Last Spring we had a bad storm and our Pheasant pens were damaged and we lost 5 (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) and 27 hens. We figured they were gone for good. This evening when I was helping Lori get the horses put up for the night we looked out into the Pasture and there were about 50 to 60 of them in the lower Pasture and looked like they were roosting in our Apple Orchard or were headed that way. They must have been some Hanky Panky going on because there were a lot more now. I really thought they were gone.

Very nice surprise. Maybe now, protect them somehow - ADC trapping against varmints

You can have a nice population right on your own place. Love hearing the roos calling.

a hunt able population would be awesome right on your own place.

used to see wild pheasants when I was a kid

everything we see/shoot now is planted by the DNR

I keep my 243 in the Barn in the tack shop. Also when we feed we will now be throwing more out for them when we feed the Chickens and Grain the Horses. But they have been around and living on something. There are a lot of Farms here and Corn and Grain fields everywhere. I just want them to take hold and get a sustainable Population.

Thats great!! Is there a lot of heavy cover and unfarmed land in the area?

Yes. Lots of Both

Hatched a few the dog brought home they make a few different noises we don’t always see them but we hear them often. One rooster hated the wife’s fuzzy pink slippers epic battles were fought. LOL

What age are you releasing them? I raised some last year and waited until they were fully grown. Wondering if it’s possible to release them before that or not. I don’t live in an area where wild ones are present. Just too many woods and not enough grassland/farmland, but I did see many all winter living on their own that I released. It’s been a tough winter too so that surprised me.

I believe by about 8 weeks is the best time to release them for the best for them to survive and inhabit themselves to the wild.

I live where we don't have to raise and release them. They populate and survive and sustain on their own. I have hundreds on my place and in the surrounding areas and I enjoy having them here. Hard to imagine not having or having to raise them and release.

I did not release them. A storm blew down a Pine tree and it created an escape for them. They were all about 9 months to a year old and look to be doing well. Another thing, around here the Possum fox and Coyotes have been thinned down from Trapping and Hunting. The Farmers around here have fence lines that provide cover between the grain fields. The Grain Fields are getting few and far between though.

The ring neck pheasant is not a native North American continent bird There are many different species of pheasant Most of them are native to China and other South East Asia countries The areas most well known in China are in and around Sichuan (sp) province In fact for a number of years the DNR from Michigan raised and stocked a species that is called Sichuan . Some time during the 1990'S the state of PA also stocked the same species The pheasant is generally a very hardy bird So long as they have good brushy areas to spend the worst of winter days and good food source to feed on near to there roosting area the cold does not limit the population . Lack of winter cover becomes a problem when the heavy drifting snow hits the feeding area and makes it hard for the pheasant to get access to food Most pheasants are ground nesting birds They prefer to nest in undisturbed grass fields They also will nest in fields planted to small grain such as wheat .Most pheasant nesting starts in April and is over in July .So a hen needs about 60 days to lay her eggs and hatch them . In most places that had wild birds in the past and now do not it is because of a lack of nesting cover .The average life span of wild birds is about a year Only about 20% of the hens in a wild population live long enough to lay and hatch eggs Also cold rain when the young are just hatched kills a lot of very young chicks And of course the number of predators that will kill young and adult birds plus all the egg eating predators make the life of a pheasant one that has a high turn over .In order to have a high sustainable population it requires that the area has a sizable amount of winter ,nesting ,brood cover Plus a good food source near the winter covert