GAME COMMISSION SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON PHEASANT PLAN

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking public input on a draft pheasant management plan, which can be reviewed on the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on "Draft Pheasant Management Plan" in the center of the homepage.  

"We are seeking public comment on the draft pheasant management plan to ensure the resulting final management plan considers the thoughts and concerns of Pennsylvanians about this species," said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director.  "As written, the plan is science-based, progressive and promotes responsible management.  We're interested in hearing from Pennsylvanians who would like to offer comments, and to see if we've missed something or if they share our management vision for the future."

Developed by Scott Klinger, Game Commission biologist, the pheasant management plan provides a comprehensive and current summary of pheasant taxonomy, biology, population trends, habitat relationships and trends, pheasant propagation program and its role, hunter harvest, economic significance, partnerships and population restoration approaches in Pennsylvania.

The draft management plan focuses on providing quality pheasant hunting in Pennsylvania and outlines 14 objectives and 58 strategies to achieve six goals.   Goal 1 calls for restoring self-sustaining and huntable ring-necked pheasant populations in suitable habitat by establishing Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas (WPRAs).  Goal 2 seeks to provide pheasant hunting opportunities by annually producing at least 250,000 pheasants at the PGC game farms and maximizing their harvest by sportsmen.  Informing and educating the public on the status of the pheasant management plan will be key to garnering support needed for habitat improvements (Goal 3).  Goal 4 seeks to develop partnerships to restore wild pheasants populations in PA.  Population monitoring and research to insure the best management of the pheasant resource are stated in Goal 5.   Lastly, Goal 6 seeks to provide sustainable funding and the resources necessary to implement the pheasant management plan.  

Public comments on the agency's pheasant management plan will be accepted until July 12, via the website or by mail to: Pheasant Management Plan, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.

For more information, visit the Game Commission's "Pheasant" section on the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), which can be viewed by selecting "Hunting" in the left-hand column of the homepage then click on the pheasant photo.

Interesting sidebar with pheasants:  Three years ago we enrolled half of our farm here in Butler County in the CREP program, planting fields in warm season grasses like bluestem.  All winter we had up to 5 roosters crowing at one time, and last week we saw two broods of chicks - each with seven poults.  Give them habitat and they will thrive - just like the management plan suggests.

WOW.. chicks.. that's some great news....

As you said it's about the habitat, it's that simple... animals need good food, water, and security to thrive... and with birds I would imagine security is tied with food for #1...

I haven't seen a brood of pheasants in years.  As a kid in Pery Co., they were everywhere.  dd

It is amazing what happens when you get habitat for them.  We have always had food plots out for the deer, turkeys, etc., and the pheasants used them as well.  I think the biggest thing with the CREP program is that hawks, owls, foxes, etc. can't get to them.  Amazing how fast a rooster, hen, and brood can disappear into a 5 foot tall grass field.  I couldn't imagine anything other than a black snake being able to sneak up and grab a chick in that stuff.

Do you find that the does will go in there and hide their fawns ???
5 foot high grass sounds like a good hiding spot for that too ..  

--Last edited by Dr Trout on 2008-06-17 17:26:54 --

Yeah, the deer love it too, and hide in it all the time. Hunting season last year we jumped 3 nonlegal bucks out of the fields at lunch time the 1st Saturday.  Seems that they move into that grass as soon as the pressure starts getting to them in the woods, and they just bed down in it before light and stay there all day.  

We saw two hens with broods about two weeks ago here in Washington County.  The farm next to ours is a co-op and some roosters were stocked last fall.  Don't know where the hens came from but we have some successful nesting going on.

I have not seen that in about 15 years.

Now if we can keep the coyote and bobcat numbers in check.

Yesterday, we were bailing the straw from our barley field and a large rooster walked out into the field.  Didn't think a whole lot of it until a couple of minutes later when 9 half-grown chicks walked out behind him.  Not a mature hen to be found - don't know if she got eaten or if she is renesting.  

Pheasants only have one successful nest per year. If she had her nest destroyed before the eggs hatched she might start a new nest. Once the eggs hatch she is done nesting for the year. Even if she loses the poults she will not renest.

The hen was most likely in the area somewhere. The males take no part in the rearing of the young so seeing the rooster was purely a coincidence.

Dick Bodenhorn