# Early Pheasant Release?



## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

I took the dog to Delaware today hoping to find a woodcock or two. Failed in that endeavor but we did find a rooster pheasant. I thought they didn't stock them until this weekend for the youth season. Was that a wild bird or do they put them out early?


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## GETTIN' THERE (Apr 17, 2007)

Yea, state pheasant stockings for youth hunts this weekend (Oct. 21st) and next weekend (Oct. 28th). Either a wild bird or a stocked bird from a private individual. Know guys that will raise pen raised birds then release on private property to try to keep up a population. Do those birds stay in the same spot?
I am sure they move to find food.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

i would say its a survivor from past years stockings.....did you get a look at how big it was???


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## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

That idea makes some sense - it was a pretty big bird. I hadn't even thought of one living that long.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I have seen out at Grand River where the birds were stocked days if not weeks earlier than the posted dates. They just can't be everywhere at once stocking. You can not take them until seasonal dates. I have found that the birds that are released early has some time to settle in and are more apt to flush than run. They have to post something to advise us of when and how many to peak interest.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

BuckeyeHunter said:


> That idea makes some sense - it was a pretty big bird. I hadn't even thought of one living that long.


You would be suprised how many I have seen the past years durring the spring, I would say about 5 to 10% make it through till next year. The reason there is not a good population, is because they don't release any females. If they released females, then the chances of them repopulating by themselfs would be incresingly better!


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## Dragons4u (Jul 18, 2011)

The only wild birds I have seen in recent years have all been hens while hunting around the Belfountaine area. I have yet to kick up a wild rooster while hunting, but I have seen both hens and roosters in the fields when they are being taken in.....but once season opens, they are no where to be seen.
With most of the fence rows being gone around this area, I think they all just move off.
Even though they aren't stocked, that I know of, around Ft. Loramie, the past few years while dove hunting, my dog and I have found hens, but no roosters there as well.


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## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

I asked an ODNR officer one year why they did not release hens and he told me because there has been a lot of research done with it and I was told the pen raised hens will not sit on the eggs..... I would think that that would be instinct..... My guess is they know every Tom dick and Harry is out the day they release and shoot at anything that flushes....


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

shorebound said:


> My guess is they know every Tom dick and Harry is out the day they release and shoot at anything that flushes....


i think that has alot to do with it. they dont even look to see if its a hen or cock. they just hear that distinctive pheasant flush, point and shoot.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I remember at grand river when they released hens with the cocks, you were allowed to shoot either. As well as most the other gamelands, both sexs could be harvested. It was only cock only on private land in Ohio at one time.


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## alumcreeker (Nov 14, 2008)

I live in the delaware wildlife area and across the street from my house are 2 hens that produce every year these hens are on private land but the public land is only a couple hundred yrds from them and the roosters do come over from time to time pretty neat to watch them interact with each other

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

alumcreeker said:


> I live in the delaware wildlife area and across the street from my house are 2 hens that produce every year these hens are on private land but the public land is only a couple hundred yrds from them and the roosters do come over from time to time pretty neat to watch them interact with each other
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


so you've seen these hens with offspring of their own??? thats cool, and they seem to be able to stay away from the foxes, and coyotes. thats even better. maybe thats the way to go, as for stocking pheasants. release hens on the private property(with permission from the landowners/farmers)and release the cocks on the public land....


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