Pheasant Survival

[Rainier10]

I have heard that pheasants at release sites don't have a long life expectancy.  I assume that is due to the hunting pressure.  Does the fact that they are farm raised play into it much.  The reason I ask is I was thinking about releasing some on my property and was wondering if they would survive and breed.  There are game farms close to us and from time to time I see pheasants in our area.

[WSU]

Tons get eaten by predators too. Plus I imagine there isn't much for food

[boneaddict]

First of all it's illegal, so be careful. or at least lots of legalities involved. 

They need lots of cover, if they have it, they fair much better.    Think of it like a bunch of spike bucks on the general opener (pre antler restrictions).   The survival curve isn't the best but as they get older, so do their hawkiness.

[Rainier10]

First of all it's illegal, so be careful. or at least lots of legalities involved. 

They need lots of cover, if they have it, they fair much better.    Think of it like a bunch of spike bucks on the general opener (pre antler restrictions).   The survival curve isn't the best but as they get older, so do their hawkiness.

Wow, thanks for that. I don't want to be doing that.  I will just hope the ones from the game farm end up establishing a population around my place.  They are cool to see for sure.

Ground cover is coming back great after the fire and next year there will be really thick cover.  The grouse, chukar and even doves are coming back really well.  Hopefully the turkeys return next year.  I was thinking pheasants would be nice to have around as well.

Thanks for the heads up about legality. 

[Old Dog]

It's not illegal.  You just have to purchase the birds from a licensed game farm.

Certainly hunting pressure plays a large part, but raptors probably get as many as us hunters do.  The fact the pheasant are farm raised is a huge factor.  Farm raised birds have lost the natural instincts they need to survive.  For example they don't know to look up for danger.  There is also the factor that most of the release site are horrible habitat for pheasants.

Pheasants forever has done a lot of research on the subject, and even in good habitat only about 10% survive to the next season.  Even wild birds only have a life expectancy of from 10 to 20 months! 

If you have deep pockets, and a lot of patience it can be done, but first you need to have good habitat.  Food, cover, water, and space all in the proper arrangement. 

Keep in mind that in establishing the ringneck pheasant in the US after many failures trying to release pen raised birds they finally had to bring in wild birds from China to be successful. 

[Rainier10]

So you are saying I have a chance?

What is considered deep pockets?  I assume you would buy adult birds, a mix of roosters and hens.  How much do they cost?  I thought I read on one thread they were $30 a bird to hunt.  I would assume if you were buying 20-30 birds you would get a discount.

[Woodchuck]

So you are saying I have a chance?

What is considered deep pockets?  I assume you would buy adult birds, a mix of roosters and hens.  How much do they cost?  I thought I read on one thread they were $30 a bird to hunt.  I would assume if you were buying 20-30 birds you would get a discount.

I have a source on this. Will let you know.

[Special T]

If you read up on quality habitat at pheasants forever you will find the amount of work putting in good habitat for wild birds will be the same kind of improvements you would need for released birds.

[Rainier10]

So you are saying I have a chance?

What is considered deep pockets?  I assume you would buy adult birds, a mix of roosters and hens.  How much do they cost?  I thought I read on one thread they were $30 a bird to hunt.  I would assume if you were buying 20-30 birds you would get a discount.

I have a source on this. Will let you know.

I know I saw a bunch of pheasants deer hunting in your neck of the woods but if your source involves a 12 pack of beer and a big net.... oh who am I kidding, I'm in.

[Special T]

Do many people do quail recall pens like they do in the south? Would these need to be certified in the same way as released birds?

[Rainier10]

If you read up on quality habitat at pheasants forever you will find the amount of work putting in good habitat for wild birds will be the same kind of improvements you would need for released birds.

I will check out their site and see what advice and tips they have there.

We are definitely into improving the habitat.  I have already planted 3,400 trees this past spring and have another 2,100 on order for next spring.  Last year we planted winter wheat and orchard grass to hold the soil in place until the natural grasses came back.  The natural grasses and brush are starting to come back really nice this year.  I may have to create better/thicker brush for breeding to give better protection from predators. I have created year round water in two places.  I am working with 200 acres of what was 40 percent timber and 60 percent sage/grass/brush.

[huntingfool7]

The biologist I spoke with pointed out that trees make great perches for the raptor to hunt from.

[baldopepper]

Last year we bought 70 chicks from McFarlane Pheasants, managed to get 55 to about 10 weeks (about 3/4 grown) and released them on our property in eastern Wa.  We have good cover, but it's not ideal pheasant country.  We saw them off and on for the next 5-6 weeks and then saw none of them again.  We have heard roosters around us this year and had a hen come into our feeder so we suspect some of them did survive, but no way can we get an exact count.  I did find the remains of two or three that appeared to be raptor kills, but no other signs of kills.  Seemed to me that were more then the usual amount of various hawks around our place right after we released them, but may have been just that I was watching more for them.  It was a fun project and not too expensive when you buy them as chicks.  We didn't try it this year as we had some time constraints but may try it again next spring.  We're thinking maybe we'll not release until they're full grown and see if we have better results.  You can get very good instructions from McFarlane and probably your biggest expense is building the proper holding pens.  We have plenty of room so the pen wasn't too big of a problem, feed adds up but wasn't too bad. Lot cheaper than buying adult birds.

[birddogdad]

Last year we bought 70 chicks from McFarlane Pheasants, managed to get 55 to about 10 weeks (about 3/4 grown) and released them on our property in eastern Wa.  We have good cover, but it's not ideal pheasant country.  We saw them off and on for the next 5-6 weeks and then saw none of them again.  We have heard roosters around us this year and had a hen come into our feeder so we suspect some of them did survive, but no way can we get an exact count.  I did find the remains of two or three that appeared to be raptor kills, but no other signs of kills.  Seemed to me that were more then the usual amount of various hawks around our place right after we released them, but may have been just that I was watching more for them.  It was a fun project and not too expensive when you buy them as chicks.  We didn't try it this year as we had some time constraints but may try it again next spring.  We're thinking maybe we'll not release until they're full grown and see if we have better results.  You can get very good instructions from McFarlane and probably your biggest expense is building the proper holding pens.  We have plenty of room so the pen wasn't too big of a problem, feed adds up but wasn't too bad. Lot cheaper than buying adult birds.

I would contact someone in the Midwest.. think you are going to find the biggest key is food/habitat.  if you have the right water access and plant great cover for them/leaving it alone you may hold birds..see Pheasants forever too...   http://nebraskapf.com/habitat-programs/improving-habitat/nesting-cover/

[T-Bone]

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to hunt several private properties in WA and Illinois where up to 200 pheasants were released a few weeks prior to hunting season...No birds seen or shot. All of these properties had marginal (at best) habitat / cover. Too many people think stocking pheasants is the best solution when study after study shows that habitat is the key.

When living in Ferndale, WA, I frequently hunted the nearby pheasant release sites and for the most part, I enjoyed myself. A number of the roosters and even a few of the hens, would take the Chesapeake and I on a near field length sprint, prior to flushing...Just like a wild rooster. "Like shooting chickens" (honestly) wasn't the average experience. And yes, from off-season drives around Whatcom and Skagit County release sites, a very few previously stocked birds are able to avoid the coyotes, raptors and hunters, but again that number is very few.