producing birds for farm/hunting releases? You done it?

[fowlsessed]

If producing some birds for hunting/farm releases would I have to produce tons of them or do you think small, very small, scale would be successful? Just wondering, thanks.
I'd like to hear the experience of anyone who's done it?

 

[James the Bald]

Here are 2 links that discuss releasing. One is from the Georgia Department of Wildlife. The other link was a discussion here several years ago about the ethics of releasing quail.

 

[Woofless]

Are you talking about just releasing birds in order to hunt them later the same year? (Assuming it's legal where you live, etc. etc) Yes you can make it work on a somewhat smaller scale. *If* everything else is managed properly, and there's enough decent habitat, it's possible to release 50-100 adult birds in summer and have a few good sized "wild acting" coveys by fall. 50 birds is probably as "small scale" as you'd want to go & still be worth the effort, IMO. Your mileage may vary as far as survival rate, but technically it can be done.

BUT If you are talking about releasing birds to establish a *permanent* wild population....erm, not very easy. FAR more difficult to get any lasting success, there are a zillion things that can screw it up, quail are pretty specific about their habitat requirements so you have to know what you're working with....and IMO not worth trying, if you want to be "small scale". You have to think big & have ideal habitat/climate, or the land simply will not hold a bird population. Weather has to cooperate also, extreme cold/snow, flooding, drought, etc can take a huge chunk out of a population. Even if everything is perfect, success may still depend largely on luck, hope, prayer, wishing on lucky pennies, keeping the right fingers crossed, current planetary alignment and what your Chinese fortune cookie said at dinner. Personally I'd rather take up a hobby like "smacking my big toe with a hammer every morning" but that's just me

 

[fowlsessed]

Thanks for posting, yea, this seems out of my orbit!

 

[ksp1]

I raised around 100 ringnecks this past season and sold them to individuals that wanted to release them and train their dogs on there own. I would say to make any money at it you would need to do 100 min with feed prices and time to raise them and such.

 

[fowlsessed]

Yea, I was thinking of that, raising them and then selling them to others.

 

[ksp1]

Ya it worked pretty well for me but until you have a client base to sell to it can be a little tough