# Pheasant Question



## lil goose

Does anyone know if it is legal to buy some pen raised pheasants and release them on private property for a place and take for some young hunters? Just curious about what regulations are involved. I know at private hunting preserves the bag limit and cock birds only does not apply .. Thanks any help would be appreciated... Goose


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## BuckeyeHunter

It is but you must follow the season guidelines. In other words you can only shoot the roosters and pheasants must be in season - no more than 2 per gun. I've done it before and it can be fun, just have to follow normal pheasant guidelines.

Private places have special licenses that allow them to shoot hens and not have a limit.


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## PapawSmith

Actually, if you purchase the birds and plan on releasing them immediately on private land for your hunting consumption you are NOT bound by the wildlife laws pertaining to pheasant hunting. You can buy, release on your land, and shoot 100 hens if you want to. Just make sure you have a purchase receipt for the birds and that the birds all have a leg band. I have never bought birds that were not already banded by the breeder but you can pick bands at the ODNR office in just in case. The band identifies the bird as being pen raised and legal for you to posses in any quantity or sex. 
If you plan on purchasing the birds and keeping them in a fly pen to breed, sell, or use in the future for controlled hunts you will need to get a permit from the ODNR for that. There are actually a lot of rules/laws for this and the ODNR has those available but not on line.


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## joebertin

PaPaw is right. I've hunted commercial preserve hunts out of season.


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## buckeyebowman

joebertin said:


> PaPaw is right. I've hunted commercial preserve hunts out of season.


Yep! Some of those places run Sept. thru April! You might also look into what is necessary to establish a "dog training area". My buddy used to do this on the farm behind his place. With the farmer's permission of course! He raised the pheasants, released them on the neighbor's farm, and trained his dogs, which included shooting birds.


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## T-180

Lots of hoops to jump through to properly maintain status as a dog training area and bookwork. If you have dogs that need it, it might be worth it, but when my nephew's old GSP died we stopped doing it.


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## BaddFish

Yep- shoot em year round, if they have the leg bands! Your dog will love you.


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## vinnystatechamp

I looked into this for quail and talked with a county head wildlife officer. You have to band your birds but you have to still follow state regulations (roosters and 2 per gun). There were 2 exceptions: a hunting preserve with the license for longer seasons/limits and dog training areas. The officer explained that in certified dog training areas you can set out and hunt birds year round. Everywhere else though, you must follow state regs.


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## PapawSmith

vinnystatechamp said:


> I looked into this for quail and talked with a county head wildlife officer. You have to band your birds but you have to still follow state regulations (roosters and 2 per gun). There were 2 exceptions: a hunting preserve with the license for longer seasons/limits and dog training areas. The officer explained that in certified dog training areas you can set out and hunt birds year round. Everywhere else though, you must follow state regs.Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


If the Wildlife Officer told you this he was most likely talking about if you were to release the birds on PUBLIC land because then you must follow the state hunting regulations, otherwise he was just flat out mistaken on the law. 
If you buy these birds and release them on PRIVATE land, like the OP asked, there are no regulations for amounts of birds taken of either sex, or even season dates, as long as the birds legs are properly banded. The laws regarding this are very simple.


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## joebertin

Papaw's right again. You pay per bird, and you can shoot as many as you can afford on a private hunting ranch.


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## Lucky Touch Charters

If you buy them you can release them and shoot them within the hunting regulation guidelines. As a hunt club we do this at the same property several times per year. We release more than we plan to shoot and of course some birds do not get shot and do stay around. We have never seen proof of multiplying but a few do make it until the following season.

OR

If you go to a hunting preserve and pay to hunt you can shoot as many as you would like and at anytime of the year.


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## lil goose

I understand the hunting preserve thing but I am not going to a hunting preserve I want to release these birds on private property and take my kids out and shoot them. From what I take as long as they have leg bands I am good to go. I also belong to a private club that turns a few out and yes you do follow state regulations there as well my question is about private property and a place and take scenario? Thanks for all the answers I have gotten so far but its still as clear as mud.. LOL


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## PapawSmith

lil goose said:


> I understand the hunting preserve thing but I am not going to a hunting preserve I want to release these birds on private property and take my kids out and shoot them. Thanks for all the answers I have gotten so far but its still as clear as mud.. LOL


It is amazing how differently people can read the same law. The law is simple, clear, and is just as I indicated in my earlier posts, you can call the ODNR and verify, which is always the best thing to do anyway. Buy them, band them, and shoot them. Enjoy the hunt with your kids.


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## buckeyebowman

offshore24 said:


> If you buy them you can release them and shoot them within the hunting regulation guidelines. As a hunt club we do this at the same property several times per year. We release more than we plan to shoot and of course some birds do not get shot and do stay around. We have never seen proof of multiplying but a few do make it until the following season.
> 
> OR
> 
> If you go to a hunting preserve and pay to hunt you can shoot as many as you would like and at anytime of the year.


It seems to me that "if you buy them" they become your property, and you can do with them whatever you wish!




PapawSmith said:


> It is amazing how differently people can read the same law. The law is simple, clear, and is just as I indicated in my earlier posts, you can call the ODNR and verify, which is always the best thing to do anyway. Buy them, band them, and shoot them. Enjoy the hunt with your kids.


Yes, it is amazing! And what's more amazing is how different Law Enforcement Agencies can read such things! I hope the property he's wishing to shoot is far enough off the beaten path that neighbors can't call the law down on him! To the OP, I wish you success in getting those youngsters on some birds. God knows there aren't any wild ones left! 

And leave it to the damned government to unnecessarily complicate things!


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## lil goose

Well we got 22 out of the 30 what an awesome day for the dogs,kids and even us older kids everything went well!! Found out if you make them too dizzy they don't want to go!!! LOL. Better to place them and wait an hour or so. Thanks to everyone who replied especially PapawSmith


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