Buying and releasing Pheasants and others.

Hunter21

Have some private permissions myself, would like to stock it with some birds next season. Possibly 20 birds in few different locations.

I would like to buy the birds raised (If there is such thing) :rolleyes: what options are there for me what birds would ye recommend, and at roughly what prices? Have various types of ground available. Boggy, grassy, lots of ditch cover and also nice forest.

Also one and most important question- best time of the year to order and to release them?

Hope ye can help as Id like to hear all of your opinions.

jap gt

20 birds will disapear fast, make sure you hit the vermin hard before letting them off, the club i was in left birds off the last week of september, which i thought was a bit late as the birds where still a bit tame at the start of the season but we released a few hundred, out of 20 birds you would be lucky to shoot a hand full

Hunter21

jap gt wrote: »

20 birds will disapear fast, make sure you hit the vermin hard before letting them off, the club i was in left birds off the last week of september, which i thought was a bit late as the birds where still a bit tame at the start of the season but we released a few hundred, out of 20 birds you would be lucky to shoot a hand full

The quota has just gone up, I'll push 50 get a few mates involved who also have the same permissions. Vermin control is already being done and will continue to be done as much as possible.

JapGt did your club release many? If so roughly how many were shot buy club members.. Spouse you wont know that until the AGM and even at that some will just boast

jap gt

Hunter21 wrote: »

The quota has just gone up, I'll push 50 get a few mates involved who also have the same permissions. Vermin control is already being done and will continue to be done as much as possible.

JapGt did your club release many? If so roughly how many were shot buy club members.. Spouse you wont know that until the AGM and even at that some will just boast

released 600, meeting is 28th so i will no more then. from what im hearing numbers are fairly poor all over the area, cars are a huge problem aswell round here first week of the season saw 3 cocks dead on a hundred yard stretch of road

deeksofdoom

Birds are going for about €6 for cocks, €8 for hens.

Make sure the birds have come off a shoot and aren't over wintered farmed birds like a lot of birds which are bought in from the UK.

Before you put the birds out you will have to clear it of vermin.

Your going to have feed the birds to hold them, in the area.

1 cock to 4 or 5 hens might work, but if they don't like a place they may leave anyway.

Hunter21

jap gt wrote: »

released 600, meeting is 28th so i will no more then. from what im hearing numbers are fairly poor all over the area, cars are a huge problem aswell round here first week of the season saw 3 cocks dead on a hundred yard stretch of road

600 is a handy figure, you loose some and you win some always have to add in the risk factor. Nice too see your club spending money, healthy club it must be.

deeksofdoom wrote: »

Birds are going for about €6 for cocks, €8 for hens.

Make sure the birds have come off a shoot and aren't over wintered farmed birds like a lot of birds which are bought in from the UK.

Before you put the birds out you will have to clear it of vermin.

Your going to have feed the birds to hold them, in the area.

1 cock to 4 or 5 hens might work, but if they don't like a place they're going to leave anyway.

In one of the areas I shot last season there was plentifull supply of hens. I have been told that reared birds dont breed well, that only applies to hens Im guessing.

Also no one would feed the birds everyday in "normal" Winter weather would they? As it makes the chase less exciting as you know they'll be in the area of the feeders which we would not like to shoot over. That would be no sport

Vegeta

deeksofdoom wrote: »

Your going to have feed the birds to hold them, in the area.

Yup we released 20 cocks in an isolated area this year, fed it constantly and it held enough birds to meet them every time we hunted the area

Feed it and hit the vermin hard and they will stay if the land is decent

Vegeta

Hunter21 wrote: »

Also no one would feed the birds everyday in "normal" Winter weather would they? As it makes the chase less exciting as you know they'll be in the area of the feeders which we would not like to shoot over. That would be no sport

Wouldn't feed every day but you'd make sure the feeder was always topped up

Just don't shoot the fields surrounding the feeder directly and it will be good

Hunter21

Thanks for the advice so far lads.

Anyone ever get other game birds?

jap gt

Hunter21 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far lads.

Anyone ever get other game birds?

im trying to get a few partridge just for myself this year, finding it hard to get them, meant to be good for training dogs

Hunter21

jap gt wrote: »

im trying to get a few partridge just for myself this year, finding it hard to get them, meant to be good for training dogs

Let me know if you find any, id be very interested

jap gt

what area are you in, im from cork, but from what im told there isnt much bother getting them further up the country

homerhop

we tried partridge a few years ago, released never to be seen again.

Birdnuts

homerhop wrote: »

we tried partridge a few years ago, released never to be seen again.

They must have wandered down my end since I've seen a few Red-Legs in recent years just outside the parents place near Kill Village;). No idea how they got there since I know the area well(in terms of farmers,shooters etc.) and no body locally appears to have released any in that time

homerhop

Birdnuts wrote: »

They must have wandered down my end since I've seen a few Red-Legs in recent years just outside the parents place near Kill Village;). No idea how they got there since I know the area well(in terms of farmers,shooters etc.) and no body locally appears to have released any in that time

ya would have been seen heading that direction

Birdnuts

homerhop wrote: »

ya would have been seen heading that direction

Tis very good habitat in the area for this species - alot of cereal fields mixed with good cover and well drained, dry soils of the type they would be used to in their native lands:)

homerhop

I think that was the problem, we have the cereal crops and cover, but the soil wasn't sandy enough. Can we have them back please

Birdnuts

homerhop wrote: »

Can we have them back please

Emm.... I'll invite you over for dinner some evening for a reunion:D;)

homerhop

I will bring the vino

terminator2

we were thinking of letting a few off this year but they would probably head for kill too ,we will have a re think ,....

fodda

Make sure you get land registered and you get a flock number before getting birds.

terminator2

why so

fodda

terminator2 wrote: »

why so

Because it is a legal requirement in otherwords the law! since i think 2005 and 2009

pheasant tail

Hunter21 wrote: »

600 is a handy figure, you loose some and you win some always have to add in the risk factor. Nice too see your club spending money, healthy club it must be.




In one of the areas I shot last season there was plentifull supply of hens. I have been told that reared birds dont breed well, that only applies to hens Im guessing.

Also no one would feed the birds everyday in "normal" Winter weather would they? As it makes the chase less exciting as you know they'll be in the area of the feeders which we would not like to shoot over. That would be no sport

Reared hens that your buying wont breed in the wild at all

Hunter21

fodda wrote: »

Make sure you get land registered and you get a flock number before getting birds.

Im not starting a commercial shoot at all.. Only want a few so am I still required by law to do as you stated. Seems a bit over the top, not doubting you Im just stating my opinion.

fodda

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/si/0677.html

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/avian_influenza/informationonthepoultryindustry/ top document

Hunter21

fodda wrote: »

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/si/0677.html

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/avian_influenza/informationonthepoultryindustry/ top document

Oh balls! Seems like a lot of work..

Fodda have you gone down this road, if so could you PM me what I have to do would be greatfull.
Or anyone who has experience with the legal side of releasing game please feel free to PM me.

Hunter21

Here is a company selling pheasants and partridge.

http://www.pheasantshoot.ie/

cavan shooter

Our club small as it is puts out about 150 cocks a year to supplement the wild population on top of that some of us top that up locally. You need to be on top of your game regarding vermin, the best option is to buy poults at €5 for 7wk olds and rear them up till about September/October before putting them out.

Make sure you have feeders out to hold them and let them out well of the beaten track preferably in the middle of you permission so they spread out.

Hold back some birds till the end of the season, birds are starting to get, well a spring in thre step at the minute and I have seen cocks and hens a gathering already. I have had broods around me from previously reared birds. also tag your birds with leg rings different colour for each year.

Remember its for the fun and love of it your doing it and the odd pheasant after a walk on a Sunday. Some lads will tell you your not doing it right unless you are putting 4 cocks out of a field from November. Personally I prefer to be walking 4 fields to chase a cock another 4 fields and if I get 4 cocks in the season so be it.

BTW I put out 30 partridge last year, havent shot any but have put them up again into the middle of the shoot and open the cages.

Cant put a strong enough emphasis on the important of vermin control.

Enjoy yourself:D

fodda

Hunter21 wrote: »

Oh balls! Seems like a lot of work..

Fodda have you gone down this road, if so could you PM me what I have to do would be greatfull.
Or anyone who has experience with the legal side of releasing game please feel free to PM me.

No i havent but by reading it and other anybody just keeping one chicken has to register unless i have it wrong but others have said same.

They also say it is very simple and straight forward.

cavan shooter

Hunter21 wrote: »

Oh balls! Seems like a lot of work..

Fodda have you gone down this road, if so could you PM me what I have to do would be greatfull.
Or anyone who has experience with the legal side of releasing game please feel free to PM me.

buy them as poults and put into a release pen, I think the majority of the stuff you are reading is for game dealers and at that its the bio security which makes sense anyway as you want to have healthy birds.

fodda

Interesting reading.

http://www.irishfowl.com/talk/topic-6587.html?c=6

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/disease/avianinfluenzabirdflu/poultryindustry/GameBirdCodeofPractice.pdf

EPointer=Birdss

I'd love to know how many people actually go to the hassle of registering flocks etc for a few chickens or pheasants!

Go down that road & have regional vets come to your premises for a snoop to tell you what to do for the sake of a hobby! Jaysus like :rolleyes:

The intent of those documents is ok but the implementation & practicality for the average club is not a workable/viable option...

Hunter21

Bumping this up.

If I bought a good batch of birds and put lots of feeding hoppers in an area of good cover and a nice bit of water will I have hope of keeping them around or will I def need a release pen?