Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
I'm sure there is a way, but is there a will.
One possible solution occurs to me. And I stress, possible. It might not work, but I think it's worth a try.
Fence an enclosure, say about ten acres or so, with something like a security fence. Or maybe an Elk fence. Just so long as the openings are large enough for a pheasant but too small for a Coyote or a hunter.
Release the Pheasants in the middle of that.
The Pheasants would work their way into the surrounding country over time, not all at once, which would reduce the draw for all kinds of scavengers, Coyote or two legged.
With less opportunist hanging around there would be a much higher survival rate over the short term at least. Presumably hunters would get the majority eventually, but isn't that the goal?
However, I realize that it would cost a fair bit of change and it's not likely that anyone would be willing to finance such a project.
Not even to evaluate the idea.
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I would take it one step farther and say that all the dollars that go to the pheasant release should instead be put to habitat conservation in areas south of the #3 highway.
Folks that want big rooster hunts are more than capable of going to a shooting facility and purchasing birds privately.
One day the politics will not be there for one of my decendants to hunt release roosters not to mention the budget.
We should have the foresight now to invest instead in lands we can cultivate specifically for wild pheasant populations. Even if it means reducing bag limits to 1, or even putting pheasants on a draw system. Long term sustainability should be our goal. Things like what the OP has described should just not happen and it shows us the pheasant hunt in Alberta is broken.