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Wild Pheasant Flushing Survey Today

5K views 52 replies 17 participants last post by  OAWC 
#1 · (Edited)
We had about 20 hardy souls and at least that many dogs show up today in the cold and rain to flush four farms. The three groups had 59, 68 and 57 birds up on a total of about 300 acres. We expect to flush some additional farms over the next few weeks. This represents about 20% to 30% increases on a couple of these farms which is what we hoped for due to the last two years of easy winters with little snow.
 
#3 ·
We had about 20 hearty souls and at least that many dogs show up today in the cold and rain to flush four farms. The three groups had 59, 68 and 57 birds up on a total of about 300 acres. We expect to flush some additional farms over the next few weeks. This represents about 20% to 30% increases on a couple of these farms which is what we hoped for due to the last two years of easy winters with little snow.
Sir...that is VERY,VERY impressive!
 
#4 ·
Two of the three were close to 1:1. The farm we flushed was 2:1 with hens having the higher number. Not sure why but not a problem with more hens just a possible problem with more roosters. Any additional flushing will be Tuesdays or Thursdays I was told.
 
#6 ·
King Gobbler- 10 years ago, the PGC and PF released 900 birds, in the CS WPRA, and no hunting allowed also no dog training for 6 months of the year. Now there less than 1/3 of the stocked birds and you think this is "Very, Very impressive."

You have to be kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this rate, in 5 more years there will be zero (0) birds.

But some say the program is a success. However, I think it was a noble idea but for various reasons it was not a success.

Dean Conklin

"The Struggle Continues"
 
#7 ·
and no hunting allowed also no dog training for 6 months of the year.
Correction-No "pheasant" hunting allowed. I had a great day today flushing almost 60 "wild" pheasants on a farm, not in South Dakota, but in "Pennsylvania." This is proof we can have wild pheasants in PA again if enough people want it. Unfortunately Dean has been poisoned against the program due to the 6 month dog training restriction that covers where he lives. I empathize with his situation and have tried to find a solution at every opportunity but nothing that meets his requirements yet.
 
#13 ·
The Central Susquehanna WPRA was over 100,000 acres in size. The other WPRAs were 25k to 30k acres. There are wild birds outside the new WPRA boundary but not in large numbers and we can protect them on a landowner by landowner basis. Due to some of the hunting and dog training restrictions, we don't want to needlessly restrict those areas and they are rooster only hunting so hens are still protected.
 
#10 ·
How can you say that there is proof wild birds are possible if enuff people want it? Who doesnt want wild birds?

Its that you have to provide protection and habitat thats not feasible on a larger scale. The costs would be in the hundreds of millions. So a wild bird stamp would likely need to be in the ballpark of $1500. Lol...
 
#11 ·
CONKLIN- You know very well that the purpose of these surveys is NOT to try to get an exact number of birds but rather a sex ratio. But even with that being said you're talking about a few guys on each farm spending just a couple of hours and they flushed over 150 birds! Some of these birds must be a 4th generation of birds born and bred right in that area,and the number flushed ONLY REPRESENTS A PERCENTAGE OF THE BIRDS LIVING THERE, unless you think they found and flushed every bird there....gimme a break!!!!!!
Oh and be sure to tell us how you really hope the program is a success! NOT!!!!!!!!!
 
#14 ·
Mr. Appleman,

I applaud your efforts, honestly I do, but for the program to be a success the birds would need to spread out from the area in which they were released in. Has there been any sign that this is taking place?
 
#19 ·
I can remember when I mentioned on here that I and family members hunt wild pheasants every year in SW Pa.. The gang of so called experts on here said no-way! I didn't even respond to their ignorance, it's good to see that others have experienced the same thing. There are wild pheasants still available to those willing to put in the time to find them, much like our grouse!
 
#25 ·
My property is in the Hegins area. I am at the farthest end of the eastern side about eight or more miles from the closest release site. It is a clear cut in the woods and I have four pheasants on my trail cams almost every day.

I have to say that birds have expanded and are taking hold. The closest flushing survey location two years ago was atleast five or more miles from my property.
 
#26 ·
My property is in the Hegins area. I am at the farthest end of the eastern side about eight or more miles from the closest release site. It is a clear cut in the woods and I have four pheasants on my trail cams almost every day.

I have to say that birds have expanded and are taking hold. The closest flushing survey location two years ago was atleast five or more miles from my property.
That's what we like to hear!
 
#29 · (Edited)
susqueduck, welcome back- don't stay away so long, your comments are always enlightening.

At a recent annual review meeting of the Pheasant Reintroduction Plan at the Montour Preserve, Dr. Klinger showed a slide on the number of birds in each of the Crowing Count routes.

Some routes had almost no birds. The brightest spot was the route over by Paradise Road that had the approximately 300 birds.

As I am sure you know, they released 900 birds and now 10 years later there are 300 birds. This is without any hunting or dog training for 6 months of the year.

Some are claiming the program a success. However, I think it was a noble effort but not a success and the dog trainers have paid a very heavy price.

This project may be in the neighborhood of $1 M for the agency. I heard former Ex, Director Carl Roe state, at the Montour Preserves during the second annual review meeting, that the agency was dedicating more resources to pheasants than to deer.

I would like to have seen this program be a success, not necessarily for hunting. Instead it turned into a research project.

Some of the the agency Wildlife Biologists may be more oriented to doing research.

Others may have been dedicated hunters prior to obtaining a degree in wildlife. The former hunters may be more interested in establishing the specie with a minor interest in publishing papers. An example of this is Dr. Alt- a dyed in the wool hunter that had great success in developing/implementing the plans for both the Black Bear and Whitetail Deer.

The agency faces many challenges. Hopefully, the pheasant plan will come to a conclusion (allowing dog training 12 months of the year) sooner rather than later.

Dean Conklin

"The Struggle Continues"

PS- Before some say "Dean is poisoned because of the dog training issue." Let me say this is a factor but the bigger concerns are the flaws in the plan and continuing to move the goalposts and make this a research project instead of an real effort to develop a huntable population of birds for hunters.

Just sayin.

Dean Conklin
 
#30 ·
Turn 900 loose, after years of breeding, you have 300. Imagine if you put 900 dollars in the bank and after that many years you have 300 left. Not a good deal. With no hunting from humans, and only predators killing the birds, (mostly raptors) it goes to show how predation can reduce game numbers. In a few years at that rate the pheasants will be gone. This mimics what is happening to or has happened to, our wild pheasants and grouse. It is not dog training, that is killing the pheasants, its the predators.
 
#31 ·
Dean likes Susqueduck because they are the only two people against the WPRA. Dean you should be a reporter. Putting a million dollar price tag on the wild pheasant program is great fake news. The Game Commission has always had a farmland biologist dept. Most of the money spent came from PF chapters. We even paid for Colleen the first two years. I will admit that too much money was spent on the crowing count methodology. We started with volunteers running the routes which would have been fine. We have proved that wild pheasants can survive in good habitat in PA. If you clowns don't think 60 pheasants in a 40 acre field is not success, maybe you're just poisoned because of the dog training restrictions. When you release wild pheasants in a strange habitat in the middle of winter, the surprise is that enough survived to establish a wild population six years later. Suitable habitat is the only restriction, not pesticides and not hawks.
 
#32 ·
I am not surprised by the name calling (clowns) ,like I said turn 900 looses and a few years latter you have 300, that's a problem. Look back in history where 20 some birds were released and ten years latter 50,000 birds were harvested. For no birds being killed by hunters, you would expect better results. Apparently the great habitat is not enough. Ask the biologist about your comment on hawks, I did and he said raptors were the main cause of mortality. I did not ask about pesticides. Lost dog training for ten years, less pheasants than released, no open public hunting, for the birds after ten years, now that is poor results. And then a guy that was so involved in the project, calling people, who do not agree with him clowns, sad situation all the way around. Talk to the biologist about the raptors restricting the success. The suitable habitat opinion, has been shown not to be enough in this ten year pheasant project.
 
#35 ·
Every year we ask a few of the western states for birds. SD has come through the most but their numbers are down due to the loss of CRP and with these mild winters trapping is very difficult. The birds have to be cold and hunting for food to go in the traps.
 
#41 ·
The PGC will publish their habitat study that will show the habitat conditions required for pheasant survival in PA based on what we have learned. If an area meets that criteria, then a new WPRA would be the next step.
 
#40 ·
We have found the problem. It's the same problem that affects all wildlife numbers. H-A-B-I-T-A-T More good habitat equals more birds, or rabbits, or deer, or turkeys or anything else. Controlling predators helps but habitat is the main ingredient. Farming methods have changed and require different solutions than 30 years ago. We are working as hard as we can based on available time and money. Hurdles have to be cleared like how the FSA treats farmers with conservation ground. Farmers don't like government programs because they are poorly administered by the government and blamed on the farmer.
 
#42 ·
Couldn't help to notice another post on this site found a study that says its pesticides, not habitat. And I saw in outdoor news where the game commission or someone looking at game numbers said they had no idea of the effects raptors have on small game. Up north where the habitat for deer did not change much, suddenly lost the large numbers of deer, this happened as predation by man increased with more doe tags. Now look at areas that are closed to hunting, around areas full of houses, and many are loaded with deer. Housing and the back of strip malls are not the ideal habitat for deer, but they do well there because of the lack of predation by hunters.
 
#44 ·
Back in the old days of few hawks, this special habitat was not needed for pheasants to flourish. Switch grass was few if any, it seems all this so called great habitat consists of cover that is used to limit raptor attacks. If all a pheasant had to do in life was hide, maybe in areas with switch grass, pheasants could reproduce in great numbers. We in PA will never have large non fragmented areas of switch grass. All this habitat work, to try to beat one of mother natures greatest predators.
 
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