# Michigan House Bill HB4313



## Howitzer

Gamekeeper said:


> I will be there every day just to spite people like you that used the legislature to undermine sound ecological habitat management principles.
> We’ve already had put and take in the past it was a miserable failure. If you were going to just turn state game areas into put and take sites,You can easily get rid of the DNR staff biologists, all the grounds managers, and just keep the grass mowed at the release fields. Use the savings on wages, benefits, and retirement, and spend it on chickens.


Right, you are going to use it because it's close to your house and there will be birds there which is the point of the program so I hope you knock your limit down every day.


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## birdhntr

Howitzer said:


> You need to take that up with PF national.


So who's practicing dirty tricks, and lies now.You say such a statement without information but it's okay for you to do so.


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## Howitzer

birdhntr said:


> So who's practicing dirty tricks, and lies now.You say such a statement without information but it's okay for you to do so.


It's pretty clear that the Michigan leadership put the blinders on you, I have no further advice for you because you don't listen. If you think a dirty trick is asking questions beyond PF Michigan it's a call so you can hopefully get the truth, it's the opposite of a lie.

What information do you want? Howard's phone number? This should be a lesson for you internet hunters, instead of posting thousands of times on forums looking for acceptance walk into the real world and get active. 

For me, I'm off to Kansas for pheasant and cow elk in Montana next week, so have fun at your keyboard.


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## Howitzer

And one more thing about politics, politicians are risk-averse if they smell deceit or lies they are long gone because everything is uncovered in the law process. Now ask yourself why did the DNR and politicians support a group of 5 unfunded people with no experience in politics? The answer is passion and proof, our information has been vetted and supported so what does that say about the information they got from the other side?


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## FNC

Howitzer,

1. I can't believe your statement about politicians facing consequences with respect to deceit/lies. Deceit/lies is in the politicians DNA, the difference between them and "us" is they NEVER face consequences for their actions whereas you and I would be sent away for a long time for doing what they do.
2. Politicians life blood is money. Whenever things are confusing to me I try to "follow the money" and I usually find the answer to "why" certain things are done.
3. Being on this site (for me anyway) is a way to kill some time with guys/gals that share my passion of upland and other types of hunting. Though I've been actively hunting for 50+ years, I still do learn things from others here. I (and I'm sure most others on this site) do not seek personal affirmation from anybody.
4. I'd be out hunting today for wild birds but the season is closed.

Good luck out west, you are fortunate to be able to pursue your passion in some great places!

Frank


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## Howitzer

FNC said:


> Howitzer,
> 
> 1. I can't believe your statement about politicians facing consequences with respect to deceit/lies. Deceit/lies is in the politicians DNA, the difference between them and "us" is they NEVER face consequences for their actions whereas you and I would be sent away for a long time for doing what they do.
> 2. Politicians life blood is money. Whenever things are confusing to me I try to "follow the money" and I usually find the answer to "why" certain things are done.
> 3. Being on this site (for me anyway) is a way to kill some time with guys/gals that share my passion of upland and other types of hunting. Though I've been actively hunting for 50+ years, I still do learn things from others here. I (and I'm sure most others on this site) do not seek personal affirmation from anybody.
> 4. I'd be out hunting today for wild birds but the season is closed.
> 
> Good luck out west, you are fortunate to be able to pursue your passion in some great places!
> 
> Frank



That's all fair, I only disagree that I discovered that there are politicians that do act on behalf of the people and don't have time for shenanigans. In this case, a small group with no funding won on pure drive and beat the big money behemoth. And again the BIG money is in habitat and land acquisition which I have been saying all along just follow the money.


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## Outdoor Gal

Here's my 2cents for what it's worth. I chased WILD pheasants once or twice a year. I don't live near a release site. I'm not spending $25 for a pheasant stamp (to hunt once or twice a year) that doesn't put any $ back into habitat for wild birds. It's just not happening. I'll continue to chase waterfowl. I'll focus on grouse and woodcock. The kids and I will go shoot some squirrels. And when I want to shoot pheasants I'll go to the local preserve where my husband guides.


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## Gamekeeper

Outdoor Gal said:


> Here's my 2cents for what it's worth. I chased WILD pheasants once or twice a year. I don't live near a release site. I'm not spending $25 for a pheasant stamp (to hunt once or twice a year) that doesn't put any $ back into habitat for wild birds. It's just not happening. I'll continue to chase waterfowl. I'll focus on grouse and woodcock. The kids and I will go shoot some squirrels. And when I want to shoot pheasants I'll go to the local preserve where my husband guides.


Just understand, that people that convinced their legislative representative to create this “thing” don’t give two ****s about whether you go hunting or not.
they exempt themselves from having to pay a fee to shoot pheasants.

They force you to pay so that they can have subsidize birds at their local game area.

And the numbers are pretty fairly estimable.

They are going to sell approximately 10,000 25$ tickets to the game farm.
That’s a reasonable estimate based on how popular it is in Pennsylvania which is what they based their deception on.
so, small game hunters in Michigan lose their right under the base license to hunt pheasants on public land to satisfy people that are well-connected.

And of course, after all the lies, nothing goes to habitat.
So, since the game areas are already a cash suck, in order to support the planted chicken scheme, outlying properties lose.
The overall effect is a state wide loss to small game hunters.
i’m just glad I live across the road from one. I’m going to go every day, slaughter as many as I can find, grind the breast and thighs into a mash, and make sausages.

Who knows I may donate them to the homeless shelter. I might even start a guide service (legal on MI public land) and really knock some down. Kids can’t hit anything anyway.


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## Gamekeeper

Howitzer said:


> Right, you are going to use it because it's close to your house and there will be birds there which is the point of the program so I hope you knock your limit down every day.


I don’t think you’ll find anything in the pack of lies your organization pushed through the legislature that says anything at all like that.


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## Stand By

Well, if it keeps some of the less than hard core crowds down state, and out of the grouse grounds. There's SOME light at the end of the tunnel. Kinda why I like golf. Keeps pepe out of my fishing hole.


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## birdhntr

Howitzer said:


> It's pretty clear that the Michigan leadership put the blinders on you, I have no further advice for you because you don't listen. If you think a dirty trick is asking questions beyond PF Michigan it's a call so you can hopefully get the truth, it's the opposite of a lie.
> 
> What information do you want? Howard's phone number? This should be a lesson for you internet hunters, instead of posting thousands of times on forums looking for acceptance walk into the real world and get active.
> 
> For me, I'm off to Kansas for pheasant and cow elk in Montana next week, so have fun at your keyboard.


No I want you to say it and not cast out a statement that is so broad and deceptive without substantial information.This reminds me of a Trumpster technique when he say it's bad,so bad,so very very bad,it's so bad their very bad people,so bad,so so very bad..

I say follow the money and the connections between people involved.
Who are the breeders that will profit from this tax on me.Who do they know that put them in this position or is it an open bid for breeders periodically.
Why is it that you can by birds and release them and hunt them if you choose to following the pheasant hunting rules.As soon as you release them they belong to the state.
So why don't people by some birds and plant them and hunt them.
Lazy,cheap?

On to Kansas where they have birds but what will happen to that if the habitat is lost like here.
Do you not recognize the parallel between the two and the fact that conservation is key.
Does anyone here understand what Iowa experienced when they went from record harvest numbers nationally to almost nothing within a few decades.
It is plain and simple without habitat the wildlife that used to exist there does not exist. (Extinction)


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## Mitten state

The habitats not coming back to Michigan. Between modern farming practices and the fact that Michigan is a naturally heavily wooded state. Times have changed and even if you could restore that habitat nearly all of it would be private land. Unlike the 1930’s, 1950’s where a lot of people farmed or knew someone that did, had a friend of a friend that did. Very few people do today and with the value in leases farmers in South Michigan aren’t letting people wonder around there land looking for birds.
Places like SD have birds because not only do they have ag land in the Eastern part of the state the natural and abundant public land that surrounds it is grass land not forest. They also stock a lot of birds there..


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## birdhntr

With people following this I would like to explain myself and point clearly about the importance of habitat organizations and what they and wildlife are up against in our agricultural production and history.
Hunting and hunters and huntress alike will cease to exist through a domino effect.
Iowa is the best example to lay out the future of wildlife and hunting.
Please take the time and read the entire pdf to see what is the reality.
Take note of the simple fact of what a 8 mile wide stretch from border to border which isn't even a large percentage of the state of Iowa's land mass.
I you let anyone convince you that conservation groups are anything less than what they are then you are just not informed about what they are up against.
Look closely at the graphs.


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## birdhntr

Mitten state said:


> The habitats not coming back to Michigan. Between modern farming practices and the fact that Michigan is a naturally heavily wooded state. Times have changed and even if you could restore that habitat nearly all of it would be private land. Unlike the 1930’s, 1950’s where a lot of people farmed or knew someone that did, had a friend of a friend that did. Very few people do today and with the value in leases farmers in South Michigan aren’t letting people wonder around there land looking for birds.
> Places like SD have birds because not only do they have ag land in the Eastern part of the state the natural and abundant public land that surrounds it is grass land not forest. They also stock a lot of birds there..


They is vague.The state of south Dakota does not release birds.
Pay to hunt extended season game ranches have to follow strict regulations on releasing birds
A state employee is present during release and they also have to identify each bird and documentation/records kept.Do you know how they identify a wild bird ?


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## Urriah

I can say with certainty that I won't be buying a stamp. Like others have said, I used to run my dog once or twice a year but I'm not going to subsidize someone else's pheasant ranch experience.


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## Gamekeeper

Urriah said:


> I can say with certainty that I won't be buying a stamp. Like others have said, I used to run my dog once or twice a year but I'm not going to subsidize someone else's pheasant ranch experience.


Please? Pretty please?
It’s for the children.


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## Urriah

Gamekeeper said:


> Please? Pretty please?
> It’s for the children.


THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!


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## FNC

birdhntr said:


> With people following this I would like to explain myself and point clearly about the importance of habitat organizations and what they and wildlife are up against in our agricultural production and history.
> Hunting and hunters and huntress alike will cease to exist through a domino effect.
> Iowa is the best example to lay out the future of wildlife and hunting.
> Please take the time and read the entire pdf to see what is the reality.
> Take note of the simple fact of what a 8 mile wide stretch from border to border which isn't even a large percentage of the state of Iowa's land mass.
> I you let anyone convince you that conservation groups are anything less than what they are then you are just not informed about what they are up against.
> Look closely at the graphs.


birdhntr,
This is great documentation and mimics my experience hunting Iowa since 2003. I've noticed steady and significant drop in bird population since the start of the ethanol boom (I believe in 2005). Beautiful blocks of grassland cover became a sea of corn almost overnight and the birds declined as a result. What we hunt now are waterways that the plow can't reach. After the harvest, that's all the cover that remains. Hell, we still see fence rows getting pulled out so that the plow can plant that last little bit of corn. The best cover that remains is on their public land. Therefore we get back to that habitat thing again. Sound familiar?
Frank


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## Mitten state

birdhntr said:


> They is vague.The state of south Dakota does not release birds.
> Pay to hunt extended season game ranches have to follow strict regulations on releasing birds
> A state employee is present during release and they also have to identify each bird and documentation/records kept.Do you know how they identify a wild bird ?


Your right SD doesn’t in a technical sense but it’s de facto in how there requirements that game preserves do. 
The biggest factor is that Eastern SD is a sea of native grasslands dotted with farms. That adds up to ideal habitat and good public access. Southern Michigan farm county is nearly all private land the very little public lands native habitat is woods. None of that is conducive to restoring wild pheasant numbers. It’s also the reason that nearly all of the good pheasant hunting states are in the Westen prairie states near agriculture. Michigan’s hay day was small patchwork farms divided with shelter belts and back before tiling wet areas off was common practice and back in the days of 2 wheel drive tractors. Areas that held water were left as cattails or swales. Less efficient fertilizers and pesticides farmers routinely rested fields letting them go fallow. That’s all changes and as I mentioned above very few people have family that farm or access to that land. Between lack of access, modern large scale farming practices and the very little public land mostly being forested. Wild pheasant are coming back. 
There’s a reason that Michigan’s environment is great for grouse and it isn’t due to are natural grasslands. It’s due to lots of public access and good forested habitat. Michigan unfortunately doesn’t have pheasant habitat or access anymore and there isn’t much you or I can do. 


birdhntr said:


> They is vague.The state of south Dakota does not release birds.
> Pay to hunt extended season game ranches have to follow strict regulations on releasing birds
> A state employee is present during release and they also have to identify each bird and documentation/records kept.Do you know how they identify a wild bird ?


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## Gsphunteronpoint1

Let’s look at who created this bill (Mr. Gary Howell) now let’s look at who Mr. Howell is friends with. Mr. Ken Dalton, now let’s look a little further. They both reside in the same county as Hunters Creek Club. The same club responsible for raising and releasing the birds. I believe they’re both members of the club. I maybe wrong though so don’t quote me on that. Dalton knew this was going to fail so he asked his buddy for a hook up. And the hunt club gets a nice piece of the pie. Not to mention they know the release dates and times for the birds. Coincidence, I don’t think so. I visited one of the sites. And it was honestly one of the most pathetic looking piece of grassland I’ve ever seen. I talked to someone who lived on the road and he said it was the worst thing for them. People trespassing to chase birds, property being hit with pellets form negligent shots. And just the amount of traffic these usually quiet areas see. Sad to see this pass.


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## Hackman

Lucky Dog said:


> No for a few years in the late 70's - early 80's, Michigan had a habitat stamp that was required if you hunted in zone 3. It didn't last long.


I have most of my old licenses. Michigan had what they called a Zone 3 Public Access Stamp that started in 1977 till 1985 which funded hunting on private land program. It cost 1.00 and 1.10 last few years. It is a green and white drawing of a hunter shaking the hand of a farmer. I don't think it funded any buying of habitat, was the beginning of the Private Access program we have today.


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## Lucky Dog

Hackman said:


> I have most of my old licenses. Michigan had what they called a Zone 3 Public Access Stamp that started in 1977 till 1985 which funded hunting on private land program. It cost 1.00 and 1.10 last few years. It is a green and white drawing of a hunter shaking the hand of a farmer. I don't think it funded any buying of habitat, was the beginning of the Private Access program we have today.


Your post made me second guess my earlier response. You are correct, it was a public access stamp. Thanks for correcting me.


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## Howitzer

You understand that MPHI has been in favor of the habitat provision from day one, the ONLY disagreement with PF was the percentage split and the cost. PF became its own worst enemy, you should understand that MPHI is 5 or 6 people with zero funding, now, on the other hand, PF is the 1000 Lb gorilla that became the enemy of the habitat funding. That is fact.

And to address fairness, what about the millions of Pittman Robertson and Farm Bill money that is dedicated to a small percentage of hunters? Duck Hunters pay their dues while the pheasant hunters got a free ride for 30 years.


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## Howitzer

fordman1 said:


> It was always about the kill with that group.


What is hunting about to you? Would you mind if you walked the fields all season and never killed a bird?


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## Howitzer

sgc said:


> Didnt say i wanted to. Just wondered if a designated sga was like a preserve hunt area. In other words, are they just planting for kill or are they expecting breeding? Since they've dumped the habitat piece it seems like they're planting for kill, although i read they're only planting in areas with cover, so maybe they do expect breeding. Just wondering about the rules.


The rules are the same = no hen shooting. The group here would like people to think that hen shooting started in 2019 with MPHI but evidence suggests that people have been illegally shooting hens since pheasant hit the shores and seasons were established.


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## Howitzer

Ye


Hackman said:


> I have most of my old licenses. Michigan had what they called a Zone 3 Public Access Stamp that started in 1977 till 1985 which funded hunting on private land program. It cost 1.00 and 1.10 last few years. It is a green and white drawing of a hunter shaking the hand of a farmer. I don't think it funded any buying of habitat, was the beginning of the Private Access program we have today.


Yes, it was the HAP stamp. It is now federally funded. 

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79119_79147_81529_82010_82061---,00.html


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## Howitzer

and hurry up with your posts folks I am leaving to go hunting tomorrow to hunt wild birds while you chase wild birds out of season so they can fly across roads or get mauled by hawks and crank up your post counts.


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## birdhntr

Howitzer said:


> and hurry up with your posts folks I am leaving to go hunting tomorrow to hunt wild birds while you chase wild birds out of season so they can fly across roads or get mauled by hawks and crank up your post counts.


You just can't refrain from the snide malicious comments made up from your imagination.
Do we have data to support such a statement or is this just another sly attempt to knock people down to further ones personal agenda.
I recall someone mentioned something about lies and playing dirty to say the least.
What is the purpose of such an outlandish statement?


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## ab5228

Howitzer said:


> and hurry up with your posts folks I am leaving to go hunting tomorrow to hunt wild birds while you chase wild birds out of season so they can fly across roads or get mauled by hawks and crank up your post counts.


You should quote me next time.

I’m guessing you didn’t want to bring more attention to your idiotic statement about “birds taking hold.” 

This program has zero to do with propagation of wild populations.


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## Hackman

Could DNR try to expand their HAP program or is that tapped out where no more land owners will lease out there land?


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## fordman1

Howitzer said:


> What is hunting about to you? Would you mind if you walked the fields all season and never killed a bird?


It's about being out hunting with my dogs, family or friends. It's called hunting and not killing. I have never walked fields all season and never killed a bird. But some days I do not pull the trigger and still had a great day being out, seeing new things in great places since I have hunted in many states. When I teach Hunters Safety I don't stress the taking of game but being out there in nature is a great way to spend the day. I guess you and your buddies never grew out of the killing something every time you go out, so some easy birds is good for your type.


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## Howitzer

fordman1 said:


> It's about being out hunting with my dogs, family or friends. It's called hunting and not killing. I have never walked fields all season and never killed a bird. But some days I do not pull the trigger and still had a great day being out, seeing new things in great places since I have hunted in many states. When I teach Hunters Safety I don't stress the taking of game but being out there in nature is a great way to spend the day. I guess you and your buddies never grew out of the killing something every time you go out, so some easy birds is good for your type.


That's the fallacy, I travel 3 months of the year hunting in other states saying that you are just enjoying the scenery is a preemptive excuse to be unsuccessful. An example is I am going to Montana to kill a cow elk next week, it is a bring your cooler grocery run we eat wild game almost exclusively with a few steaks or chickens thrown in but we have consumed 4 deer so far, and all of the pheasant I killed last year and the ducks (it was a slow duck year for me) .

As you can see I do not back down from any of your insults, my "buddies" as you put it have donated more money to PF and other conservation groups than all of you combined, we are talking million$ here, so don't rush to judgment about what you think is ethical and what is not. Furthermore, I don't use any of the Michigan state grounds because I don't have to.

All of your assumptions are incorrect but as they say, ignorance is bliss, so you all must be happy. Furthermore saying "hunting" is better than killing is what is wrong, molesting animals without killing them for food is ignorant and just plain wrong. A great way to enjoy nature is with a camera or binoculars like I do the entire offseason.


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## Howitzer

Hackman said:


> Could DNR try to expand their HAP program or is that tapped out where no more land owners will lease out there land?


We could only hope.


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## Howitzer

ab5228 said:


> You should quote me next time.
> 
> I’m guessing you didn’t want to bring more attention to your idiotic statement about “birds taking hold.”
> 
> This program has zero to do with propagation of wild populations.


Ok, consider yourself quoted. Feel better?


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## Howitzer

birdhntr said:


> You just can't refrain from the snide malicious comments made up from your imagination.
> Do we have data to support such a statement or is this just another sly attempt to knock people down to further ones personal agenda.
> I recall someone mentioned something about lies and playing dirty to say the least.
> What is the purpose of such an outlandish statement?


6556 posts! So you are saying that molesting birds for the sole intent of pleasuring you and your dogs is OK? You are saying that it has no negative impacts on wild populations, take your training to released birds as I do.


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## ab5228

Howitzer said:


> Ok, consider yourself quoted. Feel better?


I do, why would you tell somebody that this program, put and take pen birds has hope birds would “take hold?” 

That clearly has nothing to do with purpose of this program. 




Howitzer said:


> 6556 posts! So you are saying that molesting birds for the sole intent of pleasuring you and your dogs is OK? You are saying that it has no negative impacts on wild populations, take your training to released birds as I do.


In areas with adequate habitat in this so far mild winter, yes, training on wild birds is going to have no impact on next years population.


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## Howitzer

ab5228 said:


> I do, why would you tell somebody that this program, put and take pen birds has hope birds would “take hold?”
> 
> That clearly has nothing to do with purpose of this program.
> 
> 
> 
> In areas with adequate habitat in this so far mild winter, yes, training on wild birds is going to have no impact on next years population.


Truth to be told, I am not a biologist or an expert, so if I said something not accurate my bad.


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## Howitzer

ab5228 said:


> I do, why would you tell somebody that this program, put and take pen birds has hope birds would “take hold?”
> 
> That clearly has nothing to do with purpose of this program.
> 
> 
> 
> In areas with adequate habitat in this so far mild winter, yes, training on wild birds is going to have no impact on next years population.


I used to run my dogs at Maple River and my dog who has a very soft mouth but loves to nail running birds killed a hen. I felt so bad I never did it again, now I have my own property to train my dog, and lucky me I have great friends with great property so he gets an abundance of experience without molesting wild birds on state land.


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## Chessieman

sgc said:


> ? So you will be able to shoot hens, or are they only planting roosters?



Do you think any of the new hunters they will be recruiting can tell the difference? Rather than "if it's brown it's down" it will be "if it fly's shot it".



sportsman98 said:


> Why would you want to shoot hens??
> And they are going to have designated planting sites. Not like you are going to be able to wonder to any sga and shoot whatever pheasant that moves.


I wonder how this is going to work if you are Partridge or Rabbit hunting on state land that has Pheasants released. No stamp gets you a ticket even if you are not hunting them?


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## ab5228

Howitzer said:


> I used to run my dogs at Maple River and my dog who has a very soft mouth but loves to nail running birds killed a hen. I felt so bad I never did it again, now I have my own property to train my dog, and lucky me I have great friends with great property so he gets an abundance of experience without molesting wild birds on state land.


Nice. I like training out there. It gets pounded. Pheasants don’t live very long. It’s all about production. Fortunately, I just bought a piece out that way. I’m more excited about the chance to improve the habitat than hunting it.


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## superposed20ga

I support the release of pheasants for hunters to hunt and the objective of MPHI, which I have only recently come to understand is a separate thing than whatever the MiPF and DNR had going on (MPRI?). I believe the logic behind MPHI in giving hunters, especially young ones, some action in the form of birds on the ground, for their efforts is correct. Want to discourage a young hunter? Have them wander around for hours and never see a glimpse of what they are supposed to be hunting (It's only after you're more experienced that you realize not seeing game is sometimes part of the game ). But that's not to say we cannot also support habitat improvements. I fully support habitat improvement for game species, including pheasants, but from what I've seen MiPF and DNR have destroyed, not improved habitat.
I had to step away from the keyboard to calm myself after some of the stupid things I've seen. I'll be posting some things soon that may ruffle some feathers, but I have to get them off my chest.


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## Cork Dust

superposed20ga said:


> I support the release of pheasants for hunters to hunt and the objective of MPHI, which I have only recently come to understand is a separate thing than whatever the MiPF and DNR had going on (MPRI?). I believe the logic behind MPHI in giving hunters, especially young ones, some action in the form of birds on the ground, for their efforts is correct. Want to discourage a young hunter? Have them wander around for hours and never see a glimpse of what they are supposed to be hunting (It's only after you're more experienced that you realize not seeing game is sometimes part of the game ). But that's not to say we cannot also support habitat improvements. I fully support habitat improvement for game species, including pheasants, but from what I've seen MiPF and DNR have destroyed, not improved habitat.
> I had to step away from the keyboard to calm myself after some of the stupid things I've seen. I'll be posting some things soon that may ruffle some feathers, but I have to get them off my chest.


Interesting take on youth hunter "training". I started pheasant hunting with my father, uncle, and their friends at the tail-end of the era where birds were still quite abundant in the farms around the Allegan State Game Area. I quickly realized that I and my brothers were often used to augment the dog numbers in our hunting party outings. We often got sent into the tangles and cattail stands in cover so thick or tall that we seldom saw, let alone got a shot at the birds that we kicked-up. My take on this? I was hunting with men who were my role models, it was just the price of admission into the club. I don't recall whining about getting hung-up in nightshade tangles so dense I eventually fell. Did I know my single shot .410 was not a real pheasant gun? Every time I would knock feathers off a bird, only to see it keep going until somebody else knocked it down for the dogs to find and retrieve. I hunted three years prior killing a bird by myself. I suspect you underestimate what moves youth to hunt and what their expectations are from that experience.


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## Howitzer

Geezers are not only welcome, they are a top priority, MPHI is not a youth training initiative there are programs that address the part of the "R" in R3. MPHI is all-inclusive to get everyone to hunt, especially women and geezers. In 2019 there was a group of retired men that met while hunting the released birds and continued to meet for coffee and go for a walk every day. There were also several women hunters that frequented the area on weekends, as well as younger 20ish hunters that were taking advantage of the opportunity. 

The youth element was addressed on the youth days other than that every hunter young and old are the focus of MPHI

Geezers are not only welcome, they are a top priority.


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## Chessieman

Has the numbers been released as to how many stamps were sold? I searched the DNR information and could not find it.


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## Howitzer

Chessieman said:


> Has the numbers been released as to how many stamps were sold? I searched the DNR information and could not find it.


9500 at last count.


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## gundogguy

Howitzer said:


> 9500 at last count.


Stamps sold? or Pheasants released?

Hal


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## Howitzer

gundogguy said:


> Stamps sold? or Pheasants released?
> 
> Hal


Stamps sold


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## Chessieman

So 237K, I think the stamps were $25. So it almost pays for itself, I guess a lot of us were wrong about this being a bad idea. I just hope the DNR does not do a fast one and require them for all Pheasant hunters.


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## Howitzer

Chessieman said:


> So 237K, I think the stamps were $25. So it almost pays for itself, I guess a lot of us were wrong about this being a bad idea. I just hope the DNR does not do a fast one and require them for all Pheasant hunters.


It pays for itself 100% including the chunk that enforcement takes. I don't think private landowners will be charged that was one of the strongest headwinds but we are dealing with the DNR so you never know.


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## ab5228

Howitzer said:


> It pays for itself 100% including the chunk that enforcement takes. I don't think private landowners will be charged that was one of the strongest headwinds but we are dealing with the DNR so you never know.


It would be nice to know the break down of those who purchased the stamp with intentions of hunting only wild birds on public land and those who intended to hit the release sites. Obviously a percentage of people will not go to release sites, some will hunt wild and release, and some only hunted release sites.

I really don’t care about the 25 bucks. But it does support something that I have no intentions of participating in.


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## Chessieman

That is one thing that the DNR should have implemented. A lot of state land game areas are not planted.


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## Howitzer

Chessieman said:


> That is one thing that the DNR should have implemented. A lot of state land game areas are not planted.


We tried, the SGA managers are work adverse while most of the DNR thinks we are still on Covid lockdown so getting anything done with them is fruitless. This is probably the last sportsman-centric initiative we will see in the next few years. Ask your state representative why most state workers are still working from home.


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