In the fall of 2018, 4-H members in Pondera County embarked on a brave new project: raising ring-necked pheasants for wild release. While the project brought with it some challenges, it also had some wonderful success. This learning experience for 4-H members resulted in the development of a deeper appreciation for wild birds and more detailed understanding of the habitat requirements and life cycle of pheasants.
The project began with several conversations with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MTFWP) personnel. Even when domestically-raised, pheasants are classified as wild game. Therefore, our conversations with MTFWP at the onset of this project were critical to ensure we had correct documentation to possess and release the birds. Thanks to these meetings, we learned of the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program – a program that reimburses landowners for pheasants if they provide public access for hunting. In 2019, we connected with three landowners who enrolled in the program and were approved for a total of 400 birds. In 2020, there were no applicants for the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program in north central Montana; however, we were able to locate landowners who were generously willing to buy pheasants without being reimbursed.
In the first year, eight members signed up for the project. The members were split into two groups and raised a total of 400 pheasants with one group based in Conrad and one in Valier. In the second year, five members participated in the project and the two groups raised a total of 300 pheasants.
A fortunate relationship developed with East Slope Kennels and Game Birds, owned by Tony Fowler, and located nearby in Conrad. We purchased freshly-hatched chicks from Fowler, as well as most of the feed. This allowed the 4-H members to pick up their chicks directly, which provided invaluable opportunity to remove chicks from the hatching cabinet and tour the farm to get a better understanding of how to raise the birds. As we worked through the project, Fowler served as a tremendous resource and provided 4-H members with information and advice whenever questions arose.
The first year of the project required constructing brooding facilities and flight pens for our pheasants. This required purchasing heat lamps, feeders and waterers, chicken wire, netting, and other fencing supplies. We were able to offset costs through an award from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation mini-grant program and donations from the Pheasants Forever Gallatin Valley Chapter and private donors. DeVoe’s Builders Services, BTI Feeds, and CHS Cut Bank Group also helped support the project financially by donating feed and giving discounts on supplies.
Like in the beginning of many 4-H projects, there were learning curves with the pheasant project. In our first summer raising chicks, we quickly learned – with the help of an uninvited weasel – that pheasant chicks tend to be on the bottom of the food chain. The first night after one group of chicks went in their outdoor pen, the weasel decided to join them. The weasel killed over 100 pheasant chicks that night. This was a problem we had not predicted. We knew we would have some death loss, just like with any livestock, but we did not expect to lose more than half the chicks in one night. The 4-H members adapted and overcame adversity by removing the remaining chicks and moving them to a different pen, in town and elevated, making it a much more difficult target for predators. In 2020, we again had some predator problems, this time with owls. After one of the groups of chicks went to the outdoor pen, 4-H members discovered that owls like to eat young pheasants. The owls would pace outside of the pen and opportunistically grab chicks too close to the exterior of the pen and eat them through the wire, leaving just the head of the young birds in the pen. After speaking with MTFWP, the members were told the best option would be to modify the pen’s construction to limit the owls’ ability to remove chicks. Again, the 4-H members adapted quickly and successfully adjusted the pens so that only three more chicks were lost to the owls.
In two years of the pheasant raise-and-release project, Pondera County 4-H members have released approximately 400 pheasants into the wild. In that time, the 4-H members made a positive contribution to wildlife populations in Pondera County, and they gained an appreciation for how challenging it is for pheasants to survive in the wild. We are eagerly looking forward to continuing this project for years to come and hope members from other counties join in the learning and fun!