The HuntingPA.com Outdoor Community banner

What a joke.

7K views 58 replies 25 participants last post by  RyanR 
#1 ·
Was out duck hunting yesterday and the fields around the swamp was stocked recently with pheasants. How could someone say chasing these birds is hunting. All it is, is shooting. The game commission might as well park the stocking truck at the parking lot and hand over the birds as the hunters arrive. As we were sitting in the blind we heard a rooster cackle right behind the blind. The young kid never saw a rooster before so he went to look. He left his gun in the blind. 2 minutes later he comes back with a rooster under his arm. He caught it with his bare hands. He let the bird go and the dumb thing stayed around the blind even after we did some shooting. These birds sure aren’t the ones I grew up chasing. If this is what pheasant hunting has come to I’m glad I gave it up.
 
#3 ·
Birds are not really dumb, they are just domestic. They are basically put out to be killed, usually this happens quick. Many predators come in and kill as many as they can. Back before raptors were protected, we had wild birds that had good survival skills, however when raptor numbers rose, pheasants disappeared, as most small game has. I remember a few years back, a fellow on this site worked hard to get wild pheasants reintroduced here in PA. Despite all the habitat work that was done, and this man claiming that all the wild pheasants needed, was this new great habitat, to survive, the raptors did to these reintroduced birds, what they did to our original wild birds, killed them out of most areas. I remembered being told by this man, how with great habitat, these wild pheasants would be able to survive the uncontrolled numbers of raptors. He had a lot of people fooled for a few years, I talked to the biologist that was involved in the pheasant effort, he was a wise man, and said that the raptors were the main cause of mortality. Kind of like what uncontrolled numbers of wolves did to big game out west, even with good habitat. These domestic pheasants make many people happy, as it gives them a chance to shoot a pheasant. With a dog. these domestic birds can be made to flush, some times they even flush with enough pressure from hunters. This is as close to real pheasant hunting as it will get here, as long as predators, are allowed to hold back small game numbers. At least they are stocking something to shoot, cause small game numbers have been greatly reduced as predator numbers have risen. I remember when I heard about the total protection of raptors, I never believed they could wipe out the abundant small game, but they did. But also seeing them at the same time wipe out most farmers free range small poultry. I believe that in the last few years raptor numbers have leveled off, kind of controlled by the prey numbers. In the spring. the very few small game we have. reproduces, we see large numbers of rabbits and a few other young from other small game. the raptors clean them out by fall hunting season and not much left for human hunters. At this time many raptors migrate south, where some small game are having young, and they feed there. Come spring back they come. Then we have all the ground predators, but most of these can be controlled in numbers. Game management is normally done based on the numbers of the individual animal, when it came to the raptors they were given a blanket political protection, not based on what to do as their numbers rose, protection forever, no matter how many. This is game management based on emotion and not science. So in the end this has led to the abundance of the domestic pheasant and lack of the wild ones.
 
#46 ·
I talked to the biologist that was involved in the pheasant effort, he was a wise man, and said that the raptors were the main cause of mortality (referring to pheasants).
I bet I've read a minimum of 25 different threads where you've posted this. I get a good chuckle out of it every time. What would you expect to be the main cause of mortality, chipmunks?
 
#4 ·
Well I have to disagree, the pheasants. I have been hunting have been very wild & flew like crazy not one bird was spotted outside cover just standing around & the ones I did see scooted out ahead of me in the cover, just was able to catch a glimpse of them when they took off. The birds that were stocked on the gamelands I hunted were no dumb chickens & were certainly no joke.
 
#5 ·
I have to agree with Mike M. and his experiences.

I hunt the stocked pheasants just about every day they are in season, up until bear season comes in and my experience is that once these stocked pheasants have been in quality habitat for a day they are just as wild as any wild pheasants in ANY state that has wild pheasants. They will run ahead of the dogs and hunters until they get out of shotgun range then flush and fly away. Others act more like grouse and will flush at in range only when they can flush while they have some instruction between you and them that will not allow a clean shot at them. I have had several that waited to flush when there was no way I could swing my gun on them due to the brush between us.

But, since they are stocked birds that get handled and hauled long distances in crates before getting stocked there is an occasional bird that is injured in the process that can't run, or even walk or fly as they should. I know that because I always help stock the birds in our area. Once in a while there will be one that just isn't right. That is just a part of the hazards of handling wildlife. I could perhaps just kill the few weak and injured ones instead of putting them out there but for what real reason. Some of the weak and injured end up with a dog catching them and they end up in some hunter's game bag. Some are caught by a predator and become a meal. But, that is just one more healthy pheasant a predator doesn't have to hunt for in order for it's survival. Just nature working as nature is intended.

As for the normal rant about the predators wiping out small game populations, I will call that bull crap also. Even with snow on the ground I find very little evidence of predators, either ground or avian, catching these stocked pheasants. Like I said I hunt them every day that isn't a bear or deer season. Many of those days we have had snow on the ground for weeks and even a month or more. Yet even with the snow to read the FACTUL story it is extremely rare to see where ANY predator was successful at catching one of the pheasants. And on the rare occasion where you do find where something caught one what we don't know is whether it had been one that some hunter had wounded and got away. I know that happens more than many people realize because it isn't too uncommon for my dog to catch one that I never shot at. When that happens I bag the bird as part of my limit, take it home and clean it for the pot. The ones my dog brings me always have been wounded and then weakened until the dog could catch them.

If my dog hadn't caught them some other predator undoubtedly would have. But, isn't that the way nature intends?

When I hear people going off on a tangent about how these pheasants aren't wild it simply tells me that they have never spent any amount of time hunted them and are instead basing their opinion on an anomaly instead of reality.

The pheasants being stocked across this Commonwealth are in general a high quality bird that provides a high quality hunting opportunity and experience for a lot of hunters.

Dick Bodenhorn
 
#27 ·
I hunt the stocked pheasants just about every day they are in season, up until bear season comes in and my experience is that once these stocked pheasants have been in quality habitat for a day they are just as wild as any wild pheasants in ANY state that has wild pheasants.

Dick Bodenhorn
That is a lot of pheasant hunting. Have many have you killed this year?
 
#6 ·
I am amazed at how smart these birds are and every flush they get smarter. Started Saturday at day break and 5 different birds flushed beyond 50 yards. They behaved very much like the wild birds at the youth hunt. There is the occasional clueless pheasant. There are occasional clueless hunters too who somehow feel the need to disparage other hunters.
 
#8 ·
When they used to stock Evansburgh you never needed to know when they did it, you would see them in single file lines heading off property like follow the leader. It was amusing and they never flew, just running like chickens all in a row reading for sun to go down to head back to the hen house.
 
#11 ·
It is sad we lost our wild pheasants, I really miss wild birds. Many are happy with the domestic birds, I have no problem with that. Also sad that with all our knowledge we can not bring back wild birds, because of mismanagement of raptors. Worse yet many people can not see that predation can even be a factor. Game management should be based on numbers, not emotional regulations. If one thinks that is alright, then why hunt anything. If they would stop stocking domestic pheasants we would lose most all pheasant hunters in PA. And for those who do not believe that predators eat a lot of these domestic birds, just like they did the wild birds of the past, then why not just put out all the pheasants in the summer when half grown. They would have plenty of food at this time of the year and the summer cover would be thick. Would save on feed costs, and let these great domestic birds get wilder. Well we all know the reason for this, the predators would have them cleaned out by hunting season. I remember the false hope that was spread by some back when they tried the failed reintroduction of the pheasants. I remember the ones that criticized me for saying it would not work because of the predation by uncontrolled raptor numbers. However after several years, what I said would happen, did, the raptors basically wiped them out, just like they did the wild birds. Some people will say and believe anything, they should base their thoughts on past history, and realize that if you repeat the same mistakes over again, you have a good chance of getting the same results. For the guys that said they were going to bring back wild pheasants, thru good habitat, how are the wild birds doing?
 
#12 ·
R.S.B. and Lynn, you gentlemen post ad nauseum in an attempt to dispel the "dumb stocked pheasant" misnomer. It's comical what the "anti's" come up with.

I spend hours upon hours in the nastiest of cover with my pointing dogs, trying to get these "dumb birds" to present a shot or even show themselves for that matter. It is truly amazing how often my dogs are convinced they are standing on top of a bird, and then the doggone thing slips out the side door and either wild flushes out of range or vanishes altogether.

My puppy (11 months) and I were playing a very interesting game in some switchgrass and snow two weekends ago. The birds were down in the "tunnels" under the surface and my poor pup was winding them in the openings and pointing mystery scent. Never did catch up with one of those ones.

I'm fortunate enough to put a lot of birds in the bag, and honestly I take offense when people imply that you can just walk into a field, whack your two and leave.

Yesterday morning, my son and I hunted 5 hours and covered 5.8 miles of some NASTY terrain. We managed two birds. One hen early in the day, and the second was a BEAUTIFUL rooster which my dog pinned down and my son flushed and put a great shot on just before we quit at lunchtime. What an awesome morning afield, and what a wonderful lesson for my boy about hard work and perseverance.

If pheasant hunting isn't for you, so be it. Don't buy a stamp and go do something more to your taste.

But I challenge any of you to hunt some of the places where these birds have had a chance to acclimate and spread out and then tell me they are easy quarry. That is wrong. Heck, go take a walk with RSB in his stomping grounds. Trust me, I've been there. You'll return to your vehicle all cut up with your tongue dragging on the ground. And you'll also think twice about saying these birds are easy !

The "hawks and owls" talk makes me throw up in my garbage can because I really have heard enough....
 
#16 ·
For some the hawks and owls are not a problem, but for people who like good small game numbers they recognize the impacts of these predators. We can see what the lax attitude on proper predator control has led to. How are small game numbers in your area? Or are you one of the guys that bases your small game numbers on how many domestic birds are stocked. Bring your dogs down to my area and we can go on a wild pheasant hunt, you seem to like challenging hunting.
 
#13 ·
I just returned from a wild pheasant hunt in South Dakota earlier this month where we managed to shoot 54 birds a day between 17 guys in under 3 hrs each day. I'm not a fan of Pa domestic pheasant hunting. It isn't the running birds that bother me, but more so the number of hunters gathered at SGL's and the danger it poses.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Sounds like you aren't putting the legwork in. Gotta get away from the parking lots. Last Friday, my dog and I were the only ones where we hunted. Never heard another shotgun fired. I got two. Saturday, my son and I encountered two other hunting parties. Two guys beating the brush on a remote hillside (they found birds there but I think there was a lot of missing going on :smile2:!) and one in the parking lot as we were loading up to go home. We saw 9 birds and got the two.

The persons affiliated with the PGC here on this board can speak to the "dangers it poses". Not so sure there are a significant amount of PA pheasant hunting shooting injuries/fatalities year to year....
 
#14 ·
He's hunting with 17 guys and he's worried about PA pheasant hunters being too close. I'll also bet many of the birds they shot were released birds. There's thousands of game farm pheasants released in SD. I've watched waves of hunters going through the same fields and killing every rooster that flushes. Wild birds can't take that kind of pressure. Magically the next day they are back.😊
 
#20 ·
Two weeks ago my son shot a doe just before dark.We returned in the morning and found it right where we expected.As I was quartering it,I heard something behind me and turned around to see a small buck trot into about 20 yards.It stood there and watched us quarter this deer for at least a minute before walking away unconcerned.Was that a dumb,stocked deer?I hunt hunt stocked pheasants every saturday with my dog.We usually go in the middle of the day after untold numbers of dogs and hunters have worked through.Usually on the way there a rooster or two will be standing on or next to the road.Once we get back to where we're hunting,it's never easy.The dog is obviously on bird scent but in heavy cover they run.
 
#23 ·
Some thing had to be wrong with that bird the boy just picked up. Pen raised pheasants don't let you pick them up in the pen. I'm 58 and old enough to have hunted the wild birds and have hunted them in SD also. Pen raised don't match them but the ones I've seen stocked the last few years are really nice, strong flying birds. My daughter and son-in-law have a GSP and I love taking him on walks so we will often hit the stocked game lands. He has caught a few but I'm pretty sure they were wounded. I walked him for 2 hours today and saw 3 pheasants. They ran and flew hard and I couldn't even get a shot at them. The day before he pointed 2 that I got and saw 1 that flushed wild. Its certainly not easy. Without a dog darn near impossible.
 
#24 ·
I'm not much of a pheasant hunter, it just doesn't appeal to me, reminds me to much of the opening day of trout season I guess. I know it does appeal to some or many possibly and that's fine too. My feelings regarding the comparison to the trout opener were bolstered recently by this incident. Two weeks ago a buddy and I were scouting an area on Game land 44 in Elk county. Our scouting finished we hiked back to our truck to leave. There were only two trucks at the parking area, ours and one other. We sat in the truck eating lunch and all at once cars and trucks began to come in and park, looked like a funeral procession. Within 5-10 minutes there were at least 12-14 cars and trucks parked around us. A few minutes later the PGC stocking truck pulled in and began their stocking while the 'hunters' all piled out of their rigs, getting their gear on and putting collars on their dogs, etc. Reminded me of the trout opening day. I'd say someone at the game commission is busy on the phone just before those stocking trucks hit the road.
We pulled out before the 'hunting' got underway so we didn't see or hear the action but I imagine it was pretty intense.
 
#26 ·
First of all you should have said hello when showed up there to stock. What did you think of the habitat. Though it was not as good with the row crops this year, due to way too much rain this spring, but all in all the habitat is pretty good in my opinion.

As for the cars showing up while we are stocking that isn't from Game Commission people making calls. It actually happens from two different things.

If someone asks when we are stocking the standard answer is sometime each week between Tuesday and Friday.

Many hunts can figure it out by a simple calculation that if it didn't happen before Friday then it will happen on Friday. Of course they have to hunt about every day to figure out whether it has happened yet or not.

The most disturbing way people find out is there is a phone network that starts when they see the stocking truck coming through Brockway. The is someone on the Main Street of Brockway, and no one will tell us who it is, that can obviously keep track of what goes through town. When they see the stocking truck they make a couple calls and then those people make more calls to their network.

Almost every time we stock the people start showing up shortly after the truck comes through Brockway. They missed it on one of the stocking days this year though.

Though it would be more preferred if it didn't happen the way it does it really isn't a major issue though. We have so much area the hunters don't normally become a problem. Plus we get the birds to well spread out no one is being overrun with other hunters even on the stocking days.

In past years many hunters had already been out and got their birds before the stocking truck arrived. But, this year since the birds were coming from the Southwest Game Farm instead of the North Central Game Farm they were getting there much earlier and before some hunters had already left the field for the day.

Dick Bodenhorn
 
#28 · (Edited)
While I have no doubt many of the truck followers show up in the manner RSB describes, I also wouldn't be afraid to bet some were tipped off by PGC employees. I used to go hunting with a guy that had an "inside guy" for many years.

And up north the crowds are not near what they are in other areas. Many times we'd have the newly stocked birds to ourselves, or darned near. I haven't pheasant hunted since the mid 90's.
 
#35 ·
Was in ND Oct 26-Nov 3. Set up layout blinds for geese one day and wouldn't you know it two roosters land 10 yards from us. Dogs going crazy and all. Didn't feel sporting to shoot them, so let them go.

Next day different field. Layout blinds, in a break in the action heard some roosters crowing so walked the dog over. About 50 yards. 4-5 roosters and a bunch of hens took off. I wasn't pheasant hunting so didn't shoot.

Duck hunting on a big lake (little ponds frozen up) and a pheasant crowing behind us. While gathering up decoys buddy was back in the little trees a bit and a hen walked in beside him.



Pretty sure these weren't stocked birds.
 
#38 · (Edited)
I know some guys get a kick out if bashing the pheasant program and my preference would be to just hunt grouse & woodcock but the truth is for many of us with dogs, the pheasant program is important to us because we live more than 3 hours from good grouse hunting. I live in Carbon County (I actually live across the street from Beltzville State Park & Wildlife Management Area) and while I can put grouse up here and the greater Poconos area, I can't do it consistently at least not in decent numbers.

I routinely drive 2-3 hours every weekend to go hunting for grouse in the Northeast Region. Early this season I made a conscious choice to mainly hunt Gamelands that offered decent grouse habitat but also pheasant stocking nearby. The Northcentral region is about 4 hour drive so it's a little more elusive (Sunday hunting would change that because I'm very willing to rent a motel room or cabin if I can hunt the whole weekend.)

I'm blessed to have good dogs so when I pheasant hunt I actually try to avoid the most popular fields and concentrate on hunting them up in the "far corners" they get pushed into and it's a lot of fun. My dogs and I work for those birds and while I won't say "they're just like wild birds" they do often provide a good challenge. We were up Bradford County yesterday trying to target grouse and I shot a rooster whose crop was chock full of cherries, tiny crabapples, some seeds and I think sumac "fruits."
 
#39 ·
If you really want to see a dumb bird, take a look at a recently stocked Chuckar! My buddy and I sometimes hunt at a preserve near Pittsburgh, it's a great place to work dogs.

Since my dog is a Retriever, not a pointing dog, the chuckars often end up in his mouth, not in the air. (He's a family pet, and also loves to chase birds, but I will admit he is not properly trained.....still does a heck of a job finding and retrieving birds!!)

We stopped paying for chuckars because they are just too stupid, don't fly when a critter is coming at them. The pointing dogs will point them, but even then, when we try to get them to fly, the dogs occasionally run in and grab them.

Even the freshly stocked pheasants at the preserve are smart enough to fly when the 78 pound retriever gets close!!
 
#41 ·
The last time I was out with my dog we had 5 birds flush about 60 yds. away at 5 separate locations. They heard us working through the brush and we are generally not very noisy. This is how they often learn to react after getting pressured and shot at from hunters. These later season stocked birds are in many cases more wily than some wild birds I've hunted in Iowa.

The guys who think that hunting the PGC stocked pheasants is a joke are not very well experienced or knowledgable pheasant hunters.
 
#42 ·
The guys who think that hunting the PGC stocked pheasants is a joke are not very well experienced or knowledgable pheasant hunters.
Precisely. The OP is not hunting these birds. He is using the example of a bird they encountered while waterfowl hunting.

The other day I had a REALLY dumb doe leaning against the side of my house under the overhang. I think she was actually trying to get out of the rain ! My dogs were going crazy five feet from her in the house, but she was oblivious.
Guess that means all of these PA deer are stupid and we need to bring some in from Michigan or something...:tango_face_smile:
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top