Who says you cant have pheasants in the north east?

[fishhawk]

Here's a interesting article to a great Pheasant reintroduction program. Maybe one day we can do the same here.
http://www.timesleader.com/article/2...news/302249793

[tom gobble]

Interesting but how come they haven't did this here yet. I think we are lacking the right land and crop habitat to sustain wild pheasant we need more wild grasses and grain all year long and cover for these birds to adapt. Good news for PA and hopefully we can borrow some of those pheasants one day

[oaknut]

There was a guy around our area had about fifty ring necks penned in his back yard. He would be the first to tell you how stupid these birds were. When spring came the mate was on and the hens would just drop their eggs anywhere and not look back. I assume this had something to do with the pens. Anyway about ten years back a tree fell and crushed one corner of the pen and all the birds escaped. Nobody else in the area has pheasants but you will still see the odd one on the side of the road every now and then. I don't know the lifespan of a pheasant but I doubt it is ten years so they must be breeding successfully to some extent. If the odd one can survive here with the cold snowy winters and if it moves it dies mentality that seems to overtake some of the hunters here for certain they should be able to make it in southern Ontario. Providing the yotes are kept in check.

[kickingfrog]

Habitat and climate are not ideal here, even in southern Ontario. Habitat can be managed if there is the desire, cash and land. Nothing can be done about the climate (although, I guess we are working on that too). Unfortunately pheasants will always be on the fringes of their survivable range here.

[blasted_saber]

I'd much rather see money spent on habitat enhancement for native game birds then continuing to introduce exotic species (pheasants).

[Thinking]

I'd much rather see money spent on habitat enhancement for native game birds then continuing to introduce exotic species (pheasants).

Agreed. IMO one of the worst things to happen to upland birds is the reintroduction of turkeys. They predate heavily on ground nesting birds, and the turkey lobby wants habitat that is good for turkeys (old growth forest) and that is the exact opposite of what we need for good upland habitat.

[fratri]

Agreed. IMO one of the worst things to happen to upland birds is the reintroduction of turkeys. They predate heavily on ground nesting birds, and the turkey lobby wants habitat that is good for turkeys (old growth forest) and that is the exact opposite of what we need for good upland habitat.

Never new that...good info

[Kilo Charlie]

When I was a kid (late 1960's, early 1970's) I used to spend a lot of time in the 12-Mile Creek valley in St. Catharines, right in the suburbs of Western Hill. There were tons of ringnecks there. It saddens me to think they are all, or at least mostly, gone.
I never even thought about the impact turkeys might have....what about when turkeys were originally in Ontario? I wonder if the coexisted well with upland birds then?

[kickingfrog]

Pheasants aren't native to North America, turkeys are.

[blasted_saber]

Agreed. IMO one of the worst things to happen to upland birds is the reintroduction of turkeys. They predate heavily on ground nesting birds, and the turkey lobby wants habitat that is good for turkeys (old growth forest) and that is the exact opposite of what we need for good upland habitat.

Turkeys I dont mind so much, as they were native to Ontario.

Pheasants are native to India and China.