I have seen plenty of planted pheasants that act a lot like wild birds--but have never had to gently use the toe of my boot to get a wild rooster to fly. Some pen-raised birds have even refused to fly, though they will usually trot off a few yards.
Quite a few studies have indicated that releasing pen-raised birds in areas with a decent wild population can also introduce diseases that affect the wild population as well. This is why my home state of Montana only allows limited numbers of pen-raised birds to be released, plus any birds purchased from outside the state "must be from National Poultry Improvement Program approved sources."
