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Pheasants in Ontario: Where are we going?


ninepointer

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Its seems to me like we are at a crossroads with respect to the future of phesants in Ontario.

Other than a small number of places in SW Ontario, the days are gone of numerous clubs & municpalities releasing pheasants and supporting a put & take hunt. We still buy township hunting licenses for pheasant and rabbit, or at least some of us bother to buy them, all the while wondering why?

The introduction of truly wild pheasants from Saskatchewan a few years ago kindled hope that we could bring back the pheasants much like we did with wild turkeys, but the official reports indicate these pheasants are hanging on by a thread. Anecdotal information however is more optimistic. Inadequate habitat and and high predation (a function of inadequate habitat) seem to have taken a heavy toll.

Pheasants Forever Chapters were established in Ontario. A habitat organization combined with wild birds seemed like the right marriage at the right time. I hope the marriage can survive.

Pockets of pheasants are still around (hardened descendants game farm stock we're told) but I wouldn't hunt them. These flocks hang on, but don't seem to grow.

So where do we go from here? Cut our losses and concentrate our efforts on other species? Grouse for example used to do well in Niagara. At times it seems like achieving good pheasant habitat on a broad scale is an insurmountable task in the face of agricultural economics that are taking us in a different direction. I used to day-dream about busting a wild rooster out of the corn stubble in front of a dog on a rock-steady point. I wonder if it will ever happen...?

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Well as a sportsman your not going to like my opinion but its my true feeling on the issue.

I don't back the pheasant programs as these are introduced birds. They're Chinese and I'm really starting to hate things made in China ;) . I prefer to back a native bird but the reason most of these desired species have disappeared is due to poor planning, pollution, logging etc. Anne Yagi our Vineland wildlife Biologist says we'll never see the Saskatchewan strain unless current planning/development trends change. It's a waste of effort and money

Also our sportsmen DO NOT support their clubs or stocking initiatives like they used to thus a put and take bird is meaningless. It was probably the lack of support from MNR in stocking programs etc that made allot of sportsman go their own ways but never the less there is now a minute level of involvement.

Habitat is something I can support simply because it benefits everything from cardinals to coyotes. I'm willing to spend the clubs budget on it. But really with today's invasives like garlic mustard coupled with the lack of genuine wildlife habitat, I doubt we'll ever see a comeback of the ringneck pheasant and I think its destined to be a topic of what used to be.

We should now be concentrating on a breed with huge harvest potential. The Canada goose is headed towards the garbage animal reputation due to their numbers fouling our parks, waters and crops destroyed. The ringneck is beautiful and Cliff says they make great fly's but I just can't see them naturally sustaining themselves without some sort of genetic tampering and biologists, ARA's and even sportsman alike are leaning towards native species unless there is great success and money industry involved like in the king salmons case.

I missed the boat for hunting grouse and pheasants in Niagara and I doubt I'll ever get the chance here in the region.

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Pele Island still has a reasonable hunt for pheasants :lol: , it also brings the island good tourist$$$$$$$$. Ontario should take a lesson from North Dakota, the government paid the farmers so much an acre to let some lands regenerate to natural Habitat and the Pheasant population exploded. Now this state boasts some of the best hunting opportunities in the world and is generating large tourist $$$$$ for the effort. I truelly miss the annual Pheasant hunt here in Niagara they are in my opinion the best game bird available for a hunt. Now all I have are a few pictures and memories of hunting this crafty bird ;)

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Ontario should take a lesson from North Dakota, the government paid the farmers so much an acre to let some lands regenerate to natural Habitat and the Pheasant population exploded. Now this state boasts some of the best hunting opportunities in the world and is generating large tourist $$$$$ for the effort.

I hear ya! Its pretty amazing to see how many dollars are spent in the U.S. on these types or programs. Not that their programs aren't continually under threat or subject to cutbacks. Here in Ontario, the ALUS pilot project would appear to be out first foray into this kind of approach.

http://norfolkalus.ca/article.php/20080717084700813

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Ya

Send that one to the OLA!

Unfortunately our farmland is viewed as real estate potential and development opportunities and the lack of market due to foreign competition have farmers trying to squeeze something out of every last inch.

Combine that with the woman's opinion who holds the green light in Vineland and you've got a mountain to climb. That said did PFN not release some chicks this year and have we had any sightings so far?

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