2018 Pheasant Release Program

[elkhunter11]

I inquired with ACA as to the 2018 pheasant release program, and the response was that there will be very little change from 2017. I was told that another site will be opened somewhere West of Edmonton, and the ACA site will be updated next months with details.

[catnthehat]

"West of Edmonton" sounds interesting, I wonder if any will be able to winter over into the next season, somehow I doubt it.
Cat

[Big Grey Wolf]

Cat, west part of Alberta usually warmer than East and even lots of windy south areas. Getting them out of wind probably most important factor. I raised pheasants and they loved struting around in 6" of snow when -30oC rather than staying in warm shelter. Glad to see ACA finally considering us western hunters.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Cat, west part of Alberta usually warmer than East and even lots of windy south areas. Getting them out of wind probably most important factor. I raised pheasants and they loved struting around in 6" of snow when -30oC rather than staying in warm shelter. Glad to see ACA finally considering us western hunters.

I was of the belief and was always told by pheasant farm operators like wwbirds that Edmonton was outside their range , that is why I posted the comment .
Cat

[MK2750]

Along the #2 corridor and west from Airdrie to Wetaskiwin would be awesome but the land is worth it's weight in gold, especially farm land like the pheasants prefer.

I would like to see some corn planted and left standing at the release sites. It would make far better use of the birds released and I believe many more would survive. Last year the cover was poor and the birds were to vulnerable to both hunters and predators. The release driver was different or unaware of spreading the birds out like in years past. Bigelow, for example, is a huge tract of land and most of it is not utilized. Where the birds were released last year most we dead within the hour. In years past you could find them nearly anywhere on the sites.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I was of the belief and was always told by pheasant farm operators like wwbirds that Edmonton was outside their range , that is why I posted the comment .
Cat

I view the Northern sites as put and take, no different than stocking trout where they don't reproduce. And the only birds with any chance of survival, are the ones that leave the release site, the rest are dead within days, either found by hunters, or by coyotes and birds of prey.

[wwbirds]

I was of the belief and was always told by pheasant farm operators like wwbirds that Edmonton was outside their range , that is why I posted the comment .

and it is but then again so is Calgary. Every winter can be different. With adequate food and water pheasants can survive if snow fall doesn't cover all of their food as most varieties wont scratch down much more than 6 inches through snow to find food. In winters of deep snow with a crust there would be no carry over. Hunting coyotes around here at -20 I have passed fields within 5 miles of here with heavy cover adjacent and counted 18-20 pheasants feeding in a wheat stubble field. wonder where they came from? Couldnt see with all the black powder smoke but maybe Cat missed one??

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by wwbirds

and it is but then again so is Calgary. Every winter can be different. With adequate food and water pheasants can survive if snow fall doesn't cover all of their food as most varieties wont scratch down much more than 6 inches through snow to find food. In winters of deep snow with a crust there would be no carry over. Hunting coyotes around here at -20 I have passed fields within 5 miles of here with heavy cover adjacent and counted 18-20 pheasants feeding in a wheat stubble field. wonder where they came from? Couldnt see with all the black powder smoke but maybe Cat missed one??

or maybe two?
Was it you or Ryan MacNally that mentioned he had sold me the same bird three times??!!
Cat

[M.C. Gusto]

Farthest north I have consistently seen pheasants is the Coronation area.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, need to realize we now have Montana winters is Alberta. Most birds are taken by Raptors. I would release a cock with half dozen hens in nice cover,come back few hours later and he was pile feathers. They could not resist crowing how great a lover they were to the world and the hawks.