Sep 4, 2005 By Rod Schoener 5 min read

Since its inception almost 13 years ago, the Tri-County Chapter of Pheasants Forever has undertaken all sorts of projects to increase native ringneck pheasant populations, foremost of which are the planting of warm weather grasses, streambed fencing and wetland restoration. Even though pen-raised birds migrate to the areas where the habitat has been improved, Pheasants Forever wanted to go one step further and give Mother Nature a boost with a planting of wild-trapped birds.

That goal finally came to fruition this spring as California University of Pennsylvania’s Partners For Fish and Wildlife Program obtained 70 wild-trapped birds from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The pheasants were trapped at the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota.

In return for the pheasants, Pennsylvania will give South Dakota a set number of turkeys at some later date.

Local Pheasants Forever chapter President Richard Kovacic said that the Pennsylvania Game Commission gave the chapter a verbal commitment to issue a permit for the project, but it had come up with the funding.

Necessary funds were raised, and the project was set for the winter of 2004, but due to weather conditions, the birds were too difficult to trap, so the project was put on the shelf for a year.

Back then, Kovacic explained, “We have to do it in the winter”. “You have to have snow cover. It is hard to bait them any other time of the year. A walk-in type trap is used, so you have to get them to come to the feeder.”

This year conditions were right, and students and faculty members from California University made two trips to South Dakota to trap birds and transport them home the same day.

The first trap-and-transfer project took place Feb. 14-17 at the refuge in Aberdeen, S.D.

The birds were trapped and placed in holding pens.

Each was banded, and some were fitted with radio transmitters, so they could be tracked and monitored once released in Pennsylvania.

The same scenario took place again March 1-4.

Again, adequate snow cover made it possible to lure the pheasants into the baited traps.

The plantings appear to be successful, as broods of young pheasants were spotted at release sites.

The pheasant habitat program is part of the ongoing study being conducted by California University of Pennsylvania for educational purposes for students studying environmental science and wildlife management.”

The wild birds from South Dakota were all released into the Pike Run watershed near California, where most of the habitat work has been done to date.

“We had a habitat management plan, and we followed it to a tee. We have now completed that phase, doing more than what we originally planned to do. It has been an ongoing thing for 12 years, planting and fencing stream banks,” Kovacic said.

The current habitat project area includes 30,000 acres from California to Bentleyville between Routes 70 and 40.

Prior to the stocking, broods were spotted in the study areas, but they came from pen-raised birds that were released by the Game Commission and found their way to the study area.

Kovacic said, “Pen-raised birds lay eggs, but they do not have natural instincts to stay away from predators and avoid danger. Wild birds teach their young how to survive. Pen-raised birds think a light bulb is their mother.”

Approximately $10,000 dollars per year in additional funds will be needed to go forward with an aggressive trap-and-transfer project.

One way Pheasants Forever raises funds is through its annual fund-raising banquet.

This year’s 13th annual banquet will be held Saturday, Sept. 17 at Becker’s Shadyside Inn, Uniontown.

Banquet tickets are $55 and include a one-year membership in Pheasants Forever. Tickets for a couple are $75 with one membership.

Sportsmen’s organizations are encouraged to buy a sponsorship for $260. A sponsorship includes a ticket to the banquet, one membership and a limited edition, framed sponsor print.

Corporate sponsorships are also available for $675 and include tickets for five couples or eight singles. Several companies buy these and offer the tickets to their employees.

For tickets or more information contact Rich Kovacic at 724-785-3540.

Banquet features include raffles; door prizes, including a 12 gauge shotgun; pick of the table raffle, and the live auction, which includes decoys, sculptures, limited edition art, books and much more.

Kovacic noted that much of this year’s auction and raffle merchandise is geared to the women.

The local chapter of PF has spent nearly $500,000 since its inception.

The money has gone for the purchase of two grain drills at $12,000 apiece, a special combine to harvest warm weather grasses, post hole drivers, seeding over 4,300 acres with warm weather grasses, restoring 2,143 acres of wetlands and fencing over 284 miles of stream banks.

Why fence streambanks? Fencing stream banks keep cattle out of the water and silt from washing away. The cows do not pollute the stream with their body wastes, and the fenced-in area creates a corridor in which pheasants can find cover for protection during the winter months.

Wetlands also provide winter cover for pheasants. Cattails hold a lot of heat, and provide quite a bit of protection from the elements.

Workers make cattle crossings, where they can get a drink of water, but they are graveled over so the cattle do not stir up the silt when drinking.

In addition to the habitat work, PF has projects for youngsters, including youth days in the summer, sporting clays outings and fall hunts for pheasants and chukars.

Chapter members take part in the special youth pheasant hunts by providing dogs and handlers, so the youngsters can experience a real pheasant hunt with a pointing dog.

“We need a good banquet this year,” Kovacic said. “The banquet is our primary fund raiser.”

Rod Schoener is the Herald-Standard outdoors editor.