Buying Pheasants?

I'm sure someone may be able to help me on this one. Can you buy pheasants (especially hens) to release on private land in hopes of establishing a population? I was looking on the Canadian Pheasant Company website and got the idea but i am not 100% sure. Anyone know how much their worth or if survival and nesting of these birds is worth the investment as well? Thanks, i'm planning ahead on a couple little "projects" of mine and always like to have some new ideas to play around with. Waiting for "wild" birds to move in from other areas may be a option but this may speed up the process.

jrs

Yes you can buy them to raise but I would raise them in flight pens and release them as adults to help survival rates.

Thanks RyanGsp. Figured you may have an idea. I'll have to see if nest pens are a possibility. Any idea of stocking rates per unit of habitat or price of individual birds? I could buy eggs and hatch them myself as well if thats possible. I'll be talking to some guys at the pheasant hatchery in April anyway but i am curious.

I am not sure my cousin used to do it. If you want I could see if he has any left over equiptment. If you raise them be prepared to have guys like myself calling you to train with them the closest place is wessex north of calgary. I am in the chat if you would like to talk about it more.

Try this link for info on raising pheasants before you buy.
www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commo.../gamebirds

I don't think you are allowed to release them, without some beaurocratic permission. We had somebody release a bunch of wild type turkeys around here and there were major ramnifications.:rollin
Grizz

"I am not sure my cousin used to do it. If you want I could see if he has any left over equiptment. If you raise them be prepared to have guys like myself calling you to train with them the closest place is wessex north of calgary. I am in the chat if you would like to talk about it more. "

Sorry RyanGSP, i was gone before i saw your post. My internets probably too slow for live chat anyway. If you have some ideas send me a pm, we've been discussing it and i figure i may be able to make it work on a small scale. On another thought though, can you not just buy some hens and release them like the AFGA does to boost the population? I actually have some materials from a past pheasant farm (wire cage mesh from auction) but not sure if i'll have time till next spring. Until then i'm prepping some areas with cover for wild birds.

Releasing adult birds might help but it will take a few years to build a up a healthy population.

Pheasants are different than turkeys. The pheasants are here in southern alberta the turkeys are not so you would be introducing them.

Released turkeys also wont survive and re-populate. Studies have been done in areas with wild birds, and they simply do not survive in the wild after being raised.

Not sure why you wouldnt be able to release them on private ground, as there are turkeys in Southern AB...I'm thinking its because they dont fall under game birds? Who knows....

The hens that get released can be a joke. Sometimes they release birds that are done their laying and the birds that are no longer producing eggs....would be nicer if they were releasing young hens.....

They should also release more in the spring so that the hens that do nest have "wild" chicks.

anyone can buy pheasants.Awful nice of you to feed the yotes,cause thats all that will happen.If you need some info talk to some of the local clubs,they all release birds every year,hundreds of them.Last year sarcee fish and game released 500 hens and this year 400.

There is actually 4,000 hens being released in southern Alberta next week by 9 of the southern Fish and Game clubs. Lots of hard work by some dedicated volunteers....I hope it's not a joke Rack!

Not a joke...but I spoke with some biologists and Pheasants Forever/AFGA members this last weekend and some of the hen releases have been quite pointless. Not sure of the details on some of the ones, including the big one last year, but in the past there have been several releases of hens that are past their prime and are no longer laying eggs. I hope that the one coming up involves younger hens.....either way its great to get more birds out there.....but I found it interesting talking to some of the people involved that not all releases done in the past involved hens that were still laying eggs...

The hens that get released can be a joke. Sometimes they release birds that are done their laying and the birds that are no longer producing eggs....

Very interesting

There is actually 4,000 hens being released in southern Alberta next week by 9 of the southern Fish and Game clubs. Lots of hard work by some dedicated volunteers....

very good to hear so with all this hard work rack no one would clue into the fact as you said (Sometimes they release birds that are done their laying and the birds that are no longer producing eggs....) dosent make since .

I'm not speaking on all releases, and I think that its still a good thing to release the birds even if they arent producing a pile of eggs. I only have heard from some people involved that sometimes this has been the case in the past. I guess that non-productive birds in a hatchery can be still a very succesfful part of the wildl and ANY eggs they are laying is good. As well, if they arent laying in a hatchery, the only option would be to kill them or release them. Releasing is of course a much better option.....more birds is better IMO...

Trev...I wasn't aware of any other large scale hen releases in recent time so not sure what the fellows you are speaking with are talking about. Last year was the first I'm aware of in quite a few years. I know some local clubs have been doing small scale releases but this one covers most of southern Alberta. Three thousand birds were released last spring and there will be 4,000 this spring.

TJ,
I guess the guys were speaking of the one last year then....they were talking about the one coming up as well and had some of the same comments. Like I said, I'm not sure of the details but the definatly had some interesting points to speak about....I'd like to know the details though to see if any of it is truth....

Hmmm. Never heard if they were releasing them once again. Sounds good to me. It was very succesful where i hunt deer, saw more pheasants last year than ever before, saw lots of chicks around early on as well indicating it was succesful. I could understand survival being dismal but i will consider hens once the habitat is developed a bit. Would rather have sharptails but pheasants are far better candidates for the agricultural areas i live in. Thanks for the comments and info guy.

All this talk plus the fact that I was at a PF dinner on Friday has got me itching to get out and chase some birds around.....

I put up about 20 today walking the dogs....sure was fun watching the young dog work the scent....

Few more months for you to wait there Rack :lol . I planned on trying out pheasant hunting last year and even bought my permit and a couple boxes of shot. Never got out. Couple of my friends have dogs and were going to come down but fall always gets so busy. Like i said, there was lots around. Good to hear your flushing some. Out of curiosity, what kind of cover does everyone find them in the most in southern Alberta? I'd say thick grass and cattails myself. I really want to create some awesome pheasant cover over the next few years.

Buffaloberry is a good choice!

Buffaloberry is a great choice....I find that some of my best spots are in long grass on the edges of fields are great. I find some of the best spots for birds is on the edge of a field or near some small peices of water. I've flushed them in thick thorny stuff, cattails, grass, and fence rows. All depends.

If you ever want to swing by my place for a hunt, let me know. Lots of birds around and the dogs love to run.....

hey jrs...if you are looking at doing a habitat project....pm me and I may be able to help you get some free trees and shrubs through an AFGA habitat program.

Sent you a pm sheep, sorry if i got off topic a bit but i figured it was worth explaining my plans to see if you had any reccomendations.

jrs

Rackmastr, thanks for the observations and offer. Theres some really nice cover down there i remember seeing on other excursions. Will have to give it a try next fall. Otherwise i found a nice valley on the one hutterite colony you may be interested in hunting. I don't have a dog for birds but flushed many trying to jump a whitetail. If you bring your dog out i could buy shells We'll see if i can get access again next season. I haven't seen too many bird dogs at work but the couple i have were sure amazing to watch, even from a distance. Will have to see if we can arrange something. Fall is just so far away, at least trout seasons almost here .

Pheasants like a reliable water source and they like it alot wetter than partridge. I shoot the majority of my birds in the cattails and along lakes, rivers, or canals. All my monster birds from lastyear were shot in thick cattails bordering a lake and open prairie with rose bushes and tall grass. Willows are also a must (I dont think I hunt very many areas where there are not willows). I have a great spot you can look at if you want to come my way one morning or afternoon. Its not very big (only takes and hour to work throughly). Also another must is a canal with thick cover going in and out in atleast 3 places. This gives the pheasants a place to run out of incase predators or hunters come along.