# Is the Interest in Pheasants on the Upswing?



## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

I am going to limit my take.

I live right down the road from one of the dump sites, I have championship caliber dogs, I am a long-time NSCA sporting clays per competitor, and I am semi retired.

The program is not designed for people like myself to go five minutes from my kennel door, and fill my freezer at the taxpayers expense. 

I am encouraging all participants to 
1) take a kid, and two, limit your take.

If not it will devolve into a dangerous free-for-all and it’ll probably lose its funding.

Show restraint, I implore all of you


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

I’m 28 and have been pheasant hunting since I was 10. A family friend would take me as soon as I was tall enough to walk the fields. I took a few years off after he lost his last dog and until I was able to get my own. But I have hunted every chance I get with my dog. Often times alone because people my age either just aren’t interested or can’t keep up with my pace. I was out Sunday with a buddy and we logged 8.4 miles walked just on Sunday. I love pheasant hunting or bird hunting in general I love watching the dog do what she was bred and trained to do. And as long as god allows me to do it I will continue it. I’m starting to dabble in grouse hunting and trying to do that as much as I can but between work and family life. I have to prioritize my hunting. And bird hunting will always be my first choice in hunting. I look forward to pheasant season more then deer because I enjoy the challenge. I understand the release programs intentions, and trying to get hunter recruitment. But you are painting a false picture to these people. Eventually the program will end and the new recruits won’t want to put in the effort to find wild Michigan pheasants.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> I’m 28 and have been pheasant hunting since I was 10. A family friend would take me as soon as I was tall enough to walk the fields. I took a few years off after he lost his last dog and until I was able to get my own. But I have hunted every chance I get with my dog. Often times alone because people my age either just aren’t interested or can’t keep up with my pace. I was out Sunday with a buddy and we logged 8.4 miles walked just on Sunday. I love pheasant hunting or bird hunting in general I love watching the dog do what she was bred and trained to do. And as long as god allows me to do it I will continue it. I’m starting to dabble in grouse hunting and trying to do that as much as I can but between work and family life. I have to prioritize my hunting. And bird hunting will always be first to me. I look forward to pheasant season more then deer because I enjoy the challenge. I understand the release programs intentions, and trying to get hunter recruitment. But you are painting a false picture to these people. Eventually the program will end and the new recruits won’t want to put in the effort to find wild Michigan pheasants.


I believe they also need instant results to be satisfied which is this release program so your statement has weight to it.


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

birdhntr said:


> I believe they also need instant results to be satisfied which is this release program so your statement has weight to it.


I think this hits it perfectly! It’s about what they get right away not learning, working for it and succeeding. You see it daily within the work week as well. 

I have a friend who got the itch bought a dog. We went and enjoyed an epic hunt. He’s all about the ups and downs of chasing birds and he’s mid 20’s. Some kids are out there.....some being the keyword.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Maybe the release program won't end. Ohio has been doing it quite a while. It's basically a free preserve hunt with lots of unknown friends all around to to help blast.

Hay if it gets people out there and sells licenses I don't see why it hurts. You can try going the evening or day after the release when most have given up and finding the leftovers is a lot more challenging.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

The intentions of the release program is to recruit new hunters, stimulate the local economy . I don’t see any downside to doing it.
The Long term plan is to keep stocking the fields .This is just a trial run to see where this goes. Pheasants are not a native animal they were brought here 120 years ago . The bird has been almost non exist in Michigan due to poor Habitat / loss of prime habitat. . The State parcel by my house that is one of 11 had no prior Pheasant population, but good habitat for these birds. It’s about getting people out there in the field having fun making memories . In the end isn’t that what it’s supposed to be , Fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

I


Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> The intentions of the release program is to recruit new hunters, stimulate the local economy . I don’t see any downside to doing it.
> The Long term plan is to keep stocking the fields .This is just a trial run to see where this goes. Pheasants are not a native animal they were brought here 120 years ago . The bird has been almost non exist in Michigan due to poor Habitat / loss of prime habitat. . The State parcel by my house that is one of 11 had no prior Pheasant population, but good habitat for these birds. It’s about getting people out there in the field having fun making memories . In the end isn’t that what it’s supposed to be , Fun!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


m sorry but I don’t see much for stimulating local economy. You’re not going to see non resident hunters come to Michigan to shoot pen birds.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> I
> 
> m sorry but I don’t see much for stimulating local economy. You’re not going to see non resident hunters come to Michigan to shoot pen birds.





Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> I
> 
> m sorry but I don’t see much for stimulating local economy. You’re not going to see non resident hunters come to Michigan to shoot pen birds.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

So only non residents will determine that lmao . I guess the small diner that was packed on Sunday didn’t see a benefit because they were all local guys and not from out of state .


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> The intentions of the release program is to recruit new hunters, stimulate the local economy . I don’t see any downside to doing it.
> The Long term plan is to keep stocking the fields .This is just a trial run to see where this goes. Pheasants are not a native animal they were brought here 120 years ago . The bird has been almost non exist in Michigan due to poor Habitat / loss of prime habitat. . The State parcel by my house that is one of 11 had no prior Pheasant population, but good habitat for these birds. It’s about getting people out there in the field having fun making memories . In the end isn’t that what it’s supposed to be , Fun!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


This is not a trial run.they had a put n take program in the 70's and 80's.It became quite a mess.
And there are risks to seeding the land with birds that could potentially spread diseases or viruses plus diluting the wild genetics of pheasants that have the antibodies to survive.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

birdhntr said:


> This is not a trial run.they had a put n take program in the 70's and 80's.It became quite a mess.
> And there are risks to seeding the land with birds that could potentially spread diseases or viruses plus diluting the wild genetics of pheasants that have the antibodies to survive.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

Your wild Bird population traces its roots to Pen raised birds from England . Birds were brought here in 1889 and not hunted in Michigan until 1923 . There was a boom for 40 years .and has dropped off to almost no Birds 50 years later . Pheasants are not Native to North America from Asia. .


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Chaz, I don't think that means that birds born in the wild aren't different than the pen raised variety whether they originated from a pen 40 years or two years ago or what. Who knows how different their genetics are. Perhaps they've been exposed to different diseases.

Either way I do agree it's hard to separate wild and pen raised when it comes to pheasants. It's just that the government can release them on such a mass scale all at once...


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

I had a guy out in field Sunday complaining about the same thing . Saying how against this he was . Yet he was running his dog carrying a loaded gun . Kind of ironic if he was so against it .


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

I'm not complaining about anything. But I've never heard of the possibility that releasing birds can actually reduce the odds of having a sustained wild population. If that's true I might have to rethink my what does it hurt outlook on the whole practice.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

From everything I’ve read on multiple fronts have all been positive on this . My assumption is your die hard bird hunters are pissy at the prospect of new hunters or guys who have been out of the game for awhile hitting field and they don’t have it all to themselves . A lot of hunters out there are selfish . I’m all for hunter recruitment and whatever it takes to get people out there and enjoy a sport I love .


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## poz (Nov 12, 2004)

Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> I
> 
> m sorry but I don’t see much for stimulating local economy. You’re not going to see non resident hunters come to Michigan to shoot pen birds.


They go to south Dakota to shoot them.


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

South Dakota was forced to release birds to help sustain the population due to the amount of pressure they were getting from hunting and weather killing them. And to help keep bringing in the revenue that it did. Here’s the difference between South Dakota and Michigan. Acreage and availability. South Dakota has 1,000’s of acres to hunt on and enrolled in their CREP program. Michigan does not. When you watch guys hunting South Dakota on TV they are hunting preserves which is where the birds are released. I have hunted public land in South Dakota. I had a great time saw a lot of birds and walked a lot of miles to find them. And I would go back in a heartbeat but not to a preserve. I enjoyed the challenge of the public land. After day 2 the birds were wild as all get out. So comparing Michigan to South Dakota is like comparing an apple to a brick.


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## Hackman (Aug 13, 2008)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> From everything I’ve read on multiple fronts have all been positive on this . My assumption is your die hard bird hunters are pissy at the prospect of new hunters or guys who have been out of the game for awhile hitting field and they don’t have it all to themselves . A lot of hunters out there are selfish . I’m all for hunter recruitment and whatever it takes to get people out there and enjoy a sport I love .


I don't really see a down side because some guys will hit the release sites heavy which leave the non release areas vacant which I still enjoy hunting even with less chance of scoring. The 2 Days I hunted I seen the birds flock together and walk right off the state land, probally a lot of birds not even harvested. Now its time to give my lab a break try next week.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> South Dakota was forced to release birds to help sustain the population due to the amount of pressure they were getting from hunting and weather killing them. And to help keep bringing in the revenue that it did. Here’s the difference between South Dakota and Michigan. Acreage and availability. South Dakota has 1,000’s of acres to hunt on and enrolled in their CREP program. Michigan does not. When you watch guys hunting South Dakota on TV they are hunting preserves which is where the birds are released. I have hunted public land in South Dakota. I had a great time saw a lot of birds and walked a lot of miles to find them. And I would go back in a heartbeat but not to a preserve. I enjoyed the challenge of the public land. After day 2 the birds were wild as all get out. So comparing Michigan to South Dakota is like comparing an apple to a brick.


State parcel I hunted here in Michigan is over 2900 acres so I’m not sure where you are coming from with the acreage point . And on said parcel there was zero wild pheasant population prior to the release .


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

birdhntr said:


> 26 dollars a bird then factor in losses from birds leaving legal access,dying from predation,starvation,and lack of survival skills and you can easily double the price.That 60 dollars could fetch three birds at a game farm and be harvested before then.And that actually does stimulate the economy and is humane.I am beside myself that this is how we chose to spend our granted money.This is not a plus for wildlife,habitat,water,or the environment.It is in the minus column.[/QUOTEThis wasn’t your mine or o


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

poz said:


> Comes.out to about $21 a bird. Kind of expensive. We get birds from $20-$25 a bird at the ranches.





birdhntr said:


> 26 dollars a bird then factor in losses from birds leaving legal access,dying from predation,starvation,and lack of survival skills and you can easily double the price.That 60 dollars could fetch three birds at a game farm and be harvested before then.And that actually does stimulate the economy and is humane.I am beside myself that this is how we chose to spend our granted money.This is not a plus for wildlife,habitat,water,or the environment.It is in the minus column.


Can you post the source? This is not what I seen.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

The Dnr isn’t ones dropping the birds . You guys should read up on this and not make Radom assumptions . The birds are stocked by several selected farms and they are putting the birds on site on a weekly basis


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> The Dnr isn’t ones dropping the birds . You guys should read up on this and not make Radom assumptions . The birds are stocked by several selected farms and they are putting the birds on site on a weekly basis


I guess I don't see the difference whose truck they are flying out of.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> The Dnr isn’t ones dropping the birds . You guys should read up on this and not make Radom assumptions . The birds are stocked by several selected farms and they are putting the birds on site on a weekly basis





Guy63 said:


> Can you post the source? This is not what I seen.


Google is your friend.The numbers are there


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

birdhntr said:


> Google is your friend.The numbers are there


Your numbers are wrong. You google MAD magazine or CNN?


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

Don’t hunt them then if it’s in humane . If by doing this 2600 new hunters buy a tag that they might not have otherwise it would cover the 260k grant gift to Michigan pheasant iniative . They are doing this to create interest in an otherwise dying sport . Pheasant hunting use to be bigger than deer hunting in this state . The Pure wild birds can only be found most likely in very limited numbers in a very small section of the state .


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## FNC (Jun 5, 2007)

Guy63 said:


> serious question how do you know if you shoot a wild pheasant or not? Do the pheasant breeders clip a wing like the hatcheries do with the stocked fish's fins?


Pen bird: nostrils in the beak are larger-than-normal (I believe due to drilling?) to allow attachment of "blinders" during their time in captivity. The "blinders" help prevent captive birds from pecking & fighting one-another in close quarters where they are raised. Also, on recently released birds, the tail feathers are pretty ratty compared to wild birds.
Frank


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> The Dnr isn’t ones dropping the birds . You guys should read up on this and not make Radom assumptions . The birds are stocked by several selected farms and they are putting the birds on site on a weekly basis


The Michigan Legislature passed Public Act 618 of 2018, which appropriated $260,000 from the general fund to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for a pheasant release program during fall 2019 and 2020.

“This legislation was made possible through the partnership of the Michigan Pheasant Hunters Initiative and Michigan United Conservation Clubs,” said Amy Trotter, executive director of MUCC. “Releasing pheasants on state game areas was widely supported among our membership through our grassroots resolution process and was one of the recommendations made by the blue-ribbon advisory group charged with the responsibility to examine the uses of southern Michigan state game areas. The group recommended elevating small game hunting as a management output for state game areas.”

Pheasant releases will be divided into two periods: the October-November hunting period and the December period.

“A limited number of roosters will be released at each site throughout the pheasant hunting season in an effort to reinvigorate pheasant hunting in Michigan,” said Al Stewart, DNR upland game bird specialist. “In addition to increased hunting opportunities, folks will have the chance to put a delicious meal on their table.”

Pheasant releases this year will take place on 11 different state game areas:


Bay County: Pinconning SGA.
Cass County: Crane Pond SGA.
Clinton County: Rose Lake SGA.
Lapeer County: Lapeer SGA.
Monroe County: Erie and Pointe Mouillee SGAs.
Saginaw County: Crow Island SGA.
Sanilac County: Minden City SGA.
St. Clair County: St. Johns Marsh SGA.
St. Joseph County: Leidy Lake SGA.
Van Buren County: Cornish


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

They got 180k for birds 80k got skimmed off the top. Won't find that on the google machine though I heard it on the mike Avery podcast interviewing the guy that started the initiative.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

birdhntr said:


> The Michigan Legislature passed Public Act 618 of 2018, which appropriated $260,000 from the general fund to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for a pheasant release program during fall 2019 and 2020.
> 
> “This legislation was made possible through the partnership of the Michigan Pheasant Hunters Initiative and Michigan United Conservation Clubs,” said Amy Trotter, executive director of MUCC. “Releasing pheasants on state game areas was widely supported among our membership through our grassroots resolution process and was one of the recommendations made by the blue-ribbon advisory group charged with the responsibility to examine the uses of southern Michigan state game areas. The group recommended elevating small game hunting as a management output for state game areas.”
> 
> ...


Sweet cut and paste from the Dnr hunters digest . I’ve read it have it sitting on my night stand .


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Guy63 said:


> Can you post the source? This is not what I seen.


https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2019/04/24/dnr-pheasant-hunting-michigan-thumb/3560639002/


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

birdhntr said:


> https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2019/04/24/dnr-pheasant-hunting-michigan-thumb/3560639002/


The number of birds projected has declined throughout the process.The costs associated must come out of the granted funds.The longer a bird is kept captive the more you spend on feed and labor to care for


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> Sweet cut and paste from the Dnr hunters digest . I’ve read it have it sitting on my night stand .


 Literally every comment you’ve made sounds like your reading from the ******** brochure they passed out trying to get everyone to sign the petition for this. Kind of starting to wonder if you’re not somehow involved in the program. That’s why you’re getting so defensive.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

I wonder when the bird is purchased? Just hatched or delivered to the SGA?


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

you Are an idiot


Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> Literally every comment you’ve made sounds like your reading from the ******** brochure they passed out trying to get everyone to sign the petition for this. Kind of starting to wonder if you’re not somehow involved in the program. That’s why you’re getting so defensive.[/Q


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> you Are an idiot


Easy keyboard princess. Just laying the facts out.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

FNC said:


> Pen bird: nostrils in the beak are larger-than-normal (I believe due to drilling?) to allow attachment of "blinders" during their time in captivity. The "blinders" help prevent captive birds from pecking & fighting one-another in close quarters where they are raised. Also, on recently released birds, the tail feathers are pretty ratty compared to wild birds.
> Frank


I didn't notice any of that. I didn't dissect the thing though. Seemed like the same as wild birds on my thumb property. Flush fly shoot. Just like fighting a stocked brown vs natural. Of course we all want natural reproduction but let's face it millions of dollars and man hours trying different things the last 30 years hasn't really done jack shat.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

I’m not getting defensive seems to me a bunch of elitist bird hunting snobs are getting butthurt because their pure wild bird population that is nonexistent might Be threatened .Or the fact you showed up for the opener and in years past the lot was empty and you had it all to yourself , but now is threatened by more people being intrigued to try it out .


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

birdhntr said:


> It was a 260,000 dollar grant.Runs for two years.5600 birds each year I believe.


Not a grant though. It is out of the states general fund. If the law hadnt been written and passed by legislature not one dime would have gone to hunting or habitat. So from that perspective I would rather see the money go towards growing the sport vs getting spent on something else like a mountain bike trail. 

I dont buy into the idea that this hurts the wild bird population. These birds come from the same ranches that are already releasing thousands of birds per year. Some of them just 10-20 miles away.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

DirtySteve said:


> I tend to agree with you about whitmer in general......but didnt she sign this initiative to start it? It is a pretty small amount of money from the general fund so i dont think it will be as big an issue as you think. Also there is talk of creating a stamp to continue the program which is a viable option. I like the idea of the user paying for their sport. No different than a snowmobiler paying for his trail permit or boater paying their ramp fees.


Snyder on his last days in office signed it


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

No Snyder signed it right before he left office because he knew a Democrat wouldn’t go for it. I wouldn’t mind paying for a stamp if I knew it was going towards something useful like land purchases and habitat creation. Whitmer will take that money back as soon as the program is timed out. I’m sorry but I’m not paying for a bs release program. You want to shoot pen birds then go to a preserve like people have done for years. They already nickel and dime us hunters to death with license fees why not tack one more fee on and really watch numbers decline. Like Ted nugent said the DNR and NRC are the biggest enemies of hunting.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

birdhntr said:


> Me as well.
> We are first or second for woodcock and in the top four every year for grouse as well.Goose and waterfowl is excellent.So one might ask what is the real reason hunter recruitment is low.
> I'm sorry but if these incredible opportunities are here but we don't use them and they don't work to recruit how is pheasants being released helping.
> I'm sorry but this is a charade


All you need to do is break the wall with 1 species and you can get someone hooked for life.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Guy63 said:


> All you need to do is break the wall with 1 species and you can get someone hooked for life.


I think I finally hooked one at the grouse camp.I specifically took them well over an hour to a hot spot for an epic hunt.First one in years and years


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

I'm just using simple numbers but stay with me.

Let say this program lasts 2 years and you introduce 1000 people to pheasant hunting that have never gone before. After the program ends let's say 100 of these people stick around and want to help and invest time and resources into the habitat or whatever programs the naysayers are into. Is that good or bad?


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

I brought 3 people to a field on opening day that have never pheasant hunted. They loved it. We would not have been in that field without the program. Probably be bow hunting.


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

birdhntr said:


> I think I finally hooked one at the grouse camp.I specifically took them well over an hour to a hot spot for an epic hunt.First one in years and years


I would agree with that statement and raise it a bit. I think you hooked one and reset the hook deeper in another. 

That experience will be shared with many in storytelling for years and years to come.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Gsphunteronpoint1 said:


> No Snyder signed it right before he left office because he knew a Democrat wouldn’t go for it. I wouldn’t mind paying for a stamp if I knew it was going towards something useful like land purchases and habitat creation. Whitmer will take that money back as soon as the program is timed out. I’m sorry but I’m not paying for a bs release program. You want to shoot pen birds then go to a preserve like people have done for years. They already nickel and dime us hunters to death with license fees why not tack one more fee on and really watch numbers decline. Like Ted nugent said the DNR and NRC are the biggest enemies of hunting.


Man you are all over the map. I agree user should pay for the service. I would have no issue paying for a stamp to support the program if it helps hunter recruitment. Michigan licenses are one of the cheapest in the nation for just about everything they sell so i will disagree with you on that. I also think nugent is a bumbling dope. His ramblings at Capitol hill were embarrasing. He seemed like the old get off my lawn guy.

I also think habitat is a far better choice......but i dont think it creates enough excitment for our lawmakers to author a bill for it. Lawmakers want instant gratification because they need to get re elected. Habitat can take 5 yrs or more to show progress. They dont have that kind of time.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

Take the $260 or the $180k from this program and do what with it? Buy 40 acres and improve habitat on it? BFD...


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## RCA DOGS (Sep 24, 2011)

I do not believe they are marking the release birds at all. Just the fact it’s on a release site


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Guy63 said:


> Take the $260 or the $180k from this program and do what with it? Buy 40 acres and improve habitat on it? BFD...


We discussed this last year in a thread.I found a grass filled wood section(120acre)That could have been purchased and restored to Meadowlands for that price in an a close proximity to a well known pheasant area.Unlike the current plan where it is short term and when the money is gone you have nothing leftover this purchase would be long term and benefits all wildlife for years and years(long term)
If you look into the history from inception to current times for Minnesota you can see why and how it was effective. 
You can track the money,land acquisition,restoration,and even local efforts making private land acquisitions that were restored and donated to the state.
If 25000 Michigan pheasant hunters coughed up 100 bucks that's 2.5 million for land acquisition for that year.Picture the long term multiplier over the years.I would do that it in a second.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

birdhntr said:


> We discussed this last year in a thread.I found a grass filled wood section(120acre)That could have been purchased and restored to Meadowlands for that price in an a close proximity to a well known pheasant area.Unlike the current plan where it is short term and when the money is gone you have nothing leftover this purchase would be long term and benefits all wildlife for years and years(long term)
> If you look into the history from inception to current times for Minnesota you can see why and how it was effective.
> You can track the money,land acquisition,restoration,and even local efforts making private land acquisitions that were restored and donated to the state.
> If 25000 Michigan pheasant hunters coughed up 100 bucks that's 2.5 million for land acquisition for that year.Picture the long term multiplier over the years.I would do that it in a second.


Sad truth is I doubt there are 25000 resident pheasant hunters . But I like your idea . 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Chaz Micheal Micheals said:


> Don’t hunt them then if it’s in humane . If by doing this 2600 new hunters buy a tag that they might not have otherwise it would cover the 260k grant gift to Michigan pheasant iniative . They are doing this to create interest in an otherwise dying sport . Pheasant hunting use to be bigger than deer hunting in this state . The Pure wild birds can only be found most likely in very limited numbers in a very small section of the state .





DirtySteve said:


> Isn't the pheasant stamp supposed to be to track the number of hunters to see if they should continue the program in the future?


The base licence you buy includes small game which is Pheasant. They better not force me to buy a stamp for bird hunting for implementing this. The endorsement is good because next year they can finally start to track the amount of Pheasant hunters.

As for making state habitat, some here must like the movie " The Field of Dreams", "build it and they will come". I can only ask "were the hell from".

I have been putting in PF fields in for a couple of decades minimum with or without their help. It helps to defray some of the money I put out. I rotate (plow) my fields every 4 to 6 years. As stated in other recent posts, my fields I hunt or lollygagged in now is to review how the fields are doing. Our branch of FP are now supplying Sorghum seed which was a heavy cost to me for the past 30 years. Winter feed and cover that is the trick but one bad sleet storm will wipe out 4 years of work.
My fuel usage was 75 gallons this year of which 3 acres are included for the Rye I planted (9 bushel) which will be planted with the PF nesting seed. Sxxt, I guess I am a fan of the above mentioned movie!


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

Just think how it could benefit other wildlife to not just including pheasants! I can’t tell you how many deer I jump from the jungle CRP fields. The countless songbirds that use the fields for nesting. Establishing land and habitat benefits everything. I would gladly give $100 for land acquisition and habitat creation. Instead of being forced to buy a stamp to fund a program I don’t agree with. 


birdhntr said:


> We discussed this last year in a thread.I found a grass filled wood section(120acre)That could have been purchased and restored to Meadowlands for that price in an a close proximity to a well known pheasant area.Unlike the current plan where it is short term and when the money is gone you have nothing leftover this purchase would be long term and benefits all wildlife for years and years(long term)
> If you look into the history from inception to current times for Minnesota you can see why and how it was effective.
> You can track the money,land acquisition,restoration,and even local efforts making private land acquisitions that were restored and donated to the state.
> If 25000 Michigan pheasant hunters coughed up 100 bucks that's 2.5 million for land acquisition for that year.Picture the long term multiplier over the years.I would do that it in a second.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

Guy63 said:


> I brought 3 people to a field on opening day that have never pheasant hunted. They loved it. We would not have been in that field without the program. Probably be bow hunting.


I think that you have described one of the points of the release program.

That and the fact the majority of Michigan's population lives in the region that lacks quality upland hunting opportunities. 

I know that some do not like the release program. Some obviously do.

It looks like the program may be meeting some of its objectives.

Now, if increasing interest in upland hunting leads to increasing demand, some positive habitat benefits may follow.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Nobody is talking about forcing anyone to buy anything. The thought is to charge for a stamp for the designated fields that they release. They did this for decades at managed waterfowl units with great success. You could buy a $10 yearly pass of $3 daily when i was a teenager. They managed that program the same way until about 8 yrs ago. Don't recall any complaints about the system. User fees work and they are fair.

Even if they did force all pheasant hunters to buy it I dont see the issue. We all spend hundreds to thousands in taxes that arent fair and we take it on the chin without complaints. I spend $8-9k on gasoline a year. A good 2k or more goes to taxes and very little makes it to the road repair budget. I wouldnt be stressing over a measly $15 stamp when I routinely pay twice that in truck gas to go hunting for 1 day.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

John Singer said:


> I think that you have described one of the points of the release program.
> 
> That and the fact the majority of Michigan's population lives in the region that lacks quality upland hunting opportunities.
> 
> ...


Well said

I am on the fence about it but I think it would be foolish to completely dismiss the program without giving it a chance to see how well it works. It is a 2 year trial which is probably the right way to go about it. 

I would think it would be a great place for organizations like pheasants forever to get out there and do a membership drive.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

birdhntr said:


> If you look into the history from inception to current times for Minnesota you can see why and how it was effective.


birdhntr, I agree to an extent. However, there are major differences between Michigan and Minnesota.

I lived in Michigan for most of my life. I now live in Minnesota. The season in Minnesota opened on October 12. I have been out 7 times since the opener. I have seen only 3 other hunters. One was invited to hunt with us and he did. There are posts on this forum where people describe seeing 30 to 50 other hunters on Michigan's opener.

Also, when I bird hunted in Michigan, encounters with deer hunters were common. Some of these encounters were unpleasant.

Another difference is the size of available grasslands. Many of the State Wildlife Management Areas and Federal Waterfowl Production Areas that I hunt in Minnesota are larger than 200 acres. Many of the the places that I hunted in Michigan were much smaller and were more wooded.


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## Chaz Micheal Micheals (Jan 5, 2019)

John Singer said:


> birdhntr, I agree to an extent. However, there are major differences between Michigan and Minnesota.
> 
> I lived in Michigan for most of my life. I now live in Minnesota. The season in Minnesota opened on October 12. I have been out 7 times since the opener. I have seen only 3 other hunters. One was invited to hunt with us and he did. There are posts on this forum where people describe seeing 30 to 50 other hunters on Michigan's opener.
> 
> ...


Granted there is not great grasslands but Michigan has 1000s of acres of public land . 3 large state game areas within 45 mins of my house theses 3 areas are thousands of acres each . The land is here improving that land is key .


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## HopHead42 (Jun 27, 2019)

Here is why I am a fan of these releases being a resident of SW MI. One of our farms is right next to a 70 acre CRP field that is what should be nearly perfect pheasant habitat. 3 ag fields around it, Our hop yard, which we plant small grains in our rows for cover crop, and a drainage ditch with great cover on a side. This CRP has been there 6 years now. The landowner is an older lady that when it was first put in, was put in because she wanted to see/hear pheasants. This property is never hunted. In those 6 years she has never seen a pheasant and has heard 1 cackle. I have never heard 1 while on that farm parcel. A second private parcel that i duck has about 100 acres of great pheasant cover with row crops around it and plenty of water sources. I have worked the dog through it the last 2 years and duck hunt it frequently. 0 pheasant. I have never seen a wild pheasant in my area. It's silly to think it will change any time soon if ever.

Dnr planted birds 30 miles from where i live, i have already taken 2 people out that hunt deer that would never have hunted pheasants. 

So what would i rather have, a new 100 acre parcel that probably wont ever hold birds or guaranteed to see birds and have a good time introducing people to bird hunt. I think it's a pretty easy choice.


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## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

Guy63 said:


> I'm just using simple numbers but stay with me.
> 
> Let say this program lasts 2 years and you introduce 1000 people to pheasant hunting that have never gone before. After the program ends let's say 100 of these people stick around and want to help and invest time and resources into the habitat or whatever programs the naysayers are into. Is that good or bad?


A 100 people in 2 years is very minimal for anything let alone hunting.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

fordman1 said:


> A 100 people in 2 years is very minimal for anything let alone hunting.


Read the first sentence in my post.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

HopHead42 said:


> Here is why I am a fan of these releases being a resident of SW MI. One of our farms is right next to a 70 acre CRP field that is what should be nearly perfect pheasant habitat. 3 ag fields around it, Our hop yard, which we plant small grains in our rows for cover crop, and a drainage ditch with great cover on a side. This CRP has been there 6 years now. The landowner is an older lady that when it was first put in, was put in because she wanted to see/hear pheasants. This property is never hunted. In those 6 years she has never seen a pheasant and has heard 1 cackle. I have never heard 1 while on that farm parcel. A second private parcel that i duck has about 100 acres of great pheasant cover with row crops around it and plenty of water sources. I have worked the dog through it the last 2 years and duck hunt it frequently. 0 pheasant. I have never seen a wild pheasant in my area. It's silly to think it will change any time soon if ever.
> 
> Dnr planted birds 30 miles from where i live, i have already taken 2 people out that hunt deer that would never have hunted pheasants.
> 
> So what would i rather have, a new 100 acre parcel that probably wont ever hold birds or guaranteed to see birds and have a good time introducing people to bird hunt. I think it's a pretty easy choice.


It needs restocking with wild birds


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

We need more predator control.


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## HopHead42 (Jun 27, 2019)

Guy63 said:


> We need more predator control.


This will only get worse as well. NAFA has filled for bankruptcy and fur prices are in the garbage can. Fur trapping is a hobby these days and there is probably less fur trappers than pheasant hunters in southern michigan.


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## RCA DOGS (Sep 24, 2011)

I always love when people claim the decline of pheasants in Michigan on one thing. Habitat. Herbicide and spray. Predators. Avian predators. It’s not any of this. 

It’s balance. The less habitat you have the more you need to control the other elements. The more habitat you have the better the pheasant can withstand the outside impact. We need more habitat but we also need to work harder with what we do have.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Ding,ding,ding,ding!


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## Josh R (Dec 4, 2010)

RCA for the win, some including myself been saying similar things for a couple years on here when this release stuff started getting wings....

The main issue with the pheasant stamp is that it's tied to the sharp tail stamp. No concrete proof of how many got the stamp only for pheasants, just a guess 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

Josh R said:


> RCA for the win, some including myself been saying similar things for a couple years on here when this release stuff started getting wings....
> 
> The main issue with the pheasant stamp is that it's tied to the sharp tail stamp. No concrete proof of how many got the stamp only for pheasants, just a guess
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


Why can’t you just use the shark tale data from last year, and subtract this year?


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## Josh R (Dec 4, 2010)

Gamekeeper said:


> Why can’t you just use the shark tale data from last year, and subtract this year?


Is the same amount of people sharptail hunting this year as last year? No one knows that's why it's only a guess? 
Why did they feel the need to combine both on the same stamp? Did the Fesident or one of his cronies force them to do it that way? I mean, it makes perfect sense to combine them. Now they can easily say X amount of hunters hunted pheasants and use those sharptail only hunters to boost their numbers.... 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Guy63 said:


> We need more predator control.


Verona has proven that predators are not the issue. Thousands of acres of proper habitat works.


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## anticipation (Jun 5, 2008)

Josh R said:


> RCA for the win, some including myself been saying similar things for a couple years on here when this release stuff started getting wings....
> 
> The main issue with the pheasant stamp is that it's tied to the sharp tail stamp. No concrete proof of how many got the stamp only for pheasants, just a guess
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


Another problem with the stamp is they are giving it to people who don’t ask for it , I know plenty of people who got one without asking and have no intentions of Pheasnt hunting


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

anticipation said:


> Another problem with the stamp is they are giving it to people who don’t ask for it , I know plenty of people who got one without asking and have no intentions of Pheasnt hunting


And then the people who are going who don't have it because they didn't know.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

DirtySteve said:


> Verona has proven that predators are not the issue. Thousands of acres of proper habitat works.


I didn't say this was the sole reason. I believe pesticides play a bigger role but this is really the only thing that can be controlled quickly and at a low cost to help. There's birds in Verona and in Detroit. I haven't changed the habitat on my property but see fluctuations which I believe are solely related to the coyotes and *****. Used to see a lot more birds when the yote hunters would kill 60 a year now I hear them sounding off and don't see or hear any birds. Is this coincidence? maybe or maybe not.


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## carnivor (Jan 5, 2009)

I posted this on another thread and figured it applied here as well. 

I realize there will always be complainers. I for one think this program is great! I have hunted grouse for the last 18 years and love it. Actually, I'm obsessed with it. My Gordon Setter has never seen a ring neck until a few days ago. He and I are having a blast! The way I see it, so much of the hunting sports are becoming expensive. I'm sure guys love habitat. Especially when public dollars are used on or around their private property. This is program gives people that spend their hard earned money an opportunity to enjoy a hunting activity for the price of their license fee. I'm not driving to the Thumb to try and find a bird, Id rather run North for grouse. The number of areas that are receiving birds gives a lot of folks a great experience. I shot one today. My two boys have never seen a pheasant until today. They both marveled at its colors. They didn't care that the bird was pen raised. When I cleaned the bird and my dog ate the heart and liver, he didn't care the bird was pen raised. When I heard thumping wings and cackling, swung the old sidexside and followed through to make the shot, only to be rewarded the the explosion of feather. Well I can tell you, I didn't give a rats @$$ where that bird came from. Great, just Great.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

John Singer said:


> First, realize that I no longer live in Michigan. My wife and I moved to Minnesota last January.
> 
> I have been following a couple of threads on this forum about pheasants and pheasant hunting.
> 
> ...


Studying licenses sales over the next 3-4 years will be the only way to answer whether interest in Pheasant hunting Michigan is up or not!
Hal


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

If you really want to gauge the interest put a 2 or 3 dollar fee on the pheasant stamp. Then go from there.


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## Josh R (Dec 4, 2010)

Make it worth it, $50 but that all goes towards habitat improvement or land purchases

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

Minnesota has a $7.50 pheasant stamp and a $3.00 Walk in Access Area fee.

Iowa has a $15 habitat fee.

I am in Iowa right now. This morning, I watched 30 to 40 pheasants fly up out of grass and land 100 yards away. This was on public land. Tomorrow is the opener.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

John Singer said:


> Minnesota has a $7.50 pheasant stamp and a $3.00 Walk in Access Area fee.
> 
> Iowa has a $15 habitat fee.
> 
> I am in Iowa right now. This morning, I watched 30 to 40 pheasants fly up out of grass and land 100 yards away. This was on public land. Tomorrow is the opener.


you getting out? If so post your results.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

I don’t know if any of these thread participants have actually followed the genesis of this project.

It came from the legislature, not from the DNR.

It wasn’t based on anything other than wishful thinking as near as I can tell.

So, for this year anyway, the legislature authorized funding to stock these birds at the designated release areas .

I don’t see it going forward.

Certainly they can subtract the last year‘s sharptail Stamp participants from this years combined stamp participants, and figure out how many people joined the crowd in the interest of Shooting pen reared pheasants.

Somebody will do the math at the DNR, and decide how much money they’re willing to spend per Hunter to provide them with Pen raised birds going forward.

It’s not complicated.

From here, you can expect to see an add on pheasant stamp, to keep people going after the pen raised birds. Ideally, a breakeven proposition, but probably not.
That’s how they’ve done it in all the other states.

Pennsylvania is the closest state in population and Hunter density to Michigan, and they supplement the cost of their pen reared birds with shale oil revenue.
Michigan doesn’t have a pen reared bird slush fund.

I know that this project was sold to the legislature as some sort of salvation for bringing young people back into the world of pheasant hunting, but I’m of the opinion that that was disingenuous.

I am expecting this to be some kind of a tax act for the Michigan game bird breeders Association and nothing more. Interest in shooting preserves seems to have peaked and died off over the last few years.
Now they can contract with the state.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Gamekeeper said:


> I don’t know if any of these thread participants have actually followed the genesis of this project.
> 
> It came from the legislature, not from the DNR.
> 
> ...




Along these lines my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes. Does any body know who the Bird producer is that the State is purchasing the Pheasants being released?
Is the State releasing these birds or is the Bird contractor providing the release service?
Is the State buying these birds on a weekly basis or have they purchased the birds as flock
( the number in this thread leads me to believe some 6000 Roosters) and warehousing them prior to release! Are they using the old facility in Mason Michigan where the old Put n Takes birds were raised?

Handling Pheasants is a dirty messy job. Just the logistics of multiple release areas would be a monumental task. The Pheasant business is hardly any thing that can an efficient business!
It is a physical structure and labor intensive business hence the cost of buying birds to hunt on a shooting preserve.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

gundogguy said:


> Along these lines my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes. Does any body know who the Bird producer is that the State is purchasing the Pheasants being released?
> Is the State releasing these birds or is the Bird contractor providing the release service?
> Is the State buying these birds on a weekly basis or have they purchased the birds as flock
> ( the number in this thread leads me to believe some 6000 Roosters) and warehousing them prior to release! Are they using the old facility in Mason Michigan where the old Put n Takes birds were raised?
> ...


They have signs at the release sites that say who provided the birds. I presume that the when and the where to cut them loose was all part of the contract. I find no fault with the DNR on the details of the release program. Everybody or anybody who knows anything about state sponsored release programs, knows all of the pitfalls involved, so I’m confident the people at the DNR are doing their best to make it a safe and sane event.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

gundogguy said:


> Along these lines my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes. Does any body know who the Bird producer is that the State is purchasing the Pheasants being released?
> Is the State releasing these birds or is the Bird contractor providing the release service?
> Is the State buying these birds on a weekly basis or have they purchased the birds as flock
> ( the number in this thread leads me to believe some 6000 Roosters) and warehousing them prior to release! Are they using the old facility in Mason Michigan where the old Put n Takes birds were raised?
> ...


Lapeer birds were bought from hunters creek huntclub. They made signs and posted them with a number to call for information.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Gamekeeper said:


> I don’t know if any of these thread participants have actually followed the genesis of this project.
> 
> It came from the legislature, not from the DNR.
> 
> ...


This project was sold to the legislature as a way to get people interested in the sport again. It is hard to argue that pheasant hunting in this state has had very little interest the last decade.

There are reports on this site that there were 14 trucks in the lot in lapeer by 6 30 am opening day. I have hunted lapeer SGA for 20 years and have never seen a pheasant hunter. Last saturday I drove around the area and saw 7 cars with orange vests on the road. There were 4 cars at the field where birds were released. I saw 3 cars parked at other lots in the bird trial area where birds were not released and people were hunting. I stopped and talked to several and they all said that they were out there to check out the field with planted birds and figured what the heck it was such a nice day they might as well walk another field for a shot at a wild pheasant. 


From what I have seen it has generated interest. If there is any staying power only time will tell. I would think organizations like pheasants forever should out there recruiting people to join. I cant think of a better time to ask for donations than when guys are walking out of the fields with limits in their vest. People spending money on equipment and people joining pheasants forever, ruffed grouse, and woodcock societies are good ways to gauge the success of this program. If their membership goes up consoderabke it would be success in my opinion.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

DirtySteve said:


> This project was sold to the legislature as a way to get people interested in the sport again. It is hard to argue that pheasant hunting in this state has had very little interest the last decade.
> 
> There are reports on this site that there were 14 trucks in the lot in lapeer by 6 30 am opening day. I have hunted lapeer SGA for 20 years and have never seen a pheasant hunter. Last saturday I drove around the area and saw 7 cars with orange vests on the road. There were 4 cars at the field where birds were released. I saw 3 cars parked at other lots in the bird trial area where birds were not released and people were hunting. I stopped and talked to several and they all said that they were out there to check out the field with planted birds and figured what the heck it was such a nice day they might as well walk another field for a shot at a wild pheasant.
> 
> ...


 It’s certainly true that if you change the definition of something, you can always find the results that you want.

The question is, how much interest can you generate, and at what cost?

Clearly if you tape a $1000 bill to a bunch of Pen raise pheasants, you’d be able to get all kinds of people out in the field to shoot at them.

So success, in an economically limited world, is relative. 

The proof, in this iridescent pudding, will come when the state asks you to pay for the privilege of shooting at pen raised birds.

I think the stamp is 25 additional dollars in Pennsylvania.


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## poz (Nov 12, 2004)

The interest is there, just look at all the game farms that do big business in Michigan selling pheasant hunts. 
The problem is access to land that holds birds.
Deer hunting has taken over. Farmers are leasing their land to deer hunters who don't want pheasant hunters out there ruining their deer hunting


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

poz said:


> The interest is there, just look at all the game farms that do big business in Michigan selling pheasant hunts.
> The problem is access to land that holds birds.
> Deer hunting has taken over. Farmers are leasing their land to deer hunters who don't want pheasant hunters out there ruining their deer hunting


I know many deer hunters over years and years that tell me about the pheasants at there leases but I have yet to succeed in getting them to go after them.One group pays huge dollars and they haven't harvested a deer worthy of the payment.lol.


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## UPaquariest (May 13, 2010)

Guy63 said:


> I walked St. John's marsh today for an hour before the rain started. I was the only one there. No action.


Hunted the potholes Sunday morning, watched a rooster come up and swing across and drop maybe 30yds behind the group in the pot hole next to us, then a while later get back up and swing back across to where it originally got up. Going to go out and try a time or 2 this week after work.


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

How many guys you think were there?


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Gamekeeper said:


> It’s certainly true that if you change the definition of something, you can always find the results that you want.
> 
> The question is, how much interest can you generate, and at what cost?
> 
> ...


The money that the state set aside for this is peanuts in the state budget. Far bigger wastes are approved all the time. I could type alot of examples.

If the stamp is $25 you will have no issue getting people to spend that. I live 10 mins or less from two hunt clubs and that might buy you one bird at them......that is if you can get someone who paid the thousand dollar membership to bring you in as a guest. I would pay the $25 regardless if i went or not. It is a really small price to pay to keep the sport going.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

DirtySteve said:


> The money that the state set aside for this is peanuts in the state budget. Far bigger wastes are approved all the time. I could type alot of examples.
> 
> If the stamp is $25 you will have no issue getting people to spend that. I live 10 mins or less from two hunt clubs and that might buy you one bird at them......that is if you can get someone who paid the thousand dollar membership to bring you in as a guest. I would pay the $25 regardless if i went or not. It is a really small price to pay to keep the sport going.


That it isn't worse than something else is a false equivalency.
Definitely not a justification for continuing the subsidy.

Lik


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

Guy63 said:


> you getting out? If so post your results.


Saturday was opening day in Iowa.

There was a total of 11 of us hunting and we split into two groups. We arrived at our hunting location at 6:30 a.m. Shooting hours in Iowa runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

About 7:15, people started showing up in large numbers. About 7:30, pheasants started showing up in even larger numbers.

The field of about 160 to 180 acres was quite crowded. One of the guys with me estimated that there about 45 hunters present.

Everyone was very polite. Everyone saw lots of birds and got some shooting.

My dog caught a cripple from another party. I gave the bird to a group of guys from Iowa.

I personally shot 2. At about 11:00, I was back at the parking area. I was cooking lunch and we were being visited by a Conversation Officer. Someone noticed a cut on my dog's leg.

Unfortunately, Darby had a deep cut on the right foreleg. The CO had a local veterinarian's number in his phone. I dressed and wrapped the wound and drove 25 miles to the animal hospital.

The vet anesthetized Darby, stitched the inner tissue and applied 4 staples to the outer skin. He actually told me that I could hunt her the next day. Darby was the third bird dog that he treated that day with lacerations.

Right now, the wound is healing well, and Darby is doing great.

As a party, we ended up with 11 birds the first day. 6 on the second. Five of us stuck around to hunt yesterday and we shot 6 birds. I hunted Darby yesterday. She did well. She had 5 solid points, and flushed several others. She retrieved the three birds that I shot.

She has the next several days off.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Thanks for the response. As you prolly know *not all* Shooting preserves produce and raise the birds they market and sell. I have managed and worked in both in the "egg to flight bird" shoots and the bought "ready to shoot inventory" Both types have there own Pros and Cons. we would put a pencil to it all the time. based on Production cost, feed, labor and housing expense
At this this time is Hunter's Creek Hunt club and actual producer of flight birds or are they selling some one else birds?
It would be interesting to know if the State is releasing these birds based on Retail pricing ($20-25.00 per bird) Or wholesale pricing which is ($10-15.00) Base Pheasant pricing is established on the age of the bird in weeks. Currently these birds in October would be priced quite a bit less than they will be in December.
Well time will tell how this washes out. But for it to continue say like Penn, participants will have to pay for the privilege to partake
Hal




Gamekeeper said:


> They have signs at the release sites that say who provided the birds. I presume that the when and the where to cut them loose was all part of the contract. I find no fault with the DNR on the details of the release program. Everybody or anybody who knows anything about state sponsored release programs, knows all of the pitfalls involved, so I’m confident the people at the DNR are doing their best to make it a safe and sane event.





DirtySteve said:


> Lapeer birds were bought from hunters creek huntclub. They made signs and posted them with a number to call for information.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

John Singer said:


> The field of about 160 to 180 acres was quite crowded. One of the guys with me estimated that there about 45 hunters present.


Holy Crap! How many dogs did 45 hunters turn loose?


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## Guy63 (Jan 7, 2018)

John Singer said:


> Saturday was opening day in Iowa.
> 
> There was a total of 11 of us hunting and we split into two groups. We arrived at our hunting location at 6:30 a.m. Shooting hours in Iowa runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
> 
> ...


you think it was old barbed wire that got the dogs?


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

Guy63 said:


> you think it was old barbed wire that got the dogs?


I do not know. I saw no barbed wire in the area. I was back at the vehicles with my dog at about 10:00. I noted an abrasion in her leg. One of the other hunters in my group came in and asked me to bring my dog to look for a downed bird near some brushy cover about 1/4 mile down the road. We walked down there and hunted for that bird, which we did not find. When I got back, we noticed the laceration.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

gundogguy said:


> Holy Crap! How many dogs did 45 hunters turn loose?


I have no clue. The group of 10 that I met from Iowa had only 2 dogs. 

Our group had 5.


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## FNC (Jun 5, 2007)

John Singer said:


> I have no clue. The group of 10 that I met from Iowa had only 2 dogs.
> 
> Our group had 5.


Hope your pup is doing better. Sounds like you are adapting well to your new home in the heart of pheasant country! I'm jealous. Hunted many times in Iowa and between the great hunting (some years) and the wonderful people, it's a trip I look forward to every time.


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## Hackman (Aug 13, 2008)

John Singer said:


> I have no clue. The group of 10 that I met from Iowa had only 2 dogs.
> 
> curious, you can see the birds flying into the field you are in. where are they coming from private fields with crops? after opening day pressure drops off so a guy can hunt with less pressure from other hunters?


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

The birds were roosted on the public field where I saw them. 

The hunting pressure drops exponentially after the first 2 hours of the season.

The second day, we saw other hunters but, we had several public properties to ourselves. 

On Monday, other hunters were difficult to find.


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## Hackman (Aug 13, 2008)

John Singer said:


> The birds were roosted on the public field where I saw them.
> 
> The hunting pressure drops exponentially after the first 2 hours of the season.
> 
> ...


thx for respose. i would probally enjoy after opening day more.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

Hackman said:


> thx for respose. i would probally enjoy after opening day more.


Last year on the Iowa opener, we hunted a public area about a mile from this one and had the area to ourselves.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

John Singer said:


> The birds were roosted on the public field where I saw them.
> 
> The hunting pressure drops exponentially after the first 2 hours of the season.
> 
> ...


A friend mentioned the same thing.After the first morning they have been alone in most areas.He also mentioned that they are harvesting quite a few last year birds and somewhat shocked how many carryover roosters that are there.He is in the same area and said roosters were hard to find late season last year but apparently they were there.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

birdhntr said:


> A friend mentioned the same thing.After the first morning they have been alone in most areas.He also mentioned that they are harvesting quite a few last year birds and somewhat shocked how many carryover roosters that are there.He is in the same area and said roosters were hard to find late season last year but apparently they were there.


I cleaned 7 birds from Iowa this morning. Most were 1st year birds. Many of those were very young, small, and not fully colored.

Only one of the birds had the spurs of a 2 year old or older bird.

BTW: Last week in Minnesota, my neighbor was hunting with me. He shot a young rooster with double spurs (2 points) on each leg. I had never seen that before.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

John Singer said:


> I cleaned 7 birds from Iowa this morning. Most were 1st year birds. Many of those were very young, small, and not fully colored.
> 
> Only one of the birds had the spurs of a 2 year old or older bird.
> 
> BTW: Last week in Minnesota, my neighbor was hunting with me. He shot a young rooster with double spurs (2 points) on each leg. I had never seen that before.


Francolin are two spurred.
Popular in Africa and Hawaii.


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## Mi. Chuck (Jun 12, 2018)

Gamekeeper said:


> I don’t know if any of these thread participants have actually followed the genesis of this project.
> 
> It came from the legislature, not from the DNR.
> 
> ...


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## Hackman (Aug 13, 2008)

i know there are several of us that have followed the release project since it was first publized. i started one worded, Put n take heck ya, in dec 2018. another member started one Jan 1st 2019, dnr approves 180,000 dollar pheasant program. We talked about it alot, its here now time flies.


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## fowl (Feb 15, 2003)

I think it was $260k. I can hear the Flush! Pun intended. 


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## edenwildlife (Jul 29, 2011)

I am interested In starting pheasant hunting. I live in mason co so birds are few and realize I may need to travel. What is a good bird gun??
I just got a Aussie/stafordshire terrier mix puppy are these dogs capable of flushing birds???


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## RCA DOGS (Sep 24, 2011)

A good bird gun is a shotgun that you are comfortable with. It shoulders smooth and you handle well. In general speak. I would say larger gauges are better than going smaller 20, 16, 12 typically, you can use smaller but larger provide better results probably for a newcomer. Shot size around a six. And Pheasants are great for flushers. Just make sure the dog comes back when called and has been exposed to gunfire properly before hand.


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## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

Habitat-wise, what about rather than purchasing land directly, some portion of funding whether a stamp or legislated, got directed to influence farmers to modify their practices towards improving habitat? Leasing areas of their field to let cover grow among the food? Subsidizing them to reduce the percentage of the harvest so food would be left behind? Reimbursing them for using more organic practices? Maybe couple these with an agreement for some public Access after harvest? I know pheasants forever has programs to help private landowners with habitat, but this would be on a broader scale and could put a whole region into more context.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

Stand By said:


> Habitat-wise, what about rather than purchasing land directly, some portion of funding whether a stamp or legislated, got directed to influence farmers to modify their practices towards improving habitat? Leasing areas of their field to let cover grow among the food? Subsidizing them to reduce the percentage of the harvest so food would be left behind? Reimbursing them for using more organic practices? Maybe couple these with an agreement for some public Access after harvest? I know pheasants forever has programs to help private landowners with habitat, but this would be on a broader scale and could put a whole region into more context.


A great idea but you will never get a farmer to agree. By farmer I'm talking 500 acre plus.


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## fowl (Feb 15, 2003)

Sounds a lot like CRP, CREP, WRP, WHIP, EQIP, and HAP. Private’s lands are a tough nut to crack. With farmers, $ talks. 


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## Mi. Chuck (Jun 12, 2018)

Stand By said:


> Habitat-wise, what about rather than purchasing land directly, some portion of funding whether a stamp or legislated, got directed to influence farmers to modify their practices towards improving habitat? Leasing areas of their field to let cover grow among the food? Subsidizing them to reduce the percentage of the harvest so food would be left behind? Reimbursing them for using more organic practices? Maybe couple these with an agreement for some public Access after harvest? I know pheasants forever has programs to help private landowners with habitat, but this would be on a broader scale and could put a whole region into more context.


Our PF chapter PAID a farmer to leave 16 acres of corn stand through the winter for birds and bucks. It was "accidentally" harvested, but our money was never returned. Our same chapter paid to stage a CRP forum and invited over 300 locals, mostly farmers and landowners. We had ZERO people sign up for CRP. Money talks and, well you know the rest. That's not to say you won't find someone who will help, but it's just not enough to make a difference.


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## RCA DOGS (Sep 24, 2011)

I think you need to go after the land owners that don’t farm themselves. Government programs and lease prices are a closer gap than farming it themselves.


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## fowl (Feb 15, 2003)

Good on you and the PF chapter for putting in the effort and commitment. Frustrating it didn’t pan out. Sometimes the barriers are insurmountable. I’ve seen it and lived it over the years. 


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## RCA DOGS (Sep 24, 2011)

these guys know how to grow birds!


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

RCA DOGS said:


> View attachment 452281
> these guys know how to grow birds!


It is so much more than that.And most do not realize this.Honestly pheasants are just the byproduct that comes from this.The natural world as a whole benefits much greater!


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## ab5228 (Nov 13, 2009)

Interest is high for us. Public land wild rooster. I saw two other roosters tonight that are still out there.


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## Bighunther (Jan 28, 2012)

The last two years my FIL and myself have been talking about going pheasant hunting (I have never been). This initiative was just the push we needed. We scouted out a couple areas where we new there could be birds. We put the plan in motion this morning and had a great morning. My dog did great but we had to end a little early with a couple injured paws. All in all it was a great time with family in Michigans great outdoors!


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## Howitzer (Nov 1, 2004)

Bighunther said:


> The last two years my FIL and myself have been talking about going pheasant hunting (I have never been). This initiative was just the push we needed. We scouted out a couple areas where we new there could be birds. We put the plan in motion this morning and had a great morning. My dog did great but we had to end a little early with a couple injured paws. All in all it was a great time with family in Michigans great outdoors!
> View attachment 453693
> View attachment 453687


I love seeing this, I am with the MPHI and your story echoes across the state. Thank you for your participation.


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