Huns

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Originally Posted by welsh

I don't have the report with me because I'm on the road, but I believe habitat was identified as the major problem. Pockets of habitat leave animals vulnerable, and there is simply not enough contiguous and connected habitat to get the birds established. This is also the problem with grouse down south: there are good woodlots here and there, but they are small and not connected to each other.

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What the official report says and what really happened aren't necessarily the same thing. From what I heard at the local hunt clubs is they released the pheasants, didn't close the season and everyone knew where they were.

The guys that I know that used to hunt grouse in the south all said that when the turkeys showed up the grouse left.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

I am talking pheasants and quail. Personally I would be happy with pockets of both species in designated areas that I am familiar with that hold small pockets of pheasant. Signage would have to be posted indicating or explaining the project to prevent people from hunting these areas. Even if these small pockets expanded to other areas over time at least its better than what we have now. For me knowing these areas i hunt could eventually hold more birds is a reward in itself even if i never shoot one. I would rather focus on the positive potential than all the negative reasons why it wouldn't work.

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I am not trying to be negative about it. I would be very happy with small pockets that I could work dogs on from time to time and never kill a bird.

My vision of something like this is identifying potential areas then take 5000 birds and set 100 fifty bird coveys in the late spring and hope to have 10 coveys left next spring. These birds would probably need some supplemental feeding to get them through the first winter. Pen raised birds with enough genetic diversity would work fine for this.

I would like to see a setup like Pelee Island for quail also. They could use an Island like Amherst Island which is just off of Kingston. Very agricultural but not on a huge commercial level with huge farms. Set it up like the Pelee hunt and it would be great to have that . Of course it's put and take but can be great for local economies and could be a pretty good hunt too? Put and take pen quail can be terrible flyers but I have also seen what semi wild planted birds become after a few days out and its not bad.

turkeys kill partridge poults

Don't forget (and very few people know this) how many Wild Huns were trapped in Ontario and traded for Wild Turkeys(with the US...Michigan I believe)....there is a report on this but you have to dig for it......they were doing ok up until this trapping and then the Ice storms pretty much sealed their fate......most of us are barking up the wrong Tree when it comes to Govt help....this is exactly whats killing Upland initiatives in Ontario......we need to have legislation where private Groups and individuals take charge like in the US and in the US its because of Private Organizations (the Govt actually listens to them there) why Upland Birds are doing better than here....Huns are making a good comeback here....lets just keep quiet about that for now but if you don't now where to look and what to look for...you wont find any....not even out West.....you have to hike to find Huns......Pheasants will never take hold here or get a boost unless the shooting of Hens is abolished and like someone mentioned (and the most important factor for any of these Birds) is NESTING HABITAT....I;e.....Native Grasses left undisturbed....we have the Habitat for them to take hold and survive but too many are lost because of lack of nesting habitat....as mentioned they get mowed down....out West, they have flushing Bars that are used all year long when they cut the grass on the shoulders of the Trunk roads (where a lot of Birds hide during the day) the flushing bar is ahead of the cutters and flushes the birds before they get into harms way....little changes here COULD make a big difference.....a 1 or 2 acre plot left on every Farm would be more than enough and its not a lot to ask for.....I could go on but talk is cheap I guess.

Back in Europe theirs a subspecies of the ringneck pheasant that does well in more woody hedgerow field edges agricultural areas. I forget the exact name of the pheasant but remember it being darker and has a bit more of a greener hue to it. Its more suited to brushy agricultural areas and I think would have a better chance of surviving in S. Ont. I think any stocking programs should look into this subspecies of pheasant as well as stoping the harvest of hens.

Ok I did a little search and found out they are called Sichuan pheasants.

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Originally Posted by fishhawk

Ok I did a little search and found out they are called Sichuan pheasants.

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Yes i am familiar with that pheasant species and also wondered if it could be used instead.

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by Jakezilla " I am not trying to be negative about it. I would be very happy with small pockets that I could work dogs on from time to time and never kill a bird.

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I am in total agreement with you.
These little pockets would be fine and dandy , but what happens when every one finds out about them and they receive heavy pressure,? there are guys out there that just could not leave these areas alone, they would hammer them day in and day out and the birds would quickly be wiped out .
That is why to have any sustainable number of birds , you need vast amounts of habitat which you will not see happening in Ontario, it is a very sad situation .

So if pheasant rehabilitation have not worked wel historicallyl.Would smaller,more vulnerable birds like huns and quail?