Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Pheasant’s forever Ontario

  1. #1
    Elite Member

    User Info Menu

    Default Pheasant’s forever Ontario

    Looks like there’s a small group of people that want to start an Ontario chapter of pheasants forever in Ontario. There looking for new members to get things started. More information can be found on there Facebook page.

  2. # ADS
    Advertisement
    ADVERTISEMENT
     

  3. #2
    Mod Squad

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Not a facebooker. Care to share their goals?
    If number 1 isn't changing to a rooster only season there is no reason to have 'em.
    Last edited by finsfurfeathers; January 17th, 2021 at 08:28 PM.
    Time in the outdoors is never wasted

  4. #3
    Has too much time on their hands

    User Info Menu

    Default

    I thought there was a southern Ontario Chapter already. Is this another chapter?
    "What calm deer hunter's heart has not skipped a beat when the stillness of a cold November morning is broken by the echoes of hounds tonguing yonder?" -Anonymous-

  5. #4
    Loyal Member

    User Info Menu

    Default

    There is only one chapter in Canada currently, that being Calgary Chapter. It is interesting to note that the Calgary chapter is the largest fund raising chapter of Pheasants Forever. They have also restored habitant in the Brooks County area. There were three chapters in Ontario at one time, but lack of government support led to them eventually folding. Good luck to the new organizers.
    "Without Proper Management Wild Life Becomes Your Next Hood Ornament"

  6. #5
    Elite Member

    User Info Menu

    Default

    There was a link posted to there page recently on the Canada upland hunting Facebook page. That’s how I found them. Looks like a very recent group trying to start a new chapter in southern Ontario. From reading some information they have provided on the page sounds like there looking for members and there main goal is to restore/create grasslands habitats for upland game birds. They will be holding found raising events to help found there projects. But from previous attempts at forming a chapter here sounds like it’s going to be tough to accomplish. Who knows maybe if we all get together we can make it work.
    Last edited by fishhawk; January 18th, 2021 at 10:55 AM.

  7. #6
    Borderline Spammer

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Good luck to them. From my observations we can't even get the grouse and woodcock habitat turned around in Southern Ontario that we have and that's for a native bird that would benefit from managing the woodlots that we have currently. I don't see a way in getting the type of habitat and keeping it to produce and maintain a reproductive pheasant population. Until we have a government program similar to CRP we are just throwing our money away. Farming as it is currently ie large scale monocropping has anyone seen how much waste grain comes out of the current combines is next to nothing.
    The removal of fence lines and the draining of poor areas that traditionally held grasses and pathways to other areas of land are gone.
    When my grandparents and dad farmed we had fence rows and we didn't or couldn't farm the poor spots. We had a old massy combine that dumped grain out the back like it was a bird feeder . We had rotating grazing and would occasionally leave a field fallow and plow it under the next year. And my Dad still remembers having quail around into the 1990s What changed?

    Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk
    Last edited by trkyhntr21; January 18th, 2021 at 12:01 PM.

  8. #7
    Has too much time on their hands

    User Info Menu

    Default

    I was involved a bit with the PF Niagara Chapter back in the mid-2000s, before they merged with the Hamilton Chapter to create the (now I see former) Southern Ontario Chapter. Others on this board put a lot of work into that chapter. There was a lot of momentum back then, with the Province's pilot project with wild Saskatchewan birds, and the expectation that a Provincial pheasant strategy would follow. It's a common misconception that the pilot failed because the birds all ultimately died out. But the pilot was a success. Those first 600 birds were never expected to have long-term survival nor were their numbers ever intended to be adequate to establish a breeding population. 600 birds were released, tracked and studied in their new habitat, and much was learned about what it would take to sustain wild pheasants in Ontario. The environmental assessment verified that pheasants as a non-native naturalized species posed no ecological risk in Ontario. The next step would have been to move from a pilot towards a reintroduction program (e.g. Pennsylvania: 10,000 wild birds per year over 10+ years). However, the government's priorities then changed almost exclusively to native species at risk.

    I say all this because I would have great interest in learning what the goals and objectives of a new chapter might be above and beyond pheasants, or is there reason to believe that a Provincial pheasant strategy might be on the table again?
    Last edited by ninepointer; January 18th, 2021 at 12:13 PM.
    "What calm deer hunter's heart has not skipped a beat when the stillness of a cold November morning is broken by the echoes of hounds tonguing yonder?" -Anonymous-

  9. #8
    Borderline Spammer

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ninepointer View Post
    I was involved a bit with the PF Niagara Chapter back in the mid-2000s, before they merged with the Hamilton Chapter to create the (now I see former) Southern Ontario Chapter. Others on this board put a lot of work into that chapter. There was a lot of momentum back then, with the Province's pilot project with wild Saskatchewan birds, and the expectation that a Provincial pheasant strategy would follow. It's a common misconception that the pilot failed because the birds all ultimately died out. But the pilot was a success. Those first 600 birds were never expected to have long-term survival nor were their numbers ever intended to be adequate to establish a breeding population. 600 birds were released, tracked and studied in their new habitat, and much was learned about what it would take to sustain wild pheasants in Ontario. The environmental assessment verified that pheasants as a non-native naturalized species posed no ecological risk in Ontario. The next step would have been to move from a pilot towards a reintroduction program (e.g. Pennsylvania: 10,000 wild birds per year over 10+ years). However, the government's priorities then changed almost exclusively to native species at risk.

    I say all this because I would have great interest in learning what the goals and objectives of a new chapter might be above and beyond pheasants, or is there reason to believe that a Provincial pheasant strategy might be on the table again?
    Was there ever a study as to why or what caused the existing "native" population to basically plummet to nothing and us being reduced to hunting realesed bird and a few remaining pockets of old stock. What kind of land was the 600 bird study done on ie wine country, fruit orchards ? I'm all for reintroduced huntable sustainable birds but I'm sceptical of long term government support and basically throwing our money and time away.

    Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk

  10. #9
    Has all the answers

    User Info Menu

    Default

    We have a few thousands birds released here in Essex county every year for quite a few years, and we have no population of birds down here breeding or making a come back, habitat loss and farming practices, and penned raised birds that are not hard wired for survival, will prevent them from establishing themselves

  11. #10
    Has too much time on their hands

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by trkyhntr21 View Post
    Was there ever a study as to why or what caused the existing "native" population to basically plummet to nothing and us being reduced to hunting realesed bird and a few remaining pockets of old stock. What kind of land was the 600 bird study done on ie wine country, fruit orchards ? I'm all for reintroduced huntable sustainable birds but I'm sceptical of long term government support and basically throwing our money and time away.

    Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk
    In my background summary I omitted the most important step before embarking on an introduction: habitat, habitat and more habitat.

    The pilot took place in Haldimand-Norfolk. My recollection was it was on the massive rural, undeveloped landholdings of Stelco and OPG which were determined to offer among the best existing habitat in Ontario.

    Why did our naturalized birds from the old days all but disappear? Most of those birds were not successfully breeding or surviving, but once upon a time every locality had a fish and game club that received Township License revenues to purchase and release birds. We were throwing a lot of pen-raised birds on the landscape all across southern Ontario for many years. And yes, some pockets hung on (and still do) as small feral breeding populations. Beyond that, name your threat. Primarily habitat loss. Pesticides/herbicides? New predators (or in new numbers) arrived on the scene, such as coyotes and opossums.

    Turkeys, for example, were relatively easy. Nothing needed to be done from a habitat stand-point for them to take hold and thrive.

    Pheasants, are not so easy. But the same (or similar) habitat conditions needed to sustain pheasants are also much needed for many native species at risk (e.g. meadowlark, bobolink, northern bobwhite) which are supposed to be a Provincial priority. Perhaps that's the driver this time? All speculation until we know more.
    "What calm deer hunter's heart has not skipped a beat when the stillness of a cold November morning is broken by the echoes of hounds tonguing yonder?" -Anonymous-

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •