Pheasants - We're Doin' It! *Pictures Please*

[Dogfish]

In Washington State it is legal to release pheasants on your own land if your plan is to hunt them.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
My uncle used to raise chickens and pheasants and he knows everything and is the one helping us out with getting these pheasants, so I'll ask him about it tonight at our "Valentine's Day Dinner" and see what he has to say about that.

Dogfish - Truelly, that's the only reason we are getting them. We don't want them for eggs or anything besides meat, and my cousins love to go hunting on our property all of the time. I'm pretty possitive that it's legal here, too, but I'm checking on the internet now.

 

[Dogfish]

If you goal is to hunt them, I'd suggest doing limited releases either the day you plan to hunt them, or the evening before. Releasing the birds in August and expecting them to be there in October would be pretty iffy, but the coyotes would be happy. I'd read up on release techniques, if I were you, as there is more to it than just opening the cage and expecting them to be there a few weeks or months down the line.

My father-in-law regularly raised pheasant for 5 years, planted then on properties around our area. We see a few, and hear the odd bird now and then, but we certainly didn't see an established breeding population.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Thanks for that advice Dogfish

So, it's official. It is perfectly LEGAL in my area to release them, but who knows when we'll release them after what dogfish said.

 

[KWAK]

so i have a question... do you plan on letting them stay out for a year or 2 to let them breed and stuff? or just re-stock them each year??? or just not shoot that many lol?

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
CONGRADULATIONS DOGFISH YOU JUST ENCOURAGED SOMEONE TO BREAK THE LAW....

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/commercial/forms/special.pdf

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
We are going to LET them breed (not breed them ourselves) and then just... shoot I guess.

 

[Dogfish]

Quote:
CONGRADULATIONS DOGFISH YOU JUST ENCOURAGED SOMEONE TO BREAK THE LAW....

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/commercial/forms/special.pdf

I respect your knowledge of pheasant and quail, but I didn't tell the person to just start releasing the birds. I told them to check on releasing methods, and releasing them willy nilly wouldn't likely produce a huntable population. Going into more detail (release methods), in my disccussion with the WDFW enforcement folks last year, you can release birds that you plan to hunt. Generally this is "put and take", where birds are released the morning of the hunt, or the evening before, and then are hunted.

Releasing birds to try and establish a breeding population isn't allowed, so the act of hunting must be included. On you own property, not in a business of receiving pay, the release of a few birds meant to be hunted is perfectly legal. You may have different laws in Florida, or in your state, so I would have you check with wildlife enforcement in your state prior to doing so. Someone had raised the question earlier to me, so I called the wildlife enforcement folks and educated myself.

Happy now?

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
CONGRADULATIONS DOGFISH YOU JUST ENCOURAGED SOMEONE TO BREAK THE LAW....

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/commercial/forms/special.pdf

I respect your knowledge of pheasant and quail, but I didn't tell the person to just start releasing the birds. I told them to check on releasing methods, and releasing them willy nilly wouldn't likely produce a huntable population. Going into more detail (release methods), in my disccussion with the WDFW enforcement folks last year, you can release birds that you plan to hunt. Generally this is "put and take", where birds are released the morning of the hunt, or the evening before, and then are hunted.

Releasing birds to try and establish a breeding population isn't allowed, so the act of hunting must be included. On you own property, not in a business of receiving pay, the release of a few birds meant to be hunted is perfectly legal. You may have different laws in Florida, or in your state, so I would have you check with wildlife enforcement in your state prior to doing so. Someone had raised the question earlier to me, so I called the wildlife enforcement folks and educated myself.

Happy now?

Haha, no need to worry any of you. It's perfectly legal, what we are doing

 

[Dogfish]

Sounds great Louie. A lot of folks just want to make sure that everybody is doing things within accordance to law, and that you are able to achieve your desired results.