# National Game Bird Shortage



## GamebirdPreserve (Nov 21, 2006)

Mr. 16 gauge said:


> Hmm....sounds like the game bird breeders are taking a lesson from the gasoline producers handbook: Make a big deal about a shortage (in advance, of course!), create said shortage, then soak it to the consumer.
> 
> ....and, of course, this will trickle down to the average joe who just wants to work his dog on the occasional preserve hunt, won't it?
> 
> At least in this instance, I don't _have_ to pay the markup, and can do without.....I'm not forced to buy pheasants like I am gasoline.


 
*We have deposits on all of our purchased birds, so price will be the same as last year per the contracts we signed with our bird breeders in May 2011 - NO INCREASED BIRD PRICES TO OUR CUSTOMERS! *

*I do not think that many preserves will take advantage of this. *Of course, if they have not secured their birds, they may not have any birds to sell. If they pay more, they will have to charge more just to cover their expenses or eat the loss?

*As already mentioned by Hal Standish, I am not real sure why anyone in their right frame of mind would really want to get into this game bird business at this time? *Maybe for a tax write-off? Honestly, there is not very much money in the bird breeding or bird hunting business, especially with the rising feed prices taking all of the profits. That is why many are going out of business. Not many people will want work a 24 x 7 farming job with land and animals that need round the clock care and not make much of a profit. The cost of land, real estate taxes, liability insurance, birds, and BIRD FEED, pretty much sums it up! The equipment needed and the manual labor needed daily for the land and animal maintenance usually eats up most of the profits annually. I know that I am sure looking forward to retirement and vacations once again!


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

GamebirdPreserve said:


> *We have deposits on all of our purchased birds, so price will be the same as last year per the contracts we signed with our bird breeders in May 2011 - NO INCREASED BIRD PRICES TO OUR CUSTOMERS! *
> 
> *I do not think that many preserves will take advantage of this. *Of course, if they have not secured their birds, they may not have any birds to sell. If they pay more, they will have to charge more just to cover their expenses or eat the loss?
> 
> *As already mentioned by Hal Standish, I am not real sure why anyone in their right frame of mind would really want to get into this game bird business at this time? *Maybe for a tax write-off? Honestly, there is not very much money in the bird breeding or bird hunting business, especially with the rising feed prices taking all of the profits. That is why many are going out of business. Not many people will want work a 24 x 7 farming job with land and animals that need round the clock care and not make much of a profit. The cost of land, real estate taxes, liability insurance, birds, and BIRD FEED, pretty much sums it up! The equipment needed and the manual labor needed daily for the land and animal maintenance usually eats up most of the profits annually. I know that I am sure looking forward to retirement and vacations once again!


Vickie's Right On!
I purchased training bird 1/13/12 From Curt Johnson owner of RollingHills game birds and shooting preserve Marcellus, Michgan.
Curt Informed that those birds would be last I buy from him this season,
He has been scrambling like crazy to find enough birds to finish the season, which he has some 14 weeks left to cover.
Life in the sporting life could get very interesting. The shortage is in pheasants and chukars, quail have never had much play in the hunt club business Though there are not many producers of those around because of that any way.


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## GamebirdPreserve (Nov 21, 2006)

*National Gamebird Shortage Update: *

I am receiving phone calls over the last week from other preserve's FIELD GUIDES that say a handful of Michigan preserves are ALREADY running out of birds!! These field guides are trying to find a place to get their dogs on birds and cannot find any birds anywhere to hunt with their dogs. These guys have been doing this for up to 20 years and have never seen this happen so early before ... *especially in January!* It has happened before in March or April. Preserves are licensed by the DNR to hunt Pheasant until 4/30 each year. We were licensed by the DNR in 2005 and we have always seen most preserves hunt well into late March and April. This is all due to the birds shortages from the North and South Dakotas. I have heard rumors that estimate that the Dakotas bought up hundreds of thousands of Pheasant from the national bird breeders to protect their tourism industry .... and that is what has depleted the national gamebird supply this year. 

I also heard that some Flushing Field Trials have been canceled because they could not secure birds, either. This shortage will hurt a lot of people in the gamebird business. Closing down 3 months earlier than planned will hurt financially for many people this year.* If you have not taken action to protect yourself and secure your birds for the remainder of 2012 .... it is in your own best interest to do so now, if at all possible.*

We personally are seeing more business because last May we had secured a pre-ordered supply of birds, but if this rush of business from other places continues, we also may be out of birds well before planned. We do not have an unlimited source. We will sell Pheasant until we are sold out of our secured stock and then we will sell Chukar hunts from our secured stock.





Just a head's up to all of our training and hunting customers, we may have to stop the Chukar "HUNTS" at some point, in order to reserve the final 500 Chukar for the following 2012 events at Colonial Farms:

*RGS Fun Trial on March 17th *and the
*SMSSTC Flushing AKC Field Trial on May 19th and May 20*
*We guarantee that those birds will be SECURED as promised .... so those events will not be affected by this National Gamebird Shortage. *

We will be evaluating this challenge as it progresses. 2012 may be the first year we run out of birds, as well.

We are currently researching to see the soonest that we will able to secure more Chukar and Pheasant from any national breeders, but usually that is not until Late July or Early August. This will be a difficult year for everyone in this business. The bottom line is that if needed, we always have the option to fall back on Pigeon and Quail for field training and fine tuning everyone's bird dogs this Spring and Summer.


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

GamebirdPreserve said:


> *National Gamebird Shortage Update: *
> This is all due to the birds shortages from the North and South Dakotas. I have heard rumors that estimate that the Dakotas bought up hundreds of thousands of Pheasant from the national bird breeders to protect their tourism industry .... and that is what has depleted the national gamebird supply this year.


I heard the same thing from a couple different sources.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Just called to see if I could secure birds for training(chuckers) this winter and was told they are flat out till may. This was from Ken Rose in west michigan
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Who has Chuckers left?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Have you tried:
-----------------------------------------

Joe Bosch, Zeeland (616) 875-7521
-----------------------------------------


Walton's game birds- northern Indiana
3572 N 650 W
Ligonier IN 46767-9615
Phone: (260) 894-0624/260-635-1582


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## GamebirdPreserve (Nov 21, 2006)

N M Mechanical said:


> Who has Chuckers left?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 
Unfortunately, all of the suppliers we use are ALL SOLD OUT completely. We could sell another 10,000 this winter, spring and summer if we could get our hands on any birds ... very easily. 

Today, I received a call from another preserve owner who spent days calling around trying to get birds to cover a tower shoot. He finally found the last of someone's birds and quickly cleaned him out: A whopping 40 Chukar and the last off his Pheasant, too. Of course, he had to pay top dollar and he said the tails on the birds looked like crap, too. 

For months, Jim Trinklein. President of MAGBHP *(**Upland Gamebird Producers**) *has asked all of the members for "ANY EXTRA BIRDS" because the NAGA forecasted this shortage months ago. Any available birds were quickly posted to the members and before you could call, they were SOLD. Most game bird breeders are already short to cover their signed contracts with their buyers. I do not know anyone in the bird business who has any extra Pheasant or Chukar at this time in Michigan ... or any of the surrounding states, either. 

Our provider also owns a preserve and he is closing his own preserve in order to stay good with all of his contracts as a bird breeder/producer. He has been in this business for *31 years* selling 100,000s annually and this is the first time that a NATIONWIDE shortage has happened. I spoke with him today and his predictions are that everyone will probably do the opposite and SECURE MORE (with deposits) next year and depending on the weather, we could see the exact opposite next year ... a glutton of birds produced and lower bird prices next year. Wouldn't it be great to be able to see the future? He said that he receives calls everyday from people offering him $15 a bird instead of the $10 a bird ...if only he had any extra. *SUPPLY and DEMAND*

Even if breeders are able to force egg laying now ... it looks like the soonest they will be able to re-stock with new hatched and mature flying training Chukar is summertime.


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

> Originally Posted by *GamebirdPreserve*
> _*National Gamebird Shortage Update: *
> This is all due to the birds shortages from the North and South Dakotas. I have heard rumors that estimate that the Dakotas bought up hundreds of thousands of Pheasant from the national bird breeders to protect their tourism industry .... and that is what has depleted the national gamebird supply this year.
> _
> ...


 
that seems highly unlikely. all the birds in the dakotas are wild.


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

I have chukars. 18 a bird 


mysignature http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=1295


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Got my summer birds pre ordered today and glad I ordered our chuckers for our trial back in november
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GamebirdPreserve (Nov 21, 2006)

chewy said:


> I have chukars. 18 a bird


Depending on how many Chukar you have, you may be sitting on a gold mine! Watch what you say online ... you may have people calling you and emailing from all over the country for that great deal. :banghead3


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

GamebirdPreserve said:


> Depending on how many Chukar you have, you may be sitting on a gold mine! Watch what you say online ... you may have people calling you and emailing from all over the country for that great deal. :banghead3


but I'm serious


mysignature http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=1295


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## Grouseman2 (Dec 28, 2001)

chewy said:


> but I'm serious
> 
> 
> mysignature http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=1295


I think she is too. Chewy raise your price! :lol:

BTW earlier in the week Bear Creek still had birds available. 

Mike


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## BIRD BARREL (Aug 14, 2010)

Bear creeks birds a gone 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## gunner7848 (Feb 8, 2006)

BIRD BARREL said:


> Bear creeks birds a gone
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


True talked with rob and secured a 9 person hunt for chuckers since all the pheasants are gone. 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Pigeon shoot any one ? 100 bird shoot $800.00


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## GamebirdPreserve (Nov 21, 2006)

gundogguy said:


> Have you tried:
> -----------------------------------------
> 
> Joe Bosch, Zeeland (616) 875-7521
> ...


Hal, 

The fact is that we may need more birds in the Spring-Summer for dog training so I called both of these breeders. They both have "NO" extra birds and will be totally out of birds until August, as well. Joe Bosch said he actually lost 25,000 chicks this year due to bad bird feed ... so he started with a much lower number of birds this season. That fact in itself had a significant negative impact on our Michigan bird numbers! 

Your "Pigeon Shoot" offer may be something that many of the bird dog owners may want to do after the supply of birds totally dries up ...


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

Sounds like available pheasants and chukar are dried/drying-up. What's the overall status on quail availability?


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

GamebirdPreserve said:


> Hal,
> 
> The fact is that we may need more birds in the Spring-Summer for dog training so I called both of these breeders. They both have "NO" extra birds and will be totally out of birds until August, as well. Joe Bosch said he actually lost 25,000 chicks this year due to bad bird feed ... so he started with a much lower number of birds this season. That fact in itself had a significant negative impact on our Michigan bird numbers!
> 
> ...


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