
 
Yes, I'm from Clarion Co. There is a new State Game lands here (330) that would be ideal. Well, I think it would be ideal because it is just 4 miles from me. It is 2,254 acres of old strip cuts. They have worked to develop habitat for grassland birds, but I have not heard of any plans that included pheasant.
 
Sounds like a cool place. I am not familiar with that area but in order for a certain area to be considered for a WPRA it has to meet a certain habitat criteria that is figured out by a computer system. You have to have continuous farmland. That area would be to small if it stands alone...I think most of Clarion is Forested. What surrounds the gamelands?
 
Northern Clarion Co. is heavily forested. Down here we are mixed, with a fair amount of farm land. There are a lot of hills, a few rivers, and a lot of old strip cuts. There is a group trying to return the strip land to high quality forest land in the Appalachian region. That won't bode well for pheasant, but you can't argue against what they want to do. Of the farm land around here, I don't think much is in CRP, but not too sure. There is an area near here the are trying to reintroduce quail, but they are working on a pretty small scale.
Right now everybody is thinking about Marcellus Shale drilling, I'm surprised the GC is even considering western PA.
 
Sounds like a lot of good things are happening out there. I'm all for conservation projects regardless of what species they directly benefit. It is great that people out there are getting involved..we need a lot more of that!
 
These are exciting times for sure if you are a pheasant hunter in Pa.!It's been a long wait but, there are now once again WILD self sustaining populations of pheasant in Pa.! I have been part of the wild pheasant flushing surveys and it sure is great to see over 70 WILD birds flush from one small farm!Pa.upland hunters are very lucky to have guys like Mr. Jay Delaney with the Game Commission who understand the small game hunters needs!
 
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It seems that the birds did well in some parts of the State this winter.We have been hearing some GREAT reports from farmers so far this spring.Lets all hope for a good nesting season!
 
FLDBRED said:
These are exciting times for sure if you are a pheasant hunter in Pa.!It's been a long wait but, there are now once again WILD self sustaining populations of pheasant in Pa.! I have been part of the wild pheasant flushing surveys and it sure is great to see over 70 WILD birds flush from one small farm!Pa.upland hunters are very lucky to have guys like Mr. Jay Delaney with the Game Commission who understand the small game hunters needs!
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Sounds GREAT!!! Keep us posted and congrats on the work.:cheers::thumbsup:
 
Will do!The crowing counts survey's will be starting soon and we'll post the results.
 
Despite the wet spring it seems that there has been some decent nesting.Many farmers have stated that they are seeing many broods.This is certainly great news considering the spring that we had.
 
I have been wondering how the crowing counts went this spring. I have not heard anything about them.
 
I was not part of the official count this spring,but from what I,ve been told the counts increased in most areas.I'll see if I can get some numbers!
 
The PGC has not yet released the official results from the crowing counts this Spring. I spoke with Mr. Lynn Appleman, who as some of you may know is very involved with the restoration of wild pheasants in Central Pa.,he said on his own personal route he counted 48 roosters,up a few from last year,he said the GreenWood Valley Area was up 20% and that the PPL property was down slightly. It was very wet and rainy during the counting days.I'll keep you posted on the official results.
 
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