Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

To all of you who think Pennsylvania can't ever agein have wild pheasants to hunt, please read what a few concerned organizations have done. Let's hope the PGC will get on board and make this a reality all over Pennsylvania.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/outdoors/s_464699.html















Advanced Search




View all stories by date

[ul][*]Pittsburgh Slots[*]Capitol Cash Grab[/ul][/align]All Special Reports
All Multimedia

[/align]News[/align]Sports[/align]Steelers[/align]Penguins[/align]Pirates[/align]College[/align]High School[/align]Sports Toons[/align]Columnists[/align]Top Sports[/align]Major League Baseball[/align]Hockey[/align]Basketball[/align]Tennis[/align]Sports Week Gallery[/align]NASCAR & Other Auto Racing[/align]Golf[/align]Outdoors[/align]SkiEngine.com[/align]Business[/align]Opinion & Commentary[/align]Living[/align]Obituaries[/align]ESPAÑOL[/align]TODAY IN HISTORY[/align]CENSUS[/align]About Us[/align]Help desk[/align]Contact Us[/align]Frank L. Craig,
Editor[/align]Robert Fryer, Managing Editor[/align]Joe Chudicek, Multimedia Editor[/align]Customized RSS News Feeds[/align]What is RSS?[/align]Staff blogs[/align]Newspapers in Education[/align]AP Podcasts[/align]









Back to headlines
Larger Text Smaller Text
Cal U crew working to restore pheasants, habitat








Tools[/align] Print this article
E-mail this article




Subscribe to this paper
Larger / Smaller Text

By Chasity M. Capasso
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, August 6, 2006


Pheasants were once a popular game bird in Pennsylvania, until the population crashed for unknown reasons.
Pheasants Forever, in conjunction with California University of Pennsylvania and many other organizations, has been working to bring the beautiful birds back to the state and restore the population to what it was in the 1950s.
Some of the pheasants came by way of South Dakota in a trade.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has made arrangements to trap and ship wild turkeys in exchange for pheasants from South Dakota, known as "the pheasant capital of the world," said Rich Kovacic, president of the Tri-County Chapter of Pheasants Forever.































http://www.pittsburgh3cdepot.com][/url]
http://www.pittsburgh3cdepot.com][/url]




The first shipment of 150 birds came in the winter of 2004 in return for 56 turkeys. The birds were released on 57,000 acres of farmland at the Pike Run Watershed in Washington County, between Route 40 and Interstate 70.
"We hope to bring in 200 pheasants a year, if we can get them," Kovacic said. "It all depends on the weather out West. The winters there have been mild over the past few years. They need to have a bad winter in order to trap the birds easier."
Cal U's Fisheries and Wildlife Biology students have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their field by becoming involved in the pheasants' habitat restoration project.
"All of my employees are or were Cal U students," said Jose Taracido, the university's wildlife conservation specialist and a member of Pheasants Forever. "The first component of the project is habitat, which is basically putting the pheasants' habitat on the ground. We have students out of the university that help with that part of it.
"The second component is monitoring. Students study and monitor the birds, habitat, water and so on. All of the research is done by the students."
Taracido said there are many advantages to having an active pheasant population.
"Landowners like to hear and see them, and they're a popular game bird," he said. "Other wildlife also benefit from the pheasants. It's a good thing for ducks, shore birds, rabbits and other grassland species to live around their native grasses. I've even seen an upland sandpiper here, which is very rare."
Dave Putnam, wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said he predicts the pheasant population will be "back to what it once was" within the next five to 10 years.
"Some of the habitat in Pennsylvania is as good as it ever was, so the pheasants have an opportunity to expand," he said. "In Pennsylvania, historically, pheasants were a popular bird. In the 1970s hunters here killed over 1 million of the wild birds per year. The population declined greatly and, unfortunately, never recovered here.
"Some people believe it was due to the habitat, but disease may have played a role as well. We'll never know. But the birds have recovered to record numbers in other places in the United States.
"As far as Pennsylvania," he added, "it all depends on how many birds we will get shipped to us from South Dakota. We anticipated getting 600, but only got 150. Hopefully, this year they won't have such a mild winter."
The project began in the late 1990s and is funded mainly by private grants and other fundraising.
"We were able to make enough money through grants and other financial help," Kovacic said. "Every dollar we receive goes toward the project. We couldn't do this on our own.
"We've been at it for a long time," he added. "In a few years, we could have a huntable population. The trade is supposed to continue for about another two years or so, and we may even be getting more birds from other places in the Midwest, like Nebraska or Montana."
"The landowners are very excited about the project," Putnam said. "Everyone's been very helpful, and all of the groups involved have worked very hard."
Taracido said the project would extend its reach this winter, releasing pheasants, possibly from Montana, in Montour County in east central Pennsylvania.
Pheasants Forever will hold its annual banquet at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Ramada Inn in Washington, Pa., to support the project. The event is open to the public and any donations are appreciated.
For ticket information or questions about the habitat restoration project, contact Rich Kovacic at 724-785-3540.

[/align]

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

I believe there is a related article in the current Game News. Was just reading it over lunch. Game News with the youth & adult ground hog hunting on the cover.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

Unknown reasons for the collapse? What a crock o' $h!t.
Change in habitat from farming practices and building, protection given to hawks and owls and huge decline in trapping.
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why the decline in wild birds. Pheasants Forever is restoring habitat which will help but they'll find also for a truely sustainable wild population there will be a need to have someone in the area to do some trapping. Skunks , Racoons , Fox et al do a number on nests and broods. Here in Monroe and Pike counties pheasant stocking is like ringing a dinner bell for winged and fourlegged preditors.
I've attended field trials and watched hawks come in and take birds out in front of the dog, two guns and 2-4 judges.
Pheasants can take hold if conditions are right. One can look at the Meadowlands from Hackensack to Newark in NJ and see a wild pheasant population that has sustained itself for over 50 years now.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

You aren't trying to say that they they trap and kill more predators in New Jersey are you?

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

IMO you have it right there......this isn't a mystery.:eek:
I'm only 34yrs old but remember "back in the day" when I was a kid that red fox prices were $60-70, Grays something like $40? Anyone who could set a trap was trapping back then. Farmers shot hawks on sight, pole traps were used etc.
The impact of predators on small game animals isHIGHLY underestimated IMO.
I have no way to back up these claims but I "feel" like predatory animals and birds are the majority reason for the decline of the Pheasant in PA.

I get a first hand view of it DAILY at my house and I live just outside of the center of a small town. We have a nesting pair of Red Tailed Hawks that staked claim here 3 yrs ago. I have watched them systematically wipe out every sign of life that wants to enjoy a little sunshine.[:-]
In the last month alone I watched them take 2 squirrels, the only rabbit I have seen in over a year that dared to come out in daylight hours, a muskrat, a groundhog , a black snake, and several mallard chicks. And this is just what I happened to see by sheer luck of looking out the window at the right time.

Not saying that we should be shooting hawks, and I enjoy watching them on such a close and daily basis but I can only venture a guess the impact that JUST Red Tailed Hawks in rural areas would have on a gamebird population. My lord.
They don't miss ANYTHING. If I saw a small game animal in my yard over the last few years I found myself rooting for the little guy to find some cover because I knew what was coming.[:o]I've seen more actual hawk kills than probably many people. I know the neighbors don't complain about rabbits eating the flowers.;)

Combine hawks with other native predators that eat eggs on up to adult birds and then throw in feral cats and no small gamebird has a chance. Without serious predator control small game hunting in PA will NEVER be what it was.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

There is no doubt that predators have an impact on small game populations but there's more to it than just that.Turkeys,especially the poults are preyed on by the same predators,yet their populations have increased or remained relatively stable.Personally,I thinkthe population has declined somewhat around here but it's probably because of a couple cold and wet springs.

Killing more predators would no doubt help but the interest in trapping has declined along with fur prices.I don't think there's much that could be done to combat that.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

I think the difference in primary habitat has more to do with the impact that predators have on Turkey poults. Primarily Wooded areas vs. agricultural/hedgerow has to significantly reduce the affect of winged predators (since most hawks rely on open areas to hunt) and feral cats which go with rural/farm habitat like peas and carrots as well as raccoons and skunks wouldn't you think?

I think with respect to turkeys it's coyotes and gray foxes with a sprinkle of the rest mixed in VS a large dose of EVERYTHING going against the pheasants.

Besided it's kind of hard to have baby pheasants to even start with if we have no breeding adults. Turkeys have a big advantage based upon size and smarts of the adults alone.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

If we're talking about winged predators,you have some valid points even though owlskill alot of turkeys.If you're talking about nest robbers,they all have similar problems.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

If I had to choose one thing that knocked down phesant populations it wouldn't be predators, I'd say farming practices. No more fence rows, Cornmowed to the ground after harvest. Every inch that can be planted is. Beans replenish Nitrogen, so no need for a fallow time. There just ain't the kinds of cover anymore.

RE: Wild Pheasants in PENN
 

This also goes hand in hand with the bird flu that affected the domesticchickens and turkeys which also spread to the pheasants. That didnt help either.