Pheasant recovery progressing

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There is nothing as exciting as the explosive blur of cackles and colors during the flush of a wild ringnecked pheasant rooster. Since the loss of pheasant habitat, it’s a thrill young Pennsylvania hunters may never experience.

In an expensive and controversial put-and-take pheasant stocking program, cage-raised pheasants are released in limited areas. But the real hope for pheasant hunting lies in a hunterfunded effort to rekindle a naturally reproducing population of ring-neck pheasants in Pennsylvania.

At four experimental state-landownerpartnership programs, including one in Somerset County, habitat flourishes, hunters are banned and pheasants breed.

For the first time, the state Game Commission will permit limited hunting in one Wild Pheasant Recovery Area. A limited-draw youth pheasant hunt will be held this fall in the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area northeast of Milton, Pa., in portions of Wildlife Management Unit 4E in Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties. Of the four pheasant recovery areas, the Central Susquehanna project has experienced the most significant population increase since the initial release of 992 wild-trapped birds from South Dakota and Montana.

“The success of these wild pheasant releases was the result of having quality habitat to support the pheasants,” said Tom Keller, Game Commission wildlife biologist, in a statement. “We lost pheasants because we lost the habitat in the state to support them. The Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area demonstrates that restoring wild pheasants is absolutely possible, but requires the appropriate habitat for success. There are no shortcuts, you must have the habitat.”

The agency will issue 48 permits to licensed junior hunters between the ages of 12-16. Applications are due Aug. 11, and a random drawing will be held Aug. 18. The junior hunters will be assigned one Saturday hunt date, on the morning of Nov. 4 or Nov. 11, and each hunter will be accompanied by a “hunt mentor” provided by the Game Commission. The agency encourages junior hunters to bring an adult parent or guardian.

Applications, found at pgc. pa. gov/ HuntTrap/ Hunting/Pages/JrPheasantHunt. can be filled out online and printed, or the unfilled application can be printed and filled in by hand. Applications must be sent by postal mail to Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Attn.: Youth Wild Pheasant Hunt Application, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, Pa. 17110-9797.

Wild turkey sightings

The second year of a “citizen science” Wild Turkey Sighting Survey began Aug. 1. As in last year’s survey, the data gathered will help the Pennsylvania Game Commission to analyze spring turkey production.

“The turkey survey enhances our agency’s internal survey, which serves as a long-term index of turkey reproduction,” said Mary Jo Casalena, agency wild turkey biologist, in a written statement. “By reporting all THIS WEEK: Should the general public help to fund ring-necked pheasant recovery programs? • Yes • No • LAST WEEK: If asked by state legislators to consider switching to another wildlife management system, the Game Commission Board should vote to replace its members with hired staff. turkeys seen during each sighting, whether it’s gobblers, hens with broods or hens without broods, the data help us determine total productivity and allow us to compare long-term reproductive success.”

Statewide wild turkey management using the manipulation of hunting season lengths, dates and even times of hunter access is further complicated by spring weather, habitat availability, food abundance during the previous winter, the coyote population and other predation as well as the previous fall’s hunter harvest.

Following a concerted Game Commission restoration effort including wild trap-and-transfer, habitat improvement and restrictions on fall turkey hunting, the wild turkey population peaked in the early 2000s with an estimated 280,000 birds. Numbers then dropped to below 200,000. Since 2011 Pennsylvania’s wild turkey population has fluctuated between 204,000-234,000, depending on summer reproduction and fall harvest. In 2016 the statewide turkey population was about 205,000 — about 6 percent below the previous fiveyear average of 218,000 birds.

The Game Commission is inviting the public to report turkey sightings during August. Participants will be asked to record the numbers of turkeys seen, the general location, date and contact information.

To file reports visit the Game Commission homepage at pgc.pa.gov and click on “August Turkey Sighting Survey” in the Quick Clicks section. This year the survey will include a mobile app to report findings. Find it by searching for “Pennsylvania Game Commission” in the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store.

“Remember, every turkey-sighting report made to the Game Commission during August helps to improve wild turkey conservation in the Keystone State,” Casalena said.

Steelheaders needed

Steelhead guide and Great Lakes surf fishing author Karl Weixlmann will lead a Pennsylvania Steelhead Association landowner-relations project Aug. 12. On upper Elk Creek near the McKean hole, the owner of riparian land is struggling with an erosion problem. Weixlmann and volunteers will remove stream debris and build bank improvements. They could use a little help from fellow steelhead anglers. For details contact info@pasteelhead.