Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 04:45:49 PM

Title: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 04:45:49 PM: anyone plant their own phez on private ground?

just looking into where to get started, equipment, cost and ground prep.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 04:53:53 PM: quail too, but I got a better handle on them.

There is a good population already I'd like to explode with quality ground prep and I'll probably build some johhny houses anyways for dog training.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: Bmcox86 on September 26, 2013, 07:26:34 PM: Are you thinking about stocking per hunt, per year or to try to get a breeding population, I worked on a game farm as a kid for 6 years, I know some but not a ton
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 07:28:51 PM: well established breeding population - supplemented if neccessary.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: Bmcox86 on September 26, 2013, 07:32:37 PM: How many acres are you working with. What's the predator population like, mainly hawks. Have any good water sources for the birds?
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: HornHoarder on September 26, 2013, 07:51:25 PM: I used to raise several hundred a year, and release them on our property. They just didn't seem to survive for long. Pen raised birds just seem to lack what it takes to make it long in the wild imo.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 08:21:39 PM: Quote from: Bmcox86 on September 26, 2013, 07:32:37 PM
How many acres are you working with. What's the predator population like, mainly hawks. Have any good water sources for the birds?

the ground is good, I got no questions on that.

interested in learning about those propane surrogator if anyone has experience with those.....
was hoping birds out of that thing would be better off.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: Birdguy on September 26, 2013, 08:50:26 PM: Predators are the largest problem if you are good on habitat. Honestly if you have the habitat you have what it will support in birds for the most part. Remember that in the "wild" I believe less than 10% of the birds in the fall make it to the following breeding season. Your statement that the released birds did not do well is true of most wild stocks as well.

As for the surrogator I have not used one but the local chapter of Pheasants Forever has one that seems to have issues more often than not. If you are not checking on it regularly the following are issues I have heard and read about: loss of heat (flame blew out), lack of food or water, large predators broke in or disrupted (food,water, heat), freezing rain crushing top, and others. I think they are a great idea and if I ran a hunt club that claimed "non pen birds" I would use them in late spring early summer when weather is not as big a deal.

Remember that in our wonderful state it is illeagle to release gamebirds (even on private property) without either being a licensed gamefarm or buying the birds from a licensed gamefarm the birds have to be proven disease free by the state vet office, we always used the Puyallup WSU branch vet. I had a conversation with the game dept. about this very thing this afternoon. I do not have the notes I took in front of me but the lady I spoke to even quoted the WAC that applies.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 08:59:58 PM: Quote from: Birdguy on September 26, 2013, 08:50:26 PM
Predators are the largest problem if you are good on habitat. Honestly if you have the habitat you have what it will support in birds for the most part. Remember that in the "wild" I believe less than 10% of the birds in the fall make it to the following breeding season. Your statement that the released birds did not do well is true of most wild stocks as well.

As for the surrogator I have not used one but the local chapter of Pheasants Forever has one that seems to have issues more often than not. If you are not checking on it regularly the following are issues I have heard and read about: loss of heat (flame blew out), lack of food or water, large predators broke in or disrupted (food,water, heat), freezing rain crushing top, and others. I think they are a great idea and if I ran a hunt club that claimed "non pen birds" I would use them in late spring early summer when weather is not as big a deal.

Remember that in our wonderful state it is illeagle to release gamebirds (even on private property) without either being a licensed gamefarm or buying the birds from a licensed gamefarm the birds have to be proven disease free by the state vet office, we always used the Puyallup WSU branch vet. I had a conversation with the game dept. about this very thing this afternoon. I do not have the notes I took in front of me but the lady I spoke to even quoted the WAC that applies.

thanks, that helps a bunch.
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: wildweeds on September 26, 2013, 09:28:15 PM: I used to lease 1000 acres in eastern washington to hunt,a guy had used it prior to me to rook dr's and dentists out of money, he would sell them weekends to hunt and schedule them.Prior to their arrival he would buy a bunch of farmed birds and turn them loose,Obviously some of them made it because that particular piece of ground when I leased it (5 years) was every bit as good as south dakota,lots of birds,and they were definatly WILD! I've hunted eastern washington alot prior to leasing and after and have never had 20+ pointed birds(pheasants) in a 3 hour hunt
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: KFhunter on September 26, 2013, 10:52:15 PM: they used to be in there wild, few odd ones here and there.

I just want to bring them back and boost their numbers
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: AspenBud on September 27, 2013, 09:08:49 AM: Quote from: Birdguy on September 26, 2013, 08:50:26 PM
Predators are the largest problem if you are good on habitat. Honestly if you have the habitat you have what it will support in birds for the most part. Remember that in the "wild" I believe less than 10% of the birds in the fall make it to the following breeding season. Your statement that the released birds did not do well is true of most wild stocks as well.

The survival rate of most released pen raised birds is even less.

http://www.pheasantsforever.org/page/1/stocking.jsp (http://www.pheasantsforever.org/page/1/stocking.jsp)
Title: Re: private land phez for hunting
Post by: singleshot12 on September 27, 2013, 11:22:58 AM: Pen raised pheasant strains today are so inbred that they severely lack any wild instincts anymore. Best thing you could do would be to hatch some eggs from the wild to enhance relocation efforts.