GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES FALL PHEASANT STOCKING PLANS
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has slated 106,142 ring-necked pheasants for release on public lands throughout the Commonwealth for the upcoming small game hunting seasons, including 16,800 birds for the junior only season (Oct. 10-17).
"Based on agency's budget cuts first implemented in the 2004-05 fiscal year and carried forward since, we reduced our pheasant propagation program by 50 percent," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "Reducing the pheasant propagation program has saved the agency more than one million dollars. Without a hunting license fee increase, we expect to continue producing at the 100,000-bird level.
"Despite the overall reductions, this year our game farm staff had an excellent production season. They have worked hard with limited resources to achieve the goal to have 100,000-birds available for stocking this fall."
The region staff will begin the stocking season Oct. 9, when the agency will release 15,000 birds (8,610 males and 6,390 females) for the junior pheasant hunt scheduled for Oct 10-17. A listing of stocking locations for the youth hunt can be found on pages 23-25 of the 2009-10 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which is provided to each license buyer. Another 1,800 pheasants have been allocated for those clubs sponsoring mentored pheasant hunts for juniors on Oct. 10. (For more information on those clubs participating, please see News Release #087-09.)
Opening day of the general pheasant hunting season is Oct. 24, and closes on Nov. 28. Preseason releases will consist of 50 percent of the fall allocation, and will be stocked in each region beginning Oct. 22, followed by the first in-season stocking consisting of 25 percent beginning Oct. 28. The second in-season stocking will be held the week of Nov. 4, consisting of another 25 percent. Only male pheasants are legal game in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2A, 2B, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B. Male and female pheasants are legal game in all other WMUs.
ADDITIONAL CLUBS SIGN UP TO HOST JUNIOR PHEASANT HUNTS
In addition to the junior pheasant hunts announced on Aug 25 (see News Release #087-09), Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced another four sportsmen's clubs have signed up to host junior pheasant hunts in Beaver, Berks, Lawrence and Pike counties. The clubs will share in about 1,800 pheasants the agency is providing for junior pheasant hunts, which will be held on Oct. 10.
For more information on these two topics, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=177040