Pheasant release program

[backpacker]

For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Lori O’Connell
Tuesday, January 15, 2007 (518) 402-8000

DEC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PHEASANT RELEASE PROGRAMS
Applications for Cooperative Programs Due By March 15

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) announced today that the agency is accepting applications for two
cooperative programs designed to enhance opportunities for pheasant
hunting in New York State.

The Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program and the Young Pheasant
Release Program provide pheasant hunting opportunities through a
partnership between DEC, sportsmen and sportswomen, 4-H youth, and
landowners who are interested in rearing and releasing pheasants.

In 2007, DEC distributed 60,087 day-old pheasant chicks and
15,360 young pheasants to qualified applicants through the two programs.
Applications for either program must be filed by Saturday, March 15th,
2008 with a DEC regional wildlife manager.

The Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program began in the early 1900s. At
that time, pheasant eggs and chicks were distributed to farmers and
rural youth. Today, day-old chicks are available at no cost to
participants who are able to provide a brooding facility, a covered
outdoor rearing pen, and an adequate release site. Applicants who meet
these program requirements will receive the day-old chicks in April,
May, or June.

Daily care is necessary to monitor the health of the birds and
to ensure there is adequate feed and water for the rapidly growing
chicks. The pheasants may be released when they are eight weeks old or
older and no later than the end of the pheasant hunting season, which
varies for different regions of the state. All release sites must be
approved in advance by DEC and must be open for public hunting.

The Young Pheasant Release Program was developed in 1992 with
assistance from organized sportsmen and sportswomen. It is funded
through license fees charged to hunters,
trappers, and anglers. The program provides a more traditional hunting
experience for wild birds and the opportunity for hands-on involvement
in improving pheasant hunting opportunities.

The program distributes young pheasants (seven to 10 weeks old)
free-of-charge to cooperators in June, July, and August. These summer
months are ideal for releasing young pheasants because of stable weather
conditions, ample food, and exceptional cover that allows the birds to
escape from predators.

Each release site approved by DEC is eligible to receive 40
young pheasants. A pen built by the cooperator is used to gently
release the birds into their new environment. Feed and water are
provided for two weeks, slowly acclimating the birds to life on their
own. No pheasants can be released on private shooting preserves and all
release sites must provide public pheasant hunting opportunities.

Individuals interested in these programs should contact their
nearest DEC regional office for applications and additional information.


REGION 1
SUNY at Stony Brook
50 Circle Road
Stony Brook, NY 11790
(631) 444-0310

REGION 3
21 South Putt Corners Rd.
New Paltz, NY 12561
(845) 256-3098

REGION 4
65561 State Hwy 10, Suite 1
Stamford, NY 12167
(607) 652-7367

REGION 5
1115 Route 86, PO Box 296
Ray Brook, NY 12977
(518) 897-1291


REGION 6
317 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 785-2261

REGION 7
1285 Fisher Ave.
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 753-3095 x 247

REGION 8
6274 East Avon-Lima Rd.
Avon, NY 14414
(585) 226-5380

REGION 9
182 East Union, Suite 3
Allegany, NY 14706-1328
(716) 372-0645

[Brenda]

Have you ever participated in this, backpacker? I've considered it in the past, but friends have said that they've had a terrible time with predators. I'd also be more likely to do it if my property was immediately adjacent to the release area.

[backpacker]

My club has raised them for years, we've missed the past 3 years,
Once the dec confirms your pen and release areas they pretty much leave you alone. We always got the day old chicks, never had to put binders on them because we feed then high protein feed. It’s a lot of work for the first 3 weeks; temperature plays a large part on how many survive.

If your land is open to the public or borders public land I would try and get the young chicks, you can get up to 40 birds, the dec will base the amount you receive by the release areas. It’s a lot fun to watch them grow and if they stay in the area when released, I use to take my kids and the scouts up to see them they all had a ball watching the birds grow.


added
We always started with 75 chicks, only once we lost them all something broke into the pen and killed some, the rest flew away. As a rule we wolud loose less than 10 a year.

[Brenda]

Yeah, that's what I was alluding to, that my property is neither open to the public nor does it border public land yet (only 16 acres to go!), so I'm not likely to participate, though one of our local clubs does and releases birds only a mile from us. I would consider purchasing chicks privately, at some point, if our "wild" population doesn't continue to increase with the food plots that we've planted. They're looking pretty good so far--lots of hens this fall, much to Mike's dismay (at least during the season). Do you have any idea what your winter carryover percentages were? I know they sucked at the Coop where I worked, but those were "put & take" adults that were released, raised at Reynolds Game Farm.

[backpacker]

We never kept records of carry over but we would get reports from the landowners that they have seen pheasants with young. We always released in the same areas but would check out the land to insure all the essentials were still there. This picture was taken two years after we released three birds behind my house, I never saw the females but the male would visit my feeder ever week.

[Brenda]

State closing Reynolds Game Farm
From staff reports • December 15, 2008

DRYDEN — The Reynolds Game Farm will close this year and its pheasants will be donated to needy families through Southern Tier food banks, Gov. David Paterson announced in a weekend press release.

The game farm, which has operated on Game Farm Road in the Town of Dryden since 1927, is the last of its kind in the state.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spends approximately $750,000 yearly to operate the farm, which breeds and releases pheasants into the wild for hunting.

“While I understand the economic and recreational importance of pheasant hunting to many of New York's outdoor enthusiasts, we must focus our limited resources in this difficult crisis and look for innovative ways to meet the needs of the people of the State,” Paterson said. “The closure of the Reynolds Game Farm presents us with one such opportunity.

“We are able to both take action to assist in closing our record budget deficit and also offer struggling families nutritional food this holiday season and into the New Year.”

In the release, Paterson said he had authorized the DEC to donate nearly 8,000 of the farm's pheasants to food banks. A small number of pheasants may be taken by private game breeders or farms.

Neither relocation nor release into the wild is a viable option for most of the animals, according to the DEC, because other stocking facilities were not equipped to take the pheasants and the birds have had their wing feathers clipped, making them unable to fly.

Cornell University will perform avian influenza disease testing and certification free of charge, according to the statement. Once the pheasants are processed and packaged, they will be donated to a food bank in the Southern Tier.

The farm's closure will be reflected in the 2009-2010 executive budget, which the governor is slated to release Tuesday.

The projected state budget deficit for next year has been estimated at $12 billion, thanks to the recession and its impact on state revenues, particularly from Wall Street.

Rumor of the closure last week resulted in dismay from hunters and praise from the state Humane Society.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article ... 50315/1002

While I can't argue with the reasoning behind the decision to close the Game Farm, it still makes me very sad. I also question the decision to slaughter and donate almost 8,000 of the birds to food banks. While it looks great on paper and it's a great PR move, I would rather see most of the birds go to the hundreds of sportman's clubs throughout the state so that the program of raising and releasing birds could continue at the local level. Frankly, one pheasant can barely feed a family of four, if it's cooked properly. If it isn't cooked properly it's so much shoe leather. Why not sell the birds to the clubs (for propagation) and donate the money raised to the food banks?

[backpacker]

I agree with you Brenda,
The PR looks great but those birds were meant to be released or at least their offspring. I would have to say that those 8,000 birds must be breeding stock so how good will they be for eating and as you said if not cooked properly they will leave a bad taste towards hunting in general. The biggest problem of letting clubs buy the birds is not many if any have the pens needed to keep them till spring. This is the wrong time of year to release the birds because they would not have a chance to learn their habitat thus the predators and cars would take out most of them. When we raised the pheasants we had a good carry over rate our birds were seen with offspring in late spring.

I guess now the question is how much more funds will be cut from the DEC’s budget and or taken from the Pitman Roberson Act?? Is Paterson on our side or not?

My thoughts

[Brenda]

The biggest problem of letting clubs buy the birds is not many if any have the pens needed to keep them till spring. This is the wrong time of year to release the birds because they would not have a chance to learn their habitat thus the predators and cars would take out most of them.

I don't think that it would be that difficult/costly for clubs that are really interested to erect some pens. Shoot, maybe they could even buy them/sections of them, as well as the feeders from the game farm since they won't be in use anymore anyway. The pens aren't that fancy, just tall and covered to protect them from predators. They would certainly have to be held over until late spring if not kept as breeding stock. It sounds like an excellent project for the youth of the clubs.