Do Some Released Pheasants Survive To The Spring?

[Bond,James Bond]

   I would say not many. I have both Heard and Seen Rooster Pheasants  in Mid April especially  before Sunrise as,I Turkey Scout.

   They are Quite Vocal in between the Gobbling. Mostly it is off of Pulaski  Highway and Indiana Road in the Goshen,NY Blackdirt Area. I do quite a bit of Hiking about 1 Mile in where Indiana  Road Curves  to the North.    So a few are surviving the Coyotes and other Predators during the Winter.  

  Anyone here see are hear any Pheasants in mid- April and on?

[Bucksnbows]

Do some survive?  Yes. Is it many? No. Do the survivors successfully breed and give us wild pheasants?  No. 

Same argument for stocked trout. 

[Bond,James Bond]

1 hour ago, Bucksnbows said:

Do some survive?  Yes. Is it many? No. Do the survivors successfully breed and give us wild pheasants?  No. 

Same argument for stocked trout. 

Good to see the Rooster Pheasants back in that Blackdirt Farmlands area. They always Healthy as well.

[archer36]

I once saw a Cockbird walking around the parking area when I was Turkey hunting one year. We stock into late February so it managed to survive a few months. Considering our average for birds harvested vs stocked (about 70%), our land should be brimming with birds. 

Predators do a job on them. 

[Eyesofthewoods]

Birds of prey are a major draw on that population I would imagine as well.  Lots of hawks around.

[Rem Mag]

I couldn't say for sure these days because unfortunately I am not spending the time that I used to in the woods and fields.

Back 30-40 years ago , I can 100% say yes some did make it. We would hunt all summer for ground hogs in Hunterdon and Warren counties, we had access to around 10 different farms and I always saw a few and also heard the cackling in the mornings.

As some folks here remember,  back then there seemed to be way less birds of prey, very few if any coyote and way more people trapped and ran coon hounds. Plus so many more farms with hedge rows, ditches, and other fallow fields which offered plenty of cover..... the good ol' days

[NorthJerseyHunter]

Bond, the pheasant you see there are from Rock Tavern rod and gun club. They have a big piece of property on Indiana road. 

[fab]

So hmmmm. 81 or 80 I saw a cockbird in April in the Flatbrook 

 

I saw a cock bird in ny in washington county last June while fishing    
 

ny 4h does odd things every so often and let them go sometimes in April.   

[Bond,James Bond]

2 hours ago, NorthJerseyHunter said:

Bond, the pheasant you see there are from Rock Tavern rod and gun club. They have a big piece of property on Indiana road. 

Yes They Do ! Indiana Road is a nice place to Hike. Love seeing those 6 Ft Model Planes Flying Around on the Weekends as well.

[RPK0620]

When running my GSP in Colliers Mills over the years she has found pheasant and chukar and an occasional quail in the spring and early summer left over from hunting season or training sessions. Some do survive.

[archer36]

6 minutes ago, RPK0620 said:

When running my GSP in Colliers Mills over the years she has found pheasant and chukar and an occasional quail in the spring and early summer left over from hunting season or training sessions. Some do survive.

Chukar? I didn't know the State stocks them. Is there a semi-wild nearby stocking them? 

[RPK0620]

The state puts out chukar  pre season for training and some of the training groups use them and quail also. They are not really stocked.

[archer36]

7 minutes ago, RPK0620 said:

The state puts out chukar  pre season for training and some of the training groups use them and quail also. They are not really stocked.

So these Chuckar are living around 6 months at least and throughout the hunting season. Pretty good!

[trapoholic]

Back when I used to Coon hunt in Black River WMA, I would often see the state stocking the birds around 7:00-8:00 PM in the dark. The birds couldn't see or fly at night and would just hunker down about 10 yards from the state stocking truck after being released. Freaked out our dogs! They didn't know what to think of it! I could have picked up any of those birds with my hands because you could walk right up to them. I still to this day often think how they were duck soup for any fox, coyote, owl, or raccoon within a mile from there! 

[archer36]

8 minutes ago, trapoholic said:

Back when I used to Coon hunt in Black River WMA, I would often see the state stocking the birds around 7:00-8:00 PM in the dark. The birds couldn't see or fly at night and would just hunker down about 10 yards from the state stocking truck after being released. Freaked out our dogs! They didn't know what to think of it! I could have picked up any of those birds with my hands because you could walk right up to them. I still to this day often think how they were duck soup for any fox, coyote, owl, or raccoon within a mile from there! 

We would find lots of birds that fell prey to predators. Most of them with just their heads missing. I was told they were killed by Owls.