Pheasant Release Site Frustration

[packhuntr]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

And that's exactly where the hen releases took place You're right, it is a no brainer

Thats super, another point of interest you apparently can answer, are those hen drops old tired brood hens, or hens with some time left in them to make some babies? With privatization and production of saleable birds being of the utmost importance, hens are valuable. I might be curious what the status of those hens was, and were they purchased? Some things sound good on paper...

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by packhuntr

if I was in charge those sites would go away and she'd be night time drops in undisclosed areas ONLY, where some of the surviving birds would have a chance at promoting pheasant in Alberta for tomorrow, not where winterkill of survivors is imminent. After all, if these properties are what they are cracked up to be, they will self sustain healthy populations of all game... Am I wrong?

We discussed the very same thing last week, and I think that would be a very good thing to do.
Undisclosed release at night would work, for sure, until someone figured out how to " put them to bed" like goose hunters do, I think the unscrupulous would wait around for the truck to leave the gate!
Cat

Originally Posted by packhuntr

Thats super, another point of interest you apparently can answer, are those hen drops old tired brood hens, or hens with some time left in them to make some babies? With privatization and production of saleable birds being of the utmost importance, hens are valuable. I might be curious what the status of those hens was, and were they purchased? Some things sound good on paper...

Viable breeding stock and yes they were purchased....by the government

[DuckBrat]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Ya, I can't see releasing hens just prior to winter being money well spent.

Yes your right, I agree completely.

[packhuntr]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Viable breeding stock and yes they were purchased....by the government

Thats super, sure wouldnt want to be duped into purchasing from the geriatric ward hen pens, or that 20 000 wouldnt appear to be such an impressive looking number would it,,, price pending of course

[GoodTimes]

Originally Posted by packhuntr

LOL If you say so. I suppose I will be able to find you dressed to the 9's in your best upland gear and whistle, drinking all night in a certain unnamed bar after a long tough day on the release site, bellering about how your dog is the best of the best LOL

No, not even a lil bit actually. With every post your ignorance shines through a bit more bud. Im not a dog guy first of all. Ive never had one nor will I ever. My lifestyle dosnt suit a dog, plus Im primarily a big game hunter. Second, I dont hunt the release sites....at all. I have family with land near Patricia and many friends with land there. I used to spend a lot of time there hunting birds and deer, and I know many of the major players in "the game" in the area.

My point in pointing out the stupidity you spewed is that just like us law abiding, ethical hunters shouldnt be lumped in with the road hunting, trespassing poachers, neither should the law abiding, ethical guys that do hunt the release sites be lumped in with the retards that chase the pheasant trucks around. Guys like you really dont add much to the effort the rest of us are making to unify.

And as for the "certain un named bar".......Ive been there, the waitresses are ugly and the owners an arsehole lol. I was in there twice and Il never set foot in there again lol.

Originally Posted by packhuntr

Thats super, sure wouldnt want to be duped into purchasing from the geriatric ward hen pens, or that 20 000 wouldnt appear to be such an impressive looking number would it,,, price pending of course

Not much makes you happy does it pack?

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by packhuntr

Thats super, another point of interest you apparently can answer, are those hen drops old tired brood hens, or hens with some time left in them to make some babies? With privatization and production of saleable birds being of the utmost importance, hens are valuable. I might be curious what the status of those hens was, and were they purchased? Some things sound good on paper...

ive been the guy rounding them up at the pheasant factory and releasing them into suitable habitat. im not convinced that all the hens were prime breeders, but sometimes ya just have to go with what youre told. we didnt receive any training in release, but we used our best judgement on what habitat was best suited for nesting and survival including assessing thermal cover that we surmise would be there by winter. another thing we were guided by was that the birds were to be released onto lands that had access for hunters.

i knew most of the landowners that i was directly involved with in the release. reports came back that bird numbers were up from thier visual sightings, and after a couple years of involvement it seems that long term success was being noticed....at least until last spring. i would have agreed as hunting those areas showed good numbers of rooster chicks by hunting season.

i know you are a member of the brooks fish and game pack....im sure they would appreciate the extra manpower for volunteer projects like this and others. its hard for a single person to make much difference, but that would be one way to make an impact.

[GoodTimes]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Not much makes you happy does it pack?

Just a shot in the dark here, I could be way off, after looking through this guys posts Im gonna try and profile him lol( I have an education in this field).

Id be willing to bet he:
Is less than 5'10"
Drives a lifted pickup with lots of chrome/fancy upgrades
Plays VLTs often
Works in the oil patch (this one Im sure of)
Either lost his dad fairly young or mom divorced him
Lives in an extravegant home
Owns at least one very large caliber rifle.

[packhuntr]

LOL, alright guys, no point in playing phscologist, lordy man, you arent very good at your job LOL. I got a kick out of it though, so thankyou? Theres lots that makes me happy TJ, just asking afew questions and adding what I feel might be pertinent questions to the direction of the conversation, I know that sort of thing ruffles alot of feathers, I will make sure I dont do that again? Seems like more anecdotal evidence that we are to blindly follow our govt, chosen leaders, and people that we publicly pay to look after our province's well being? Why such short twitchy answers there smiley, this is supposed to be fun.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

Just a shot in the dark here, I could be way off, after looking through this guys posts Im gonna try and profile him lol( I have an education in this field).

Id be willing to bet he:
Is less than 5'10"
Drives a lifted pickup with lots of chrome/fancy upgrades
Plays VLTs often
Works in the oil patch (this one Im sure of)
Either lost his dad fairly young or mom divorced him
Lives in an extravegant home
Owns at least one very large caliber rifle.

Uh, I have met Packuntr briefly a few years back, and he is none of the above - except for the oil patch thing!!
I can tell you that he gave my partner and I directions to several properties that we would be allowed to hunt wild birds on, and that he would have hunted with us this year if he could have....
Cat

[Sneeze]

The entire release program should be scrapped. Take the money and then some and put it toward a BLM clone type program. Landowners should also be able to charge trespass fee's for pheasant hunters.

Treat the problem not the symptom. The good ol boys pay for access or own the prime rooster holes already, there are too many guys hooked on roosters fighting over the land scraps still open to hunt.

Bottom line is if we don't make it profitable to leave cover up it's going to get plowed under. Land at 2k an acre makes it expensive to leave those shelter beds alone and not plastic pipe that ditch.

And my dog is the best.

Flame on.

[densa44]

I put up 2 hens at Bigalow last week. That mus be a tough place for a wild bird to live but there they are. To-day 2 at Millicent so the wild ones are out there for sure.

I see the remains of the work the hawks are doing on the birds too, 2 hens to-day and 3 yesterday.

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Landowners should also be able to charge .......hunters.

.

easily the most incredibly stupid thing ive ever read on this forum. you deserve a boot in the cherries hard enough to ensure that you dont reproduce.

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

easily the most incredibly stupid thing ive ever read on this forum. you deserve a boot in the cherries hard enough to ensure that you dont reproduce.

Ha your mature, don't like the message? Then threaten to kick me in the balls? Right on man.

But I will engage anyway. The sooner we realize that releasing hens into cow
trampled ditches does absolutely zero for the population health the sooner we can move onto the real issue - habitat conservation. Pheasants forever can only do so much, the only way to preserve large area's of habitat that can sustain pheasants over the winters is to make it profitable for the farmer.

The model to the south works, we need to emulate it.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Ha your mature, don't like the message? Then threaten to kick me in the balls? Right on man.

But I will engage anyway. The sooner we realize that releasing hens into cow
trampled ditches does absolutely zero for the population health the sooner we can move onto the real issue - habitat conservation. Pheasants forever can only do so much, the only way to preserve large area's of habitat that can sustain pheasants over the winters is to make it profitable for the farmer.

The model to the south works, we need to emulate it.

That is all well and good, except for the fact that it puts hunting out of reach of the average person.
First pheasants, then big game access.
The only ones that will be able to pay in the end will be outfitters.....
Cat

[steve]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

easily the most incredibly stupid thing ive ever read on this forum. you deserve a boot in the cherries hard enough to ensure that you dont reproduce.

X2

Give your head a shake.

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Ha your mature, don't like the message? Then threaten to kick me in the balls? Right on man.

But I will engage anyway. The sooner we realize that releasing hens into cow
trampled ditches does absolutely zero for the population health the sooner we can move onto the real issue - habitat conservation. Pheasants forever can only do so much, the only way to preserve large area's of habitat that can sustain pheasants over the winters is to make it profitable for the farmer.

The model to the south works, we need to emulate it.

The only thing I would agree with is you Habitat statement... We have been raising and releasing pheasants for years, mortality rate is poor, in the range of 70 pecent, but every bit counts..

Now, after years of efforts, our area is insane with pheasants.. We have planted thousands of trees and shrubs, left fields standing and provided preditor control increasing their chances of survival..

Even with the harsh winters, flooding, the population is crazy..

Nothing like seeing dozens of tail draggers when you come and go...

Have fun out there, shoot straight and enjoy working your furry friends !

[Dale S]

I have lived in the M.D. of Taber for over 50 years,the habitat we have lost will never come back. Now there's not enogh habitat to support huntable birds. Payed hunting and private hunt clubs are not far away.These release sights sould be called kill sights.It's just not hunting.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dago

I have lived in the M.D. of Taber for over 50 years,the habitat we have lost will never come back. Now there's not enogh habitat to support huntable birds. Payed hunting and private hunt clubs are not far away.These release sights sould be called kill sights.It's just not hunting.

Your discription of release sites is not what have experienced.
Cat

[puppyhood1]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That is all welland good, except fpor the fact that it puts hunting put o reach of the average person.
First pheasants, then big game access.
The only ones that will be able to pay in the end will be outfitters.....
Cat

Let me state I wish all the gunners of release sits all the luck in the world of hunting pheasants. Rud comments directed at individuals who have differant oppions on a subject make me wonder why one would read these posts some times.

I concider myself a avarage hunter and yes I hunt in Block Management Lands south of the border in MT. and the BML's are paid for through % of lic fee's going to the land owners combined with CRP contracts from the federal government at $ per acre. This in turn gives the rancher/farmer some reason not to turn these into crop lands.

These BML's were set up for the average hunter and most of what I have seen down there is just that average guys hunting and having access to large tracks of land for fall enjoyment. As a matter of interest outfitters are not allowed on these lands. These Montana BML's though not ideal combined with efforts in planting suitable habitate make Albertas efforts pale by comparison.

As someone who has chased birds for almost 30 years and has refused in 2011 to pay for a pheassant tag in Alberta mainly because of the little if any moneys have been directed to real habitat improvement.

Someone has to pick up the bill for habitat improvement of private/public lands and the BML and CRP model though not ideal works but is getting expensive with the price of land and competition for alternative uses. Every one have a great fall and wear some boots out........puphood1....ps sorry for the spelling errors my spell check ain't working.

[steve]

Not a pheasant guy...

Why are birds doing so well in Montana and the Dakotas? They arent using horse and plow down there anymore either.

Originally Posted by steve

Not a pheasant guy...

Why are birds doing so well in Montana and the Dakotas? They arent using horse and plow down there anymore either.

Better climate, better habitat. No question that the CRP program works well down there.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by puppyhood1

Let me state I wish all the gunners of release sits all the luck in the world of hunting pheasants. Rud comments directed at individuals who have differant oppions on a subject make me wonder why one would read these posts some times.

I concider myself a avarage hunter and yes I hunt in Block Management Lands south of the border in MT. and the BML's are paid for through % of lic fee's going to the land owners combined with CRP contracts from the federal government at $ per acre. This in turn gives the rancher/farmer some reason not to turn these into crop lands.

These BML's were set up for the average hunter and most of what I have seen down there is just that average guys hunting and having access to large tracks of land for fall enjoyment. As a matter of interest outfitters are not allowed on these lands. These Montana BML's though not ideal combined with efforts in planting suitable habitate make Albertas efforts pale by comparison.

As someone who has chased birds for almost 30 years and has refused in 2011 to pay for a pheassant tag in Alberta mainly because of the little if any moneys have been directed to real habitat improvement.

Someone has to pick up the bill for habitat improvement of private/public lands and the BML and CRP model though not ideal works but is getting expensive with the price of land and competition for alternative uses. Every one have a great fall and wear some boots out........puphood1....ps sorry for the spelling errors my spell check ain't working.

I think a lot of the problem lies in the fact that outfitters WOULD be allowed to hunt in the Alberta areas, Montana must be set up diferently, but I doubt very much that Alberta will change to emulate them or the Dakotas - it's a shame actually.
Cat

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That is all well and good, except for the fact that it puts hunting out of reach of the average person.
First pheasants, then big game access.
The only ones that will be able to pay in the end will be outfitters.....
Cat

I disagree, barely any pheasant outfitters in Alberta as it stands and about 6000 pheasant hunters. The prices would become market controlled and a fair value established. We all preach against paid access like it's some kind of religion, but then cry when a farmer plows the ditch under. Us hunters should put our money where our hobby is, just like the farmer has put his money where his living is.

Or we can keep spending hundreds of thousands of dollars releasing pheasants to get killed first -30 week of November.

Originally Posted by Sneeze

I disagree, barely any pheasant outfitters in Alberta as it stands and about 6000 pheasant hunters. The prices would become market controlled and a fair value established. We all preach to paid access like it's some kind of religion, but then cry when a farmer plows the ditch under. Us hunters should put our money where our hobby is, just like the farmer has put his money where his living is.

Or we can keep spending hundreds of thousands of dollars releasing pheasants to get killed first -30 week of November.

And you think that paid access would be limited to pheasant hunters? Can you say Pandora's Box.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

I disagree, barely any pheasant outfitters in Alberta as it stands and about 6000 pheasant hunters. The prices would become market controlled and a fair value established. We all preach against paid access like it's some kind of religion, but then cry when a farmer plows the ditch under. Us hunters should put our money where our hobby is, just like the farmer has put his money where his living is.

Or we can keep spending hundreds of thousands of dollars releasing pheasants to get killed first -30 week of November.

There would be outfitters as soon as thew land owners started charging for access.
if you think for a second that a fair value would be setablished , I disagree, simply because the land owners would stock the birds themselves, and then the prices would go out the roof.
Cat

[LongDraw]

What a colossal waste of money.

[antlercarver]

Shooting birds fresh off the truck is not much different than shooting a deer that is patterned by several game cameras, while the "hunter" is many miles elsewhere. The time and date is on the camera same as the time and date of the bird release is known.

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

Shooting birds fresh off the truck is not much different than shooting a deer that is patterned by several game cameras, while the "hunter" is many miles elsewhere. The time and date is on the camera same as the time and date of the bird release is known.

Not even close.. Very poor comparison...