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So you shoot only cocks?

Also are pheasant an introduced species? I thought that species of pheasant originated in China?

I guess predators don't affect them as much? Here foxes, cats, crows, hawks and eagles seem to kill off any released birds that survive not being shot. (had not refreshed the thread so didn't see Daryl's post re coyotes).

Great to have so many wild birds for sport.

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1. Yes --here it is law that you can only shoot 3 roosters per day...and can never shoot hens...
2. Yes--pheasants were introduced I believe back in the mid- 1850's or so ..but now flourish over many many states..
3. Hawks, owls and other predators take their toll, but the populations can typically withstand and still flourish provided the habitat it there ...

I used to actually raise about 200 per year and let them go in the wild around my home in N Dakota..what seemed to really make the difference for their survival on the released birds was 2 fold..1. when the CRP program was introduced which paid farmers to leave highly erodible soil idle or seed it to grass..2. when I would keep the pheasants over the winter and release them in the spring..they would then raise a hatch that actually grew up in the wild --really seemed to make a difference..I still let some go in the summer as well as the older ones in the spring...

In addition, I also had agreements with several farmers in the area over about a 20 mile circumference that had really good habitat for pheasants....and would release pheasants in those areas year after year for a 5 year period with no hunting allowed as well until they became established...was amazing how they started to be noticed everywhere once they took hold...

Thanks

Ripp

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