Westside Pheasant hunting on the chopping block

[JimmyHoffa]

They're not meant to survive.  They should 100% be shot by the end of the season, kind of like planted fish.  It's not a large scale/acreage program, small blocks of land where access is easy.  The guys are paying for it now with high fees and really limited days for a season.

[chukar14]

Biologically like catchable trout there is no argument for it, but recruitment and retention are the name of the game.  I take my son for the youth hunt to the release sites and se all the other young hunters hopefully being imprinted on hunting.  Take a look at most of the general season hunters.  They tend to be up there in age.  Retention.  If you think the release sites are the dumbest most sadistic wastes of money, you should still support them because they recruit and retain constituents to our dwindling numbers and at least provide exposure for those that don't maintain actively hunting so that they are informed voters that dont vote for initiatives that the humane society comes up with.  We hunters all need to stick together and support eachother, but especially when it comes to recruitment and retention.

This is a very good point but at some point don't you think that we will just be doing it to do it. What I mean by that is that wouldn't the effort and the dollars be better spent to create habitat for the wild birds and ungulates. I firmly believe that when I bring my youngsters out it is good to have them be successful so that they want to come back, I have even taken them to game bird ranches, (on my dime). I think that we should continue to pay for pheasants but to the people doing the good work, like pheasants forever and such. IMHO pheasants being released with no chance to survive or thrive is an absolute waste of our efforts.

I did some research on this, in Lincoln county in 2015 the gov't paid $ 57 and acre for CRP land, but growing corn yielded $802 an acre. Now you can raise and release a pheasant for probably almost half of $57 dollars, so for about the cost of an acre of CRP land, we can basically get 2 pheasants per acre at Western was release site.

There is no where in E.Wa that has a wild pheasant density that high.  I'm pro securing habitat for wild game and to prevent development, and we used to get it for free, but with cleaner more efficient farming practices it will be very costly to get productive pheasant land at a reasonable price.

Raising and releasing birds may be much more cost effective than paying for CRP land and more birds will be available for users.

[Special T]

Biologically like catchable trout there is no argument for it, but recruitment and retention are the name of the game.  I take my son for the youth hunt to the release sites and se all the other young hunters hopefully being imprinted on hunting.  Take a look at most of the general season hunters.  They tend to be up there in age.  Retention.  If you think the release sites are the dumbest most sadistic wastes of money, you should still support them because they recruit and retain constituents to our dwindling numbers and at least provide exposure for those that don't maintain actively hunting so that they are informed voters that dont vote for initiatives that the humane society comes up with.  We hunters all need to stick together and support eachother, but especially when it comes to recruitment and retention.

This is a very good point but at some point don't you think that we will just be doing it to do it. What I mean by that is that wouldn't the effort and the dollars be better spent to create habitat for the wild birds and ungulates. I firmly believe that when I bring my youngsters out it is good to have them be successful so that they want to come back, I have even taken them to game bird ranches, (on my dime). I think that we should continue to pay for pheasants but to the people doing the good work, like pheasants forever and such. IMHO pheasants being released with no chance to survive or thrive is an absolute waste of our efforts.

I did some research on this, in Lincoln county in 2015 the gov't paid $ 57 and acre for CRP land, but growing corn yielded $802 an acre. Now you can raise and release a pheasant for probably almost half of $57 dollars, so for about the cost of an acre of CRP land, we can basically get 2 pheasants per acre at Western was release site.

There is no where in E.Wa that has a wild pheasant density that high.  I'm pro securing habitat for wild game and to prevent development, and we used to get it for free, but with cleaner more efficient farming practices it will be very costly to get productive pheasant land at a reasonable price.

Raising and releasing birds may be much more cost effective than paying for CRP land and more birds will be available for users.

Im glad some one menationed this. I would also add that maximazing edge cover on existing land has to be more cost effective than buying "habitat" and not doing any improvements.

[jagermiester]

Biologically like catchable trout there is no argument for it, but recruitment and retention are the name of the game.  I take my son for the youth hunt to the release sites and se all the other young hunters hopefully being imprinted on hunting.  Take a look at most of the general season hunters.  They tend to be up there in age.  Retention.  If you think the release sites are the dumbest most sadistic wastes of money, you should still support them because they recruit and retain constituents to our dwindling numbers and at least provide exposure for those that don't maintain actively hunting so that they are informed voters that dont vote for initiatives that the humane society comes up with.  We hunters all need to stick together and support eachother, but especially when it comes to recruitment and retention.

This is a very good point but at some point don't you think that we will just be doing it to do it. What I mean by that is that wouldn't the effort and the dollars be better spent to create habitat for the wild birds and ungulates. I firmly believe that when I bring my youngsters out it is good to have them be successful so that they want to come back, I have even taken them to game bird ranches, (on my dime). I think that we should continue to pay for pheasants but to the people doing the good work, like pheasants forever and such. IMHO pheasants being released with no chance to survive or thrive is an absolute waste of our efforts.

I did some research on this, in Lincoln county in 2015 the gov't paid $ 57 and acre for CRP land, but growing corn yielded $802 an acre. Now you can raise and release a pheasant for probably almost half of $57 dollars, so for about the cost of an acre of CRP land, we can basically get 2 pheasants per acre at Western was release site.

There is no where in E.Wa that has a wild pheasant density that high.  I'm pro securing habitat for wild game and to prevent development, and we used to get it for free, but with cleaner more efficient farming practices it will be very costly to get productive pheasant land at a reasonable price.

Raising and releasing birds may be much more cost effective than paying for CRP land and more birds will be available for users.

So lets plant a couple of bird per acre so people can have a dummed down hunting experience instead of....

"Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is the largest private-lands conservation program in the United States. Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers and land owners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species."

I don't mean to sound argumentative but CRP is a good thing for our habitat dollars to go into as well as private land acquisitions and the stopping of chemicals sprayed on all the crops. For our grandchildren. I am not that old but I remember when Quincy WA had as many pheasants as North Dakota, now there are so few its not worth the effort. Let's shoot for the moon and get those wild birds back, because lets be honest they are kind of the canary in the mine. If they cannot survive the question is why?

[Special T]

Biologically like catchable trout there is no argument for it, but recruitment and retention are the name of the game.  I take my son for the youth hunt to the release sites and se all the other young hunters hopefully being imprinted on hunting.  Take a look at most of the general season hunters.  They tend to be up there in age.  Retention.  If you think the release sites are the dumbest most sadistic wastes of money, you should still support them because they recruit and retain constituents to our dwindling numbers and at least provide exposure for those that don't maintain actively hunting so that they are informed voters that dont vote for initiatives that the humane society comes up with.  We hunters all need to stick together and support eachother, but especially when it comes to recruitment and retention.

This is a very good point but at some point don't you think that we will just be doing it to do it. What I mean by that is that wouldn't the effort and the dollars be better spent to create habitat for the wild birds and ungulates. I firmly believe that when I bring my youngsters out it is good to have them be successful so that they want to come back, I have even taken them to game bird ranches, (on my dime). I think that we should continue to pay for pheasants but to the people doing the good work, like pheasants forever and such. IMHO pheasants being released with no chance to survive or thrive is an absolute waste of our efforts.

I did some research on this, in Lincoln county in 2015 the gov't paid $ 57 and acre for CRP land, but growing corn yielded $802 an acre. Now you can raise and release a pheasant for probably almost half of $57 dollars, so for about the cost of an acre of CRP land, we can basically get 2 pheasants per acre at Western was release site.

There is no where in E.Wa that has a wild pheasant density that high.  I'm pro securing habitat for wild game and to prevent development, and we used to get it for free, but with cleaner more efficient farming practices it will be very costly to get productive pheasant land at a reasonable price.

Raising and releasing birds may be much more cost effective than paying for CRP land and more birds will be available for users.

So lets plant a couple of bird per acre so people can have a dummed down hunting experience instead of....

"Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is the largest private-lands conservation program in the United States. Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers and land owners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species."

I don't mean to sound argumentative but CRP is a good thing for our habitat dollars to go into as well as private land acquisitions and the stopping of chemicals sprayed on all the crops. For our grandchildren. I am not that old but I remember when Quincy WA had as many pheasants as North Dakota, now there are so few its not worth the effort. Let's shoot for the moon and get those wild birds back, because lets be honest they are kind of the canary in the mine. If they cannot survive the question is why?

The basin had more pheasant because it had both more edge cover and different crops than today.  Instead of super clean 125-170acre circles they had lots of 40 & 80 acre fields with fence-lines, weeds and ditches. Ive been told that when sugar beets were being raised there were more pheasants than imagined.

[gaddy]

I used to hunt Pheasants around Moses years ago when sugar beets, wheat, corn and alfalfa were the dominate crops. Lots of birds everywhere, and the dove's. Used to be good times.

[GrampasGuns]

I am all for the end of this program. There are better, more cost effective ways to provide hunting experiences.

Why not focus on improving waterfowl habitat, saving the salmon and working to get more private land east of the mountains open to hunters.

Im afraid that in today's instagram culture, people want the grip and grin but aren't willing to do the work to find the birds and hunt them wild as it should be done.There are still great numbers of roosters in WA, but you gotta be willing to do the homework.

Some of the figures I have heard that it costs $$ wise per pheasant to release is unreal.

Not to mention why are we paying to feed the valley yotes and roadkill. I see dead pheasant on 203 daily during the season.

[chukar14]

I am all for the end of this program. There are better, more cost effective ways to provide hunting experiences.

Why not focus on improving waterfowl habitat, saving the salmon and working to get more private land east of the mountains open to hunters.

Im afraid that in today's instagram culture, people want the grip and grin but aren't willing to do the work to find the birds and hunt them wild as it should be done.There are still great numbers of roosters in WA, but you gotta be willing to do the homework.

Some of the figures I have heard that it costs $$ wise per pheasant to release is unreal.

Not to mention why are we paying to feed the valley yotes and roadkill. I see dead pheasant on 203 daily during the season.

It's not the homework, its the drive time... Finding roosters in E.WA isn't that hard, but as a father with two young children I can't afford to spend that much time driving 4 hours each way to hunt roosters on a saturday. the program provides opportunity and should be self funded, why would anyone have a problem with that.

[Bullkllr]

I am all for the end of this program. There are better, more cost effective ways to provide hunting experiences.

Why not focus on improving waterfowl habitat, saving the salmon and working to get more private land east of the mountains open to hunters.

Im afraid that in today's instagram culture, people want the grip and grin but aren't willing to do the work to find the birds and hunt them wild as it should be done.There are still great numbers of roosters in WA, but you gotta be willing to do the homework.

Some of the figures I have heard that it costs $$ wise per pheasant to release is unreal.

Not to mention why are we paying to feed the valley yotes and roadkill. I see dead pheasant on 203 daily during the season.

It's not the homework, its the drive time... Finding roosters in E.WA isn't that hard, but as a father with two young children I can't afford to spend that much time driving 4 hours each way to hunt roosters on a saturday. the program provides opportunity and should be self funded, why would anyone have a problem with that.

That's what I keep trying to figure out 

[jagermiester]

I agree with the self funding of this. I like the idea of private enterprise doing year round hunts to paying customers. I might even do something like that outside of hunting season.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

I look at it like this...if your trying to get your kid into fishing or even a friend, do you take them to a local lake that is planted with plenty of fish for them to hopefully catch one? Or do you take them into the wilderness to a native stream that is far more difficult and cumbersome for them to have success and become engaged. Sure the lesson of hard work pays off is a good one. But why not provide the opportunity to get them hooked and then teach the intricacies. If you look at Westside Pheasant hunting as a premier or even good opportunity to experience “real pheasant” hunting your lost. Instead it’s the best opportunity to engage our youth and new hunters into the sport we all love. So just like we spend money to dump copious amounts of trout into lakes so the most lay person can catch a fish, I feel we should continue to provide the same opportunity hunting with pheasant release sites. It’s a stocked field instead of a stocked pond. Your weapon is a gun instead of a rod.


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[Stein]

 

[jagermiester]

I look at it like this...if your trying to get your kid into fishing or even a friend, do you take them to a local lake that is planted with plenty of fish for them to hopefully catch one? Or do you take them into the wilderness to a native stream that is far more difficult and cumbersome for them to have success and become engaged. Sure the lesson of hard work pays off is a good one. But why not provide the opportunity to get them hooked and then teach the intricacies. If you look at Westside Pheasant hunting as a premier or even good opportunity to experience “real pheasant” hunting your lost. Instead it’s the best opportunity to engage our youth and new hunters into the sport we all love. So just like we spend money to dump copious amounts of trout into lakes so the most lay person can catch a fish, I feel we should continue to provide the same opportunity hunting with pheasant release sites. It’s a stocked field instead of a stocked pond. Your weapon is a gun instead of a rod.

Solid point!


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[Backstrap]

I am all for the end of this program. There are better, more cost effective ways to provide hunting experiences.

Why not focus on improving waterfowl habitat, saving the salmon and working to get more private land east of the mountains open to hunters.

Im afraid that in today's instagram culture, people want the grip and grin but aren't willing to do the work to find the birds and hunt them wild as it should be done.There are still great numbers of roosters in WA, but you gotta be willing to do the homework.

Some of the figures I have heard that it costs $$ wise per pheasant to release is unreal.

Not to mention why are we paying to feed the valley yotes and roadkill. I see dead pheasant on 203 daily during the season.

I don’t know the exact numbers, but I suspect that if all the west side hunters descended on the east side secret spots you refer to, then that too would become unsustainable. Your favorite honey holes might be honey holes because the release program takes pressure off them.

[bigdub257]

I look at it like this...if your trying to get your kid into fishing or even a friend, do you take them to a local lake that is planted with plenty of fish for them to hopefully catch one? Or do you take them into the wilderness to a native stream that is far more difficult and cumbersome for them to have success and become engaged. Sure the lesson of hard work pays off is a good one. But why not provide the opportunity to get them hooked and then teach the intricacies. If you look at Westside Pheasant hunting as a premier or even good opportunity to experience “real pheasant” hunting your lost. Instead it’s the best opportunity to engage our youth and new hunters into the sport we all love. So just like we spend money to dump copious amounts of trout into lakes so the most lay person can catch a fish, I feel we should continue to provide the same opportunity hunting with pheasant release sites. It’s a stocked field instead of a stocked pond. Your weapon is a gun instead of a rod.

 

Solid point!


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