pheasant release.

dicky82

lads whats your opinions on the above.

the last two years now i've bought in poults and have released them via the release pen method, can't comment on this years returns yet (obviously). last years returns were ok but because it was my first year releasing them i have no real basis for comparison.

Anyway through out the year i've noticed a good few hens with broods knocking around, so im wondering is it better to buy up some hens and a few cocks to release in spring in the hope they'll be havig poults reared for the season or do you think the buying in poults is more effective?

i know there is the opinion that i should probably do both but if you were to favour one over the other what would it be?

cavan shooter

Hang onto them untill you have good solid birds. release them in groups and have feeders out to hold them. thts what I do and good success.

dicky82

thaks for the reply, that would be the strategy i would use, just wondering what success lads are having with releasing adult birds in spring??

cavan shooter

If your putting out large amounts of birds that's fine because they will break up and scatter particularly because spring is mating time and so territory is being sorted out amongst the cocks. If you are going down that route put them out in the middle of the permissions or club ground so at least if they wander they are staying in the club boundaries. I divide my birds with the last 12 or 15 going out 1st Feb or there abouts. I also ring them so I know what years birds I have shot, I shot a cock last year that I bought in in 2007. (well happy with that lad) he wasnt a massive bird by the way.

dicky82

cavan shooter wrote: »

If your putting out large amounts of birds that's fine because they will break up and scatter particularly because spring is mating time and so territory is being sorted out amongst the cocks. If you are going down that route put them out in the middle of the permissions or club ground so at least if they wander they are staying in the club boundaries. I divide my birds with the last 12 or 15 going out 1st Feb or there abouts. I also ring them so I know what years birds I have shot, I shot a cock last year that I bought in in 2007. (well happy with that lad) he wasnt a massive bird by the way.

i released three cocks and six hens at the end of the season last year and going to do the same this year too, i'd just like to keep the numbers healthy all year round, hopefully it'll produce wilder birds for each season.
that cock you shot was it a melanistic by any chance?

cavan shooter

dicky82 wrote: »

i released three cocks and six hens at the end of the season last year and going to do the same this year too, i'd just like to keep the numbers healthy all year round, hopefully it'll produce wilder birds for each season.
that cock you shot was it a melanistic by any chance?

No standard ring neck type, heavy bird but not a really long tail. I have a few rings if you pm I'll sort you out with a handful.

MacraPat

Considering the numbers of pheasants released in Ireland every year, should the countryside not be crawling in pheasants?? Is there something going arwy that clubs and individuals are losing as many(if not more) birds as they shoot each year? Pheasant releases seem to be very much a "put and take" exercise as opposed to the boost to existing wild stocks that was initially intended.

I'm glad to hear you're getting more success with adult birds that poults Cavan Shooter. I'm sure If you could buy caught up reared birds off shoots at the end of the season you'd save a few bobs rather than rearing dozens and dozens of chicks to poults.

homerhop

Most clubs releasing birds factor in that for every 100 they release at the end of the season 40 returned shot is a success.
Birds are lost due to disease, perditors, moving out of the club area. When we started rearing birds in the following few years there was an improved visible presence of birds not just in our area but neighbouring clubs who did not release birds.

There are those who are pro caught up birds and those who see no point in it, my own view is estates catch and sell birds for a number of reasons, the cost of feeding after a season, and if large numbers of cocks are left in an area can cause damage to the hen population. When releasing birds be it poults or caught and release adults it comes down to costing and time with clubs. Over the years we have tried both methods. I prefer to see poults but trying to get lads to help is a big problem.I found caught and released birds did not stay in the area as good as pen reared birds.

cavan shooter

MacraPat wrote: »

Considering the numbers of pheasants released in Ireland every year, should the countryside not be crawling in pheasants?? Is there something going arwy that clubs and individuals are losing as many(if not more) birds as they shoot each year? Pheasant releases seem to be very much a "put and take" exercise as opposed to the boost to existing wild stocks that was initially intended.

I'm glad to hear you're getting more success with adult birds that poults Cavan Shooter. I'm sure If you could buy caught up reared birds off shoots at the end of the season you'd save a few bobs rather than rearing dozens and dozens of chicks to poults.

I actually buy in Poults and rear them to adult, I used to buy all adults of Adian Wogan in Slane Cocks and then ex layers. I am quite happy with the way its going. I even tried rearing from chicks. That's where I learned that a pheasant will do its damn best to kill itself before it gets into a field.

Once they are out they have a lot that can kill them including wet weather, one year I lost a lot of birds when they were put in a release pen and then an awful bad week of weather killed them off bit by bit by bit.

Which ever way its done keep on doing it, no point having membership money in an account:).