Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game States that release birds

I didn't think many states released pen raised birds for hunting anymore so I was surprised that Wyoming does.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/Bird-farms-provide-hunters-with-ample-opportunitie

I remember Illinois did some put/take hunts outside of Chicago but I'm not aware of too many states that do this anymore. Do any other states do this? If so, what's your opinion of it?

Texas releases rainbow trout in a bunch of local water ways starting next month but that's about the only put/take stuff I'm aware of around here. A lot of local public lands don't have many upland birds anymore and could probably get a lot of interest and participation if they did some release hunts. There are a few private clubs around here but they are fairly pricey.

Idaho does

Pa. does some. Haven;t hunted there in many years.

New York does.

Montana just started to release pen-raised birds onto public land for the first time in nearly 40 years.

A LOT of people think it is a bad idea because Montana is still one of the best places for wild pheasant hunting. And it increases the risk of disease introduction, sending youths out to pot inferior birds, genetic disfunction, predator training, and spending nearly $1mil. a year otherwise available for upland bird habitat acquisition and enhancement.

Other than that, no problem....

No worry the pen raised hardly ever last the winter.

Somewhere over 200K birds a year.

A WHOLE BUNCH of pheasants stocked themselves about a month ago...........

https://www.thecourierexpress.com/t...c1b992e-5178-11ed-ba29-4bdbd5ad9df3.html

NY used to until those on welfare outnumbered the hunters.

Montana dusted off the chicken trucks for the first time in quite a while this year.

Ever see a golden eagle standing on a pile of pen raised birds? Or a coyote that can't hardly waddle walk with another pheasant in its mouth?

Predator welfare.

Washington does.

"sending youths out to pot inferior birds"

WTF does that mean?

NY still raises and releases 30,000 pheasants annually.

Wisconsin releases 75,000 per year.

Montana's birds aren't flight pen conditioned, so MIGHT fly 100 yards before crashing back to ground. They also don't have tails, so can't steer. They are also being released in high elevation state lands where there is no natural food, so they begin to starve. That is "WTF" it means.

LMAO

Pardon me but what is the danger or harm in "sending youths out to pot inferior birds?"

Let's see: it trains what might otherwise be a good bird dog to self hunt;
it trains the local predator population to target pheasants, and may even increase meso-predator density;
it trains kids to think pheasant hunting is easy. Hunting wild pheasants isn't easy, and it shouldn't be;
it risks introducing new diseases (especially parasites) to wild bird populations. This detriment has been proven in upland bird populations in Europe;
diverting funds from habitat acquisition programs, public access and habitat improvement which enhances wild bird hunting and populations to put-and-take pheasant hunting robs youths of future hunting opportunities.

Pheasant planting is a role for the private sector, private funds, private acreage, charging what the market will support. But expending public funds for pheasant planting on public acreage, when there are many other more sustainable and proven approaches? That is just wooly-headed thinking.

Whether you do or don't put out pheasants doesn't matter to me. I don't care. In fact, I tend to agree with you as to your ultimate conclusion.

But to say that "sending youths out to pot inferior birds" is a reason, well that strains your argument well past the breaking point. I don't find alot of stock in any of your "sky is falling" arguments, really. But I do think its G%d Dam&$ed important to get kids out hunting anyway we can. If that means putting out "inferior birds" so they can shoot them, take them home and take a measure of pride in it, then I'm all for that.

PS Hunting wild pheasants is easy. I do it all the time.

OK, well then let's award kids a participation trophy for firing a gun, even if they miss the target. Let's let them ride anywhere on ATVs, shoot anytime from vehicles, give them every artificial advantage to draw blood and snuff a critter. Heck, let's put tame three-legged deer out for kids to shoot too because "it is so G%d Dam&$ed important to get kids hunting anyway we can."

I think most states where there is a pheasant season release a bunch.

Until last year, Montana hadn't released any pen-raised pheasants on public land for about 40 years. And still is considered to have some of the best wild pheasant hunting in the nation.
They restarted growing and planting pheasants because of insider politics where the Deer Lodge state prison needed a new budget line item, so the state spent a million dollars of funds otherwise intended for habitat enhancement and wildlife habitat to build a hatchery and use prison labor to raise the birds. Bad deal.

Lots of straw man arguments there. I guess if you don't want to "pot the inferior birds" then don't do it. I tend to enjoy a bit of rough shooting myself. It can get old shooting my limit of wild pheasants in 30 minutes.

Some people, especially kids in my own view, need to achieve success in order to learn to replicate it. I think that carries over to hunting, perhaps more so than other pursuits. Anyway, I hope that you find someone who can live up to your high standards to enjoy your day with. Lots of bird season left, can't wait to get back out there. Good luck!

Every time I read about your pheasant hunts, I'm left wondering why you even bother doing it. You talk about how little effort you'd like to expend, how it's boring to get quick limits, and that you can't imagine spending hours chasing them. You rarely sound like you enjoy the task. Your videos of gunning birds as you stand next to a round bale look pretty boring to me. It reminds me of my years growing up on the farm, and shooting pigeons as they fly back to the barn. Have you ever followed a bird dog that you trained through cover? If not, you're missing out, because it's wonderful watching them put the puzzle together. And if you have trained one, you're the first person I've ever encountered that speaks of upland hunting the way you do.

As a retired Wildlife Biologist, I'd say GrouseChaser made some excellent points. I'd join him for a hunt any day. And if it's a full day afield, all the better.

Nothing attracts kids to a new activity like frustration and failure.

We didn't get any special treatment or youth seasons when I was a kid. You could go out and hunt like a man in the grown up season or stay the fugg home and play with the kiddie toys. For god sakes no wonder there's so many spoiled little snow flake pansies these days.

New Jersey F&G releases close to 60,000 pheasants per year statewide.
Except for woodcock, mostly in the extreme lower end of the State, these are the only upland birds left to hunt. Bobwhite and ruffed grouse populations are so low that their seasons have been closed for a number of years.
One F&G employee who releases the birds, said the coyotes have his schedule figured out, and wait for him to arrive.

When you were a kid, farmers didn't plow all the way to the fence, millionaires didn't lease all the best hunting land, and kiddie toys were a tire and a stick.

We also had to work cutting firewood, throwing hay bales and running trap lines to earn the money for our own guns and shells. We didn't have to be coaxed and coddled into going hunting, we had to work for it. We certainly wouldn't want the little darlins to have to work for anything today.

You must be a real bad ass. Would you have done that stuff if you didn't have access to birds to hunt?

If you would have, you're an idiot. Normal people don't bust their ass for zero reward.

We didn't do much pheasant hunting. Mostly rabbits, squirrels and grouse, which are still plenty accessible but probably just too tough for you and todays pansy ass kids. The little darlins can't even walk more than a block to school. Certainly busting brush for rabbits would be too much to expect.

Oh, you can just go and pound sand. The 'holier than thou' attitude doesn't sit well with me. My dogs are trained, by me, and have been led, and followed, through plenty of cover, over hill and dale in search of grouse, partridge, and indeed, hundreds and hundreds of pheasants. Some for kids, some for adults, and plenty of them were a ton of fun. If you want to spend a whole day at it, be my guest.

Why don't you hunt pheasants? They're a lot more exciting than rabbits or squirrels.

That's definitely debatable and yes I've hunted phesants many times as an adult. We had a good beagle for running rabbits when we were kids. Besides, there were no pheasants around where we lived, we were too young to drive and we didn't have anybody to cart us around hunting. Dad was too busy working most of the time so we were on our own. Luckily we had hundreds of acres right out the back door to hunt and there were shytloads of cottontails and good numbers of grouse.

The work is the reward.

Hey, kids, let's go traipse around in this field all day toting shotguns. And all that money you raised at your summer job, go buy a box of shotgun shells. Now, I'm gonna tell you right up front, that you're not gonna see any birds, cause there ain't no birds around here. But you're gonna work your ass off for nothing, cause that's a reward in and of itself.

Or,

Hey, the state released a couple thousand pheasants down at the wildlife area. What say we go see if we can flush a bird or two?

Which is more likely to get a kid to want to go hunting? Do you think the kid cares that the birds are inferior?

So if you've got no pheasants around, don't take them pheasant hunting duh. Take them to the hardwood ridge for squirrels. There's certainly no shortage of those, the woods are crawling with them. Or take them to that overgrown brush lot for cottontails. And what about waterfowl ? Plenty of ducks and geese around. For god sakes you act like there's nothing to hunt if you don't have any pheasants. A kid that has the drive to hunt isn't going to need much coaxing and will gladly hunt whatever's around to hunt. My little nephew started out on squirrels and is already a deer hunting fanatic with 3 bucks to his credit in his first two seasons. The kid lives and breathes to hunt and hasn't pulled the trigger on a pheasant yet.

Maybe you just struggle with English. The thread is about releasing pheasants to give people hunting opportunities.

I guess though, since everyone has hardwood ridges nearby with tons of squirrels, everyone should just be satisfied with that.

You've got nothing around to hunt but pen raised pheasants ? That's sad. The stocking program is a big waste. Strictly put and take. Many get picked off by predators and those that don't get shot or eaten by coyotes don't survive the winter. I have little interest in killing pen raised birds these days. Hunters would generally be better off if state game agencies spent that money on habitat improvement/aquisition and predator control.

You really do struggle with English. Where did I say I have nothing to hunt but pen raised pheasants? I guess you just imagine every fool thought that crosses your "mind" automatically becomes fact. Like everyone should just go hunt all the squirrels on the hardwood ridge.

I'm just responding to your typically arrogant posts. They're your words, not mine. You can't imagine hunting all day. You find it boring to get your limit in 30 minutes. You talk about wanting to expend little effort for pheasants. I can't imagine a kid or anyone else benefiting from the form of mentorship you describe here. If you don't want to be mocked, try changing how you describe your hunts. Otherwise, I'll feel free to repeat your words. And, holier than thou? Aren't you the one that said you hoped GrouseChaser finds someone that can live up to his high standards? Keep typing and I'll keep trashing your short attention span.

In this post you sure did make it sound like it was pheasants or nothing dipshyt. You should have just admitted you're a lazy dumb fugg and if it weren't for pen raised birds you wouldn't be able to find anything at all for you or your kids to shoot.

If you're not the stupidest person on here, you're in the top two.

It sounds like I'm talking about pheasants, because this thread is about stocking pheasants.

Two posts before your inanity, I explained I don't have to hunt pen raised birds. The fact you can't comprehend that makes me wonder how you survived long enough to afford a double wide.

And if you can muster up some vocabulary, explain to me how your inability to understand English equates to me being a lazy dumb fugg.

Hey, I apologize for getting your post sidetracked by engaging in a pissing contest against a short barrel.

To answer your question, the state I grew up in had good pheasants hunting when I lived there. But since then a lot of agricultural land got converted into half-million dollar homes. The dow couldn't compete with the developers to acquire that habitat, so they now stock pheasants on wildlife areas that can support them to provide hunting opportunities for lazy dumb fuggs.

The state I live in now doesn't stock pheasants, so lazy dumb fuggs have to hunt wild birds. Or pay to hunt at game preserves.

No worries guys. I asked for opinions and we definitely got them. I appreciate all the feedback and was surprised how many states release birds. Put/take hunting is another form of hunting that can get people overheated. I'm all for habitat acquisition and improvement but for a lot of folks that live in populated areas and don't have access to productive hunting areas it may make sense to do stocking on the limited lands available...or maybe not.

Yeah, I just get bothered when people take the attitude that if you don't do it just like them (even though your situation is completely different), you're some kind of weak, slack jawed, lazy, ne'er do well.

Anyway, I've been lucky to have pretty good access to wild populations my whole life. But I appreciate that the game depts try to give people opportunities where that isn't the case.

100% agree with you here.

LOL, back to this again? You don't like how others hunt and can't stand it. Pretty typical from the "wildlife biologist" mindset. And you call me arrogant? LMAO.

I bet it just kills you the number of kids who benefit from my guidance and mentorship. Just for you, I'll double down on those efforts for the rest of the season. I think I'll introduce them to the ol' BK-five shell personally imposed limits game and see what they think of it. I'll even let you know and post pictures for you.

This may come as a surprise, however those who live around great Pheasant country, know the game, the daily routine of Pheasants and how they react to the weather and can shoot, will be into their limit opportunities very quickly. Their Dogs will also catch on quickly because they put them into many Birds….most every time they go out. And heavy Bird encounters train the Dog better than backyard drills.

Different subject then released Birds….which do have a place for the young or old. However, the reality of those who live around many Wild Birds and have the brains to become super efficient at killing them.

Just back from SD….I tramped around half a day to kill two most times….in 10-15F with 20-30MPH wind….while a guy who knows the game, most times had his 3 in an hour.

Tell me which one is the real deal?

Ok, fess up. If shell #5 sees feathers fly, you hammer him with shell #6, right? Having hunted your great state a few times, I'm green with envy of you locals. Best wishes.

Dang I bet you were cold Harry. It was a miserable week here.

Funny WMR, I usually only do that when I'm hunting solo, which isn't real often. Hunting is a social activity above all else. Often but not always, when its just me and the dogs, I put five shells in one of my old school A-5's and leave the truck. If a bird goes down and I'm out of shells, we just follow him up. Dogs will get him generally. If a guy doesn't make it interesting, well, getting a limit is usually just a matter of time.

PS I just invited four boys from my daughter's "squad" to go pheasant hunting next Sunday...real mentorship for those who would question it. Ill post pics. Great kids. All of them with ACT's in the 30's, one just got appt to the USMA, the others off to become engineers next fall.

I’m in Illinois near Chicago and stuck here for a while yet. But if it weren’t for controlled hunting here I would have no opportunity anywhere near here short of traveling many hours. I know it’s not the same but it’s all we got. I hope to one day make it out west to hunt with the big boys though.

I've hunted NJ and NY stocked birds for 5-6 years now. This year we spent most of October and November chasing grouse though. I don't mind the stocked birds but they definitely make for some bad habits in the dog. I find it funny most folks in the NJ pages get all pissy that the state doesn't put enough birds out. If they're not back in the truck by 7:30AM with their two birds the "hunting" is TOO hard. I'd love to get out west someday but I feel I need a little more dog power to make a trip worth it.

Nice pics!!!!

Don't wait one more year would be my advice.

May I ask why? Seems like ALOT of folks are heading to South Dakota. I had North on my radar.

There is a program in MT that allowed stocking on private, if public access was allowed. I'm sure stocking public land in western MT is a waste of time. I honestly can't imagine why anyone even chooses to live on that side of the state... I'm sure the pheasants feel the same. While i agree that stocked bird survival rates aren't as good as wild birds, I've seen these stocked places absolutely blow up in population after a couple of years. When cover, food, and water are present, stocking isn't a bad idea at all.

when my father gave us our chores for the day no matter what the weather condition we did them. maybe that`s why i was a REA lineman for 35 years in Northern Minnesota work and weather never did bother me ? if we didn`t do our work / chores we did not get to hunt , fish or get any ammo father was tuff ,there was no whining or crying that just made things tougher. i guess city kids and now city adults won`t understand this work ethics but country kids now adults know what i am talking about.

Great Pics . I love Brittanys.

I had a night job at the time as soon as I got off work went to the Black River WMA at least 3 times a week all thru the small game season. At that time NJ put out a ton of birds. My Brittany had no shortage of Pheasant and Quail to work over.

Good Times

Those days are past history for the majority of Kids. So the answer is to adapt and find other ways to get them involved.

When I could first drive, I essentially had the entire of all surrounding counties to go and hunt. Now they are essentially posted solid. And it is the current generation that did it. So let’s not be too hard on the Kids.

Our old days have little semblance to how most grow up today.

Very. Well. Said.

Not sure what you're trying to say, but it sounds like you're saying you worked for 35 years for free. Cause somehow you're a bad ass country kid.

Oh, wait. If you didn't do your chores, you didn't get to go hunting. That sounds like a reward. Now, try to be honest, would you have done your chores, with the reward of going hunting, if there were no birds to hunt?

If so, you sound like as big a bad ass as blackheart.

Reality for those that think the old ways apply today.

Upland Wild Birds in the USA exist primarily in the heartland. The East and West coasts have minimal Wild compared to the days when some were in their BA prime. I lived in the days of 20-40 flushes per day of Ruffed Grouse in Pa. In addition to having enough Wild Pheasants to make it interesting. Those days up the entire East coast will likely never be seen again. Same with the Pacific side.

Which means preserves have become popular. And it had little to do with how BA you were in your prime. In addition, how many Kids can afford to pay $25 to $40 a Bird to use them. Unless a Kid has a parent or mentor willing to pay the bill, then their Bird hunting, if ever, will occur when they are much older.

You want to hunt significant numbers of Wild today, you best either live in the heartland or be willing to travel there.

How tough you were or what Dad made you do has absolutely no relevance to the question, if you happen to live where Birds are few.

Yet while the house is crumbling around you, your only contribution to repair it, is to tell us you had to walk to school ball deep in snow.

I admire your civility. I should strive to be so even tempered.

SLOW CLAP

We run our dogs every year for the youth pheasant opener, it is the culmination of a hunter's safety course sponsored by Pheasants Forever for area kids that don't grow up with a hunting mentor. The kids spend their summer in class and on the trap and skeet fields. The night before the youth opener 500+ pheasants are dumped in a crp field bordered by hills on one side and a stubble field on the other, all on a huge private ranch near here.

The kids get a limit of birds, the dogs get ruined for a week by pen raised birds, and the old timers get a chuckle and some handshakes for a job well done. Those kids won't hardly set those birds down. They walk around all smiles and excited chatter, we put the birds in their new vests and snap a couple pics and congratulate them on a job well done. We set up a cleaning station and teach them how to do it, their parents usually too.


If pen raised birds get those kids into a lifetime of hunting, what is wrong with that?

Not one F'ing thing is wrong with that. Everything is RIGHT with that.

That said, I am not a fan of releasing pen raised birds onto public land that already supports wild birds.

Private land shooting sanctuaries? Fire up the chicken truck!

Aren’t all pheasants in the us an introduced species? How would planting be any different than the introduction of the species to the western world? I am not a big upland hunter but I view pheasants the same as shooting iguanas in Florida and catching carp just about anywhere. I know a lot of people who seem to have a superiority complex on how to hunt upland birds that is not reflected on the carp staggers in your local ditch but to me it is the same.

Disease in pen raised birds can in theory transmit to the wild population, and the local predators get the lion's share of released birds.

Mortality rates are staggering after only 12 hours.

WA releases a good many. The west side of the state has few wild birds and about your only opportunity on that side of the cascades for pheasants are release sites.

It ain’t my cup of tea, but it’s an opportunity for folks that are just starting, can’t travel, or just enjoy it for what it is.

My buddy had a lab that was hilarious at release sites. Leave the gun in the car. Just turn him loose and he’ll fetch a limit of birds in pretty short order😂

The difference which escapes you is they introduced Wild Birds from China....Before all the China BS started, a good friend had to frequently go to work there. He said up in the country you can often hear a wild Pheasant crowing, but they don't tolerate humans all that much. Wild vs tame colorful chickens is the difference. Although given enough time, great habitat and limited predators, I think one could release enough hatched Birds that some would have the right DNA to thrive, become wild and propagate on their own.

There is no superiority complex in the majority of Upland hunters. Unless you equate a superiority complex with a passion for a certain type of hunting. Combine it with an interest in shotguns and Birddogs....the purpose of this forum, by the way.... and you arrive at what some consider a valued part of their life. I personally think golf is pretty much a waste of time. However, I don't think those who play it at every chance or choose to live where they can have a superiority complex. Your choice, look at as you wish. And while you think carp are a trash fish, in parts of Europe it is considered a delicacy. See how that works.

Anyway, you most likely feel you have accomplished your goal to troll....Well done...Personally i think most trolls are asssholes...

Black River is a great WMA, we have fun there too.