I Offered to Release Pheasant Chicks on Public Land and...

[cstemig]

was told NO! The local "Game Manager" said that pheasants are considered an exotic bird and not native to Minnesota. Technically he may be right, but the DNR collects monies from Pheasant Stamp sales, hunting license sales, and fines from violations because of them. They set seasons and bag limits. The DNR profits from these exotic birds.

What's next? A pheasant barrier to prevent them from entering public land? Unconditional shooting of them on public land? Castrating the roosters or sterilizing the hens? Smashing eggs in the nests to prevent the exotic spawn from entering public domain?

My head hurts from dealing with these idiots.

[Mallard_maniac]

I would be willing to bet this is standard operating procedure for the DNR and feds. I highly doubt you're the first to offer nor the last. Not trying to play devils advocate but I'm betting there some concern about partialliy domestic birds being released as wild. Be it disease, invasive (there's different DNA strands within pheasants), etc.... I applaud your concern and willingness to try to give back, but I'm not at all surprised at the outcome.

BTW I think you'd basically be feeding the birds of prey. I thought survival on pen raised birds released into the wild was like under 1%. Just going off of what a game farm owner told me a long time ago, I could be boogering the number up a little (not sure how much of that is factual).

[Drunk_Dynasty]

Releasing pheasants doesn't work and all it does it create predators that specialize in eating pheasants. It also has the potential of water down the genetics of wild birds with pheasants that are of a specific eco-type. There's also the potential to introduce disease.

Its a bummer the DNR wildlife manager didn't explain it to you better but he did the absolute right thing.

There are a lot cheaper ways to feed foxes and owls, if you're into that kind of thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[lanyard]

Releasing birds does not stock nor seed lands. Additionally, will create competition for bio mass and likely increase predation for that local area. Carrying capacity is determined by a biome's ability to support life at it's weakest point

There's been a lot of study on this over the years.

Would have been nice for them to give you a bilological reason rather than some political mumbo jumbo. They're the same organization that introduced common Carp...

[Bullet21XD]

I think you should just release them. F the DNR. They specialize in being wrong.

[h2ofwlr]

was told NO! The local "Game Manager" said that pheasants are considered an exotic bird and not native to Minnesota. Technically he may be right, but the DNR collects monies from Pheasant Stamp sales, hunting license sales, and fines from violations because of them. They set seasons and bag limits. The DNR profits from these exotic birds.

I bet if caught, they also collect restitution on if you shoot a hen or shoot them out of season. But it is not any surprise to me.

Heck I planted wild plums at the corner of the public access 20 yrs years ago down where my cabin was knowing it'd give a bit of cover for the pheasants to run to from the corn filed right next to it from avian predators - 3 yrs later they sprayed them. They have time for that, but they don't have time to grade the ruts out of the access roads.


I hate to say it Chuck, but the others have some valid points on watering down genetics, possible spreading of disease (look at what has happened with captive deer and elk in MN and adversely effecting the deer with CWD), etc.

I hope I did not step on your toes Chuck, because as you know I hold you in high regard as a honorable sportsman and gentleman.

The question for all of us should be perhaps rerouted in this way - So as a private citizen, what can I do to improve the outdoors for wildlife on public lands/waters from these managers? And maybe pursue those options. Maybe it is clearing encroaching trees/shrubs on a open grasslands, Meaning get 4-5 guys together for 1 day to cut and blot the stubs with Roundup (so they do not regrow) at a wildlife management area. Haul to easy access and then let them haul/chip the branches up. I know that this is a huge headache for managers in the SW 1/2 of MN on the grasslands, thus why I suggested it.

That is why I help raise ducks on mainly public waters/lands. But I steer clear of DNR & USFWS land as I don't want to deal with the Govt bureaucracy. So I stick to city, county, and state highway land/waters. They usually welcome my efforts via ducks nests. Every time I've been checked by the police or deputies I have used it as an opportunity to convey the conservation message to them, knowing that they will share it with others. And I get checked on average once a year doing my duck nests as often I am driving/parked where I normally should not be - from the shoulder of a road, a park trail, etc But I also don't park on the shoulder during rush hour, etc, so do try to be mindful to minimize potential risks of others as they are driving and thus why I park on a park trail if available. I just try to use common sense is all. BTW, I have yet to get a ticket, as they realize I am trying to help out the wildlife, etc.

[lanyard]

Chuck, don't know where you're at, but a local sportsman club will have better hands on projects.

I think the Fed's finally started a Adopt-A-WPA, maybe the State. Tried to get that initiative done over a decade ago but ran into The Gub'ment Way of Nuthin'New.

To an earlier thread, one more reason I'm not putting high priority on getting back into active conservation: just to damn hard to get chit done.

[cstemig]

It is true that some pen raised birds may be genetically inferior, but it all depends on where you buy them and the pedigree/quality of the breeder. I personally buy birds that are proven to have better genetics and are able to survive and reproduce in the wild. I've have "wild" hatches the next year of releasing birds.

As far as survival rate goes, pen released birds average 10- 20% in most areas depending on predation, habitat, and food source. Avian predators are the worst. Coyotes, raccoons, fox, etc. can be managed with trapping/hunting.

Doing something is better than sitting around complaining about the loss of the "good old days" when birds were plentiful.

[lanyard]

But through laws of natural selection, you releasing birds on your property should be causing distribution to neighboring properties.

In SD they back trucks up to fields over night and release birds during hunting season on private land. @ $150 per gun per day they need to increase the odds of success

[lanyard]

[url]://www.pheasantsforever.org/Habitat/Pheasant-Facts/Pheasant-Stocking.aspx[/url]