Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Pheasant Hunting Farms

In my experience, which is substantial, birds which were hatched in captivity exhibit "normal" pheasant behavior within the same season. Certainly not the same day, but within weeks, hunting them is indistinguishable from that of pheasants born in the wild.

You have a point. I’ve seen many that were released early that seemed to have earned “graduate degrees” by the late season, at least when it came to their reaction to orange, dog whistles, and the slamming of truck doors.

Then there were those casually strolling forty feet ahead in a picked row crop still wondering what was going on.

Predators and weather in winter would be no respecter of a bird’s origin, but it seems pen-raised birds released the previous fall would have a tougher time of it.

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."

Some think pen raised Birds introduced diseases into the wild population here. Then again some in the GC think Pa never had a thriving Wild population.

Some us stocked Birds for years then quit. Three years later there was one Rooster left that we knew of. He would flush as soon as he had any clue you had entered his comfort zone. Then he was gone.

That's impressive longevity for sure.