Could changes to the Hullet pheasant hunt bring out it’s potential?

Hunted Hullet today, hunted hard for 3 hours with the dog, didn’t see or hear a single pheasant. This has been the story for a few years now, I make the 3 hour trip up, no action. Seems like it’s an opening day thing unless you get a tip on the release dates.

This is an amazing property and we are lucky to be able to hunt pheasant on it period..... but could there be improvements?

Would charging for a special Hullet pheasant licence improve the frequency and quantity of birds?

Would charging for specific weeks, improve the experience?
(Ex. Pelee Island.....1st Main Hunt, 2nd Main hunt, clean up)


Any suggestions?
I understand that this is run by mostly volunteers, money and sponsorship is very limited.
We are lucky to have it, but could it improve and bring in more revenue for the facility and for the town of Clinton?

The property was so well groomed, truly amazing....but, no birds.

I believe the best way to ensure you see birds would be the ability to release your own birds. Ever since they switched to a several interval release format its been feast or famine. I'd love the ability to purchase a couple of birds from a game farm and release them myself. Heck even chucker or if you can find 'em Hungarian partridge.
Paying someone else to do it for me doesn't sit all too well.

Anyone else have suggestions or feedback to offer?

Back when most of the townships had pheasant hunts/release programs birds were released at an earlier age so they had time to get used to the environment before they were hunted. This made the hunting tougher but the availability of birds after opening day was far better.
Then most districts went to weekly release programs and then to the shooting preserve style of release for individual hunters before most shut down.
Financing is the main issue as well as complaints from the surrounding population as the urban sprawl takes over the country.

ditto on what Tim has said. Your township licence help pay for birds along with the province matching the funds the township put up. Townships were also supported by local anglers and hunters groups that raised funds for the programs. Bird were released in most cases as pouts, became adjusted to the environment. Back then we did not have trespass problems as most rural folks knew the neighbor that was hunting.

We have been incorporated for over 20 years managing the business, property infrastructure, habitat etc. The pheasant program is a small part of what Hullett is but has a long standing tradition at the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area (HPWA). As an organization realizing the importance of this program we are trying to keep it going.

FOH has visited the option of charging hunters for pheasant hunting many times but the MNRF will not allow us to do so. Therefore the "Pheasant Challenge" ticket raffle started as a means to fund the program. We spend over $11,000 a year of our annual budget releasing the birds. The Challenge brings in about $3000 profit each year and direct donations to the program from individuals about $800, this leaves a large shortfall on funds available to continue the program.

We do not spend that kind of money on other user groups such as waterfowl hunters, small game hunters, hikers, photo groups, deer hunters, school groups etc.

As finsfurfeathers has stated in this thread the hunting can be feast or famine with five 200 bird releases during the hunting season. We do not have the ability to release smaller amounts more frequently. Our workload with only 2 staff, many programs and a large property is overwhelming.

We are open to change in the program and perhaps the Hullett pheasant hunters could form a volunteer group that could address their concerns with the program?? This would take some effort planning and starting a new program or a variation of the current one.

As an example we have many hikers that help with the trails and waterfowl hunters that help with work in Zone A.

We have very few pheasant hunters that volunteer their time at the HPWA when compared to other user groups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FOH

We have been incorporated for over 20 years managing the business, property infrastructure, habitat etc. The pheasant program is a small part of what Hullett is but has a long standing tradition at the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area (HPWA). As an organization realizing the importance of this program we are trying to keep it going.

FOH has visited the option of charging hunters for pheasant hunting many times but the MNRF will not allow us to do so. Therefore the "Pheasant Challenge" ticket raffle started as a means to fund the program. We spend over $11,000 a year of our annual budget releasing the birds. The Challenge brings in about $3000 profit each year and direct donations to the program from individuals about $800, this leaves a large shortfall on funds available to continue the program.

We do not spend that kind of money on other user groups such as waterfowl hunters, small game hunters, hikers, photo groups, deer hunters, school groups etc.

As finsfurfeathers has stated in this thread the hunting can be feast or famine with five 200 bird releases during the hunting season. We do not have the ability to release smaller amounts more frequently. Our workload with only 2 staff, many programs and a large property is overwhelming.

We are open to change in the program and perhaps the Hullett pheasant hunters could form a volunteer group that could address their concerns with the program?? This would take some effort planning and starting a new program or a variation of the current one.

As an example we have many hikers that help with the trails and waterfowl hunters that help with work in Zone A.

We have very few pheasant hunters that volunteer their time at the HPWA when compared to other user groups.

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So if you are open to pheasant hunters helping themselves how about my suggestion of allowing hunters to release their own procured birds?
Granted those hunters would have to follow current hunting regulations.

What if the 5 release dates were scheduled and available to hunters if they purchased a Pheasant Challenge ticket? The purchase could be done online and the schedule would be sent in return. The cost of the Pheasant Challenge tickets could be raised, even doubled.
Less birds could be banded, for example 1 banded bird per release on a big rooster and the prizes could be slightly more substantial.
This way hunters could plan ahead and even schedule a few days off work to enjoy the hunt.
It could even boost the local economy in Clinton/Goderich etc....hunters could stay overnight a day or two at the local hotels.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

So if you are open to pheasant hunters helping themselves how about my suggestion of allowing hunters to release their own procured birds?
Granted those hunters would have to follow current hunting regulations.

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We are not law enforcement but do think that individuals are allowed to release their own birds (10 bird limit?) for training and hunting purposes...is this a fact?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mount Sweetness

What if the 5 release dates were scheduled and available to hunters if they purchased a Pheasant Challenge ticket? The purchase could be done online and the schedule would be sent in return. The cost of the Pheasant Challenge tickets could be raised, even doubled.
Less birds could be banded, for example 1 banded bird per release on a big rooster and the prizes could be slightly more substantial.
This way hunters could plan ahead and even schedule a few days off work to enjoy the hunt.
It could even boost the local economy in Clinton/Goderich etc....hunters could stay overnight a day or two at the local hotels.

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It is nice to see some new ideas coming to the table!

Perhaps Hullett pheasant hunters could email us formal proposals that staff can present to the Board of Directors for discussion or present themselves in person at a monthly meeting.