WDFW and game birds

[Sportfury]

Made a weekend trip over to the east side this weekend. It was a lot of fun being with my dad and my son, however, the birds seem to be nonexistent. We hunted hard in the L.T. Murray, but away from the pheasant release site. Pretty dry and warm and we could not find any water. We stayed out of Umtaneum Creek thinking it probably gets hit hard and with all the brush it would be hard walking for my son. We ended the day in Quincy with a some chukar poop and only getting into one covey of quail about 100 feet from the truck on the way back (go figure) after putting quite a few miles on the boots. We decided to head to Wenatchee for Sunday because we have had good luck in the Clockum in the past. My dad took one released rooster that suprised us and should have been mine, but the trigger wouldn't bend enough (dang safety). In all my treading around I found some feeding stations that were in disrepair and one that was smashed flat by snow. I also noticed that they had no grain at the silo and that they hadn't been in the feed drum lot in a while. On the way out we talked with a fellow from Cashmere and he said he thinks all the WDFW cares about now is the deer, elk, and pheasant release programs. Is this true? Has the WDFW turned a blind eye to wild birds? I know that this year is not the best for birds, but the Clockum always seemed to produce something. What do you all think?

[bobcat]

All I know is the LT Murray and the Colockum don't have the best pheasant habitat. I wouldn't expect wild pheasants to do very well at all in either place.

[fishunt247]

My opinion on the WDFW pheasant program (if there is one?)...I guess they treat pheasants a lot like planted trout. They put them out there, no hope to survive, no hope to reproduce, no hope to do anything besides get eaten by some guy. That is not pheasant management. And to think these guys went to school for that. The Yakima Pheasants Forever Chapter does most (if not all) of its work on the Yakama Reservation, I believe. The tribe actually cares about their birds and seems to do more for pheasants than the WDFW does. I'm not aware of anything the WDFW does for upland birds, at all. I guess they figure setting aside a couple tracts of land, often *censored*ty habitat, will help our birds.

[bobcat]

I'm not aware of anything the WDFW does for upland birds, at all. I guess they figure setting aside a couple tracts of land, often *censored*ty habitat, will help our birds.

Well, they HAVE purchased a lot of land to provide habitat for the endangered sage and sharptail grouse. Some of this is also good for huntable upland birds such as huns, quail, and chukar. But for pheasants, I'm not sure. They may have something to do with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) which is the best thing for wild pheasants that we have.

[bobcat]

Here's an interesting read I just came across on the WDFW site:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/pheasant_workshop.pdf

[shorthair-on-point]

In the 1960's WA pheasant harvest was equal to or greater than the Dakotas. Even in the late 70's there was a harvest of over 500,000 birds. Now the harvest numbers include all the released birds but most estimated WILD BIRD harvest is around 50,000.  Facts are facts. If they are managing for wild birds then they hardly could be doing a worse job of it.

[Intruder]

Here's an interesting read I just came across on the WDFW site:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/pheasant_workshop.pdf

Back several months ago when wdfw was doing their traveling public presentations I got a chance to talk w/ one of wdfw's upland bioligists about this study and their plans.  I found it pretty interesting and was somewhat encouraged by the initial work being done.  However, I will say that from a $ perspective I didn't get the sense that they were putting a significant enough emphasis on this.  

On a side note: I think the harvest numbers that they publish are total BS.  They show Whitman county pheasant harvest at 15000 + birds.  That means on average there are a 165 birds a day killed throughout the season.  Put another way that means 50+ guys a day have to shoot their limits every day of the season.  There's no way.  Apart from opening weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, and parents weekend at WSU I'd be shocked if their are 50 guys even hunting on most weekend days.... let alone all shooting limits or hunting during the week.  Their harvest reports are full of crap.  

[Intruder]

In the 1960's WA pheasant harvest was equal to or greater than the Dakotas. Even in the late 70's there was a harvest of over 500,000 birds. Now the harvest numbers include all the released birds but most estimated WILD BIRD harvest is around 50,000.  Facts are facts. If they are managing for wild birds then they hardly could be doing a worse job of it.

Couldn't agree more.
I lived in Colfax in the 70s and I remember hunting w/ my dad and his friends and we'd see hundreds upon hundreds of pheasants.  It wasn't anything to put up 300 or 400 hundred birds a day in addition to several coveys of huns and quail.  Today pales in comparison to then.

[high country]

could it be the skyrocketing wheat price. heck every inch of ground is $$ crp used to make a little $$ I would be for selling wheat if the price holds, that means less habitat. that is the sad truth. inflation is killing habitat.

[singleshot12]

Grain ,water and cover don't always produce pheasants.

Game bird chicks depend on bugs and insects for their first couple weeks of life. Pesticides eliminate their food source,seen it happen all over this state 

[luvtohnt]

Very good point. I read somewhere, cant remember the article or magazine, that in 2005 there was some 5-600,000 acres of crp that was lost throughout America. Everyone wanted to replant the land with wheat because of the price. That is alot of habitat.

Brandon

[Intruder]

Very good point. I read somewhere, cant remember the article or magazine, that in 2005 there was some 5-600,000 acres of crp that was lost throughout America. Everyone wanted to replant the land with wheat because of the price. That is alot of habitat.
Brandon

The Bio-fuel BS is also playing a large role in loss of habitat. I don't have any problem w/ alternate fuels but the American public has been fed a line of crap in respect to the viability of Bio-fuels making a real difference in oil consumption.  When you start looking at the other impacts (like habitat loss and high food prices) and couple it with the fact that there's no way to produce enough bio-fuel to come close to sustaining our fuel needs it's a real shame (or maybe more accurately... sham).  Sorry didn't mean to . 

[fishunt247]

I read the study, and it does seem promising. Does anybody know of the WDFW working with any farmers via the Farm Bill or anything of that sort? I have never heard of any in the Yakima Valley, but my experience is limited to there only. I have hunted some public CRP ground on the Snake, very over-hunted, very few birds. I think the Yakama Reservation has two great factors working for its pheasants still: they farm the old way, watering via ditches that provide cover; and the "Feel Free To Hunt" lands that they set aside to let go provide great cover. They seem to work best when they are next to a food source... corn, asparagas, etc. If this was implemented state-wide, we would have more birds. Our farmers would just have to care about pheasants, like they do in the Dakotas.

[fishunt247]

And with the bio-fuel rage, I have seen an increase in the bird population. The bioligists I have talked to said the same thing. Or so it seems. Now, with tracts of corn still standing all the way into december, the birds have safe havens still. As those fields begin to be cut, more birds start showing up in the huntable cover. Hell, two weeks ago I shot a bird that wasn't fully colored. He came out a ditch in the middle of a cut cornfield. Granted, the increase in corn production only works if there is cover for them to nest in, roost in (most of the time they won't roost in corn), and live in once the corn is cut. Roll on bio-fuels, as long as there is cover to match.

[Intruder]

I read the study, and it does seem promising. Does anybody know of the WDFW working with any farmers via the Farm Bill or anything of that sort? I have never heard of any in the Yakima Valley, but my experience is limited to there only. I have hunted some public CRP ground on the Snake, very over-hunted, very few birds. I think the Yakama Reservation has two great factors working for its pheasants still: they farm the old way, watering via ditches that provide cover; and the "Feel Free To Hunt" lands that they set aside to let go provide great cover. They seem to work best when they are next to a food source... corn, asparagas, etc. If this was implemented state-wide, we would have more birds. Our farmers would just have to care about pheasants, like they do in the Dakotas.

I know there has been some work w/ farmers in Whitman county but much of it has been slowed down due to price increases in crops.  Farmers are hesitant to devote lands to habitat when they can get 10 bucks a bushell for wheat or put their land into bio-fuel crops.  There may be some relief w/ oil prices down and wheat prices around 5 bucks.