NJ DEP to Close rockport pheasant farm

[LPJR]

Last weekend a friend took me to a private preserve for a morning hunt. 8 birds stocked, we paid $215 total between the two of us. So, for one half-day of hunting for 4 birds a person it cost me about $110.

 

I don't care what people say, $40 for a 2-bird daily limit with over a dozen stocking days is a bargain, even if its on public land. Hunt in the afternoons or day-afters, there are still birds out there. 

 

I hope the state continues their stocking program, I don't care where they get the birds from.

 

It's too bad we don't have wild population - but since we don't, stocking is the next best thing (versus nothing at all).

 

Well said. I agree 100% with this mazzgolf. The stamp is a bargain considering the cost of a preserve hunt, while raising a family of 5 for me. 

 

Also, welcome to the site joshpio. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by LPJR

[Bonefreak]

Best bargain out there....if u enjoy the outdoors, have a bird dawg, like to walk the woods with family and friends, and it's enjoyable for kids and new hunters and offers them time afield to hone their skills and practice proper gun safety! Even tho they r stocked...they are wary to pursue and offer excitement! As for the complaints...try huntin afternoons, off hours, non stock days, or hell...January n February...im still finding em!!

[tomturkey]

Agreed 40$ compared to a preserve is an amazing bargain!  Cost to do anything in New Germany is only go to increase with idiot Murphy. From what I head state will just buy out of a state cheaper like already stated here and continue stocking

[Bucksnbows]

somehow, someway - something the state did fairly well for decades, can't be done anymore. They can't raise brook and brown trout, or pheasants...   It wasn't this way when I was a kid...   In fact it was all fine until OBAMA was elected. 

 

The furunculosis (disease) that is in the Pequest hatchery is what is preventing them from raising brookies and browns, and that will end once they put roofs followed later by solar over the raceways.  That should have been done last year, but politics in Trenton kicked in and the project is now somewhat delayed, but moving forward.  What you may not know is that the reason the Division built the Pequest Trout Hatchery in the 70s was because the Charles O. Hayford hatchery in Hackettstown was riddled with fish diseases.  The idea when building Pequest was to use nothing but groundwater (wells) to provide the water for the raceways in hopes of preventing diseases like furunculosis, but after 30+ years, that showed its weakness when birds of prey brought in the disease from the wild.  So it's not nearly the same issue as Rockport is facing.  

[SPEARFISH]

I hear Purdue is taking over.  Next years "pheasants" will be white.  They won't fly much, but you'll get your $40 worth.

[Mink]

Anytime we attack another form of hunting we ALL become weaker! 

[1957Buck]

 The idea when building Pequest was to use nothing but groundwater (wells) to provide the water for the raceways in hopes of preventing diseases like furunculosis, but after 30+ years, that showed its weakness when birds of prey brought in the disease from the wild.  So it's not nearly the same issue as Rockport is facing.  

 

Totally agree on the idea behind the new hatchery. The Use of Wells. We hunted that area many years before. The Site was a Dairy farm part of the cooperative of Landowners From Washinton to Oxford 6 areas in total. Posted with Be a Sportsman Ask Permission. The state began buying up parcels and Hunting became overrun the wells were drilled many years went by till the hatchery was up and running. With no forethought of protecting the raceways or Public access.Just south of the site the State had Holding raceways where trout were stored and aged for release again no safeguards in place we would pul down the road some 100 feet park and hunt and wondered if anyone would just come in and net a few.  I have been in and at Hatchery's in PA - NY - AK that is run Better and protections in place but once in awhile Sh**t happens. My Bitch is why is NJ so far behind in Trout Production and management of the Fishery. My Guess is NJ depends on the Dedicated funds from LIC. Stamps from those who fish where those other states it is an economical matter depending on attracting fisherman with Millions of State Funding. 

Is NJ funding any part of NJDFAG or does it solely dependant on Licenses Fees Fines. ????  

Edited February 16, 2018 by 1957Buck

[MGHunter66]

It is much cheaper to buy birds than raise them with public employees. BTW $40 is peanuts for what you actually get for it, it isn't that much.

Can’t say i totally agree here. What do you think is going to happen to the price of birds once bird suppliers realize F&G is closing Rockport? Supply and demand. Plus add in the cost to stock, either they will have pay for outsourcing which will add to the per bird cost or keep the eployees which would defeat the purpose. Either way i see F&G raising the cost of the stamp. Funny how those at top in F&G say benefits and salaries are too much when they make 3 times the salary and take the benefits.

[1957Buck]

Can’t say i totally agree here. What do you think is going to happen to the price of birds once bird suppliers realize F&G is closing Rockport? Supply and demand. 

 

Can't say I totally agree here.  

 

Competition for Contracts has a bearing on Lower and Competitive Pricing.  Supply and demand mean expansion. 

States reframe from outsourcing IMO to protect their own Jobs.  Not that it is Wrong but if they are failures it becomes necessary but almost impossible to enact. 

The producers could be The Rearears & Stockers once they know it will be beneficial for them to get fully involved. 

If outside Trout Hatchery's can Raise Sell and Stock the trout why not Pheasants. or any other game Birds. 

 

Have to research why Pheasant's are not mass produced as mentioned Perdu Tyson. Think about it Kosher Pheasants   Butter Ball Pheasants. 

gamebirdsuppliers.pdf

[cappy]

Can’t say i totally agree here. What do you think is going to happen to the price of birds once bird suppliers realize F&G is closing Rockport? Supply and demand. Plus add in the cost to stock, either they will have pay for outsourcing which will add to the per bird cost or keep the eployees which would defeat the purpose. Either way i see F&G raising the cost of the stamp. Funny how those at top in F&G say benefits and salaries are too much when they make 3 times the salary and take the benefits.

If the demand is there, the supplier(s) will adjust to meet the demand.  The state will negotiate for a deal that suits the budget, or walk-away. 

 

With regard to stocking, outsource to someone local, or if the bird supplier(s) are close enough to make it worth their while they can stock and the cost will be lower being it's a bundled price.  It's the way business works.  There is more to it such as, cost of the land and buildings to maintain, salaries and benefits, feed, bird loss (disease, predators) etc.  Outsourcing typically always saves money, sucks but that is the reality today.  

[1957Buck]

Can't say I totally agree here.  

 

 

 

Have to research why Pheasant's are not mass produced as mentioned 

 

Research done found at of all the places PADFAG     

 

www.pgc,pa.gov/wildlife/wildlifespecies/ringneck-pheasants/pages/pheasant history

 

Basically, the attachment explains it all and should answer so many of the questions about the beginnings and Failures to the Successes.

 

And why PA and other States are light years ahead. 

 

The Cut and past still eludes me 

[Thunderchicken]

As I said in a previous post, this doesn’t end the pheasant stamp nor does it end stocking, it just closes Rockport down while the Division buys birds cheaper than they can rear them and continues to stock them as always

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed!!!

[MS22]

As someone else said, let’s just hope that the division utilizes ALL of the money to buy and stock pheasants.....and don’t just buy what they’ve stocked in the past and use the excess money for something else. These should be dedicated funds.

 

If this is truly a cheaper and more reliable option (which I believe it will be having spoken with a past worker at the farm), more birds should be stocked.

[Bucksnbows]

Totally agree on the idea behind the new hatchery. The Use of Wells. We hunted that area many years before. The Site was a Dairy farm part of the cooperative of Landowners From Washinton to Oxford 6 areas in total. Posted with Be a Sportsman Ask Permission. The state began buying up parcels and Hunting became overrun the wells were drilled many years went by till the hatchery was up and running. With no forethought of protecting the raceways or Public access.Just south of the site the State had Holding raceways where trout were stored and aged for release again no safeguards in place we would pul down the road some 100 feet park and hunt and wondered if anyone would just come in and net a few.  I have been in and at Hatchery's in PA - NY - AK that is run Better and protections in place but once in awhile Sh**t happens. My Bitch is why is NJ so far behind in Trout Production and management of the Fishery. My Guess is NJ depends on the Dedicated funds from LIC. Stamps from those who fish where those other states it is an economical matter depending on attracting fisherman with Millions of State Funding. 

Is NJ funding any part of NJDFAG or does it solely dependant on Licenses Fees Fines. ????  

 

NJ's Pequest trout hatchery was the pride of the state run hatcheries all over the country until furunculosis was identified a few years ago.  More than half of PA hatcheries are filled with disease.  That state is shutting down hatchery after hatchery whereas Pequest still pumps out record numbers of (rainbows only for now) trout each year.  Once the raceways are covered and birds of prey cannot get in, and assuming they can properly cleanse the disease out of the system, they can state bringing in new strains of brown trout and brook trout for rearing.  But it will take a few years to test these new strains against disease and to get enough of them old enough to supply eggs.   

 

I find talking about stocked trout and stocked pheasants a lot alike. Yes I fish and hunt for both, but I far prefer hunting and fishing for their wild cousins instead.  We should be more focused on native habitat for grouse and woodcock as well as our native brook trout plus our wild brown and rainbow trout and worry less about the put and take trout and pheasants.   

[birddog144]

I for one am very sad to hear this news. While we can buy stocked birds from other sources I always liked that New Jersey had its own pheasant farm. I know Pennsylvania was doing this last year as well. My question is did anyone hunt pheasant in PA?? Was it good, better, or the same? I hope that the future of pheasant hunting will continue in New Jersey. I enjoy pheasant hunting just as much as the other game I hunt. I also find it a great way to bond with friends and family.