By Connie Mertz
Around 100 enthusiastic pheasant hunters, volunteers and their dogs, most of which were members of Pheasants Forever, drove many miles to participate in a flushing count in the Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas in Northumberland, Columbia and Montour counties.
"We believe in this project," said Ken Van Gilder, who traveled from Downingtown, and his comments were echoed by others in attendance.
"The response was fantastic," noted Colleen DeLong, a Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife biologist working with the project. "I know people drive from all over Pennsylvania, and there were also some folks from New Jersey, too. We simply couldn't collect the data we do without their help."
As part of the project, which is in its fourth year, a flushing count is done during January and February.
"It's to determine sex ratio of birds before nesting season and hen density, " DeLong explained. "We need to have at least as many hens as roosters, preferably more hens because they are the key to the success of building and sustaining a population."
In the Turbotville area, for instance, the ratio so far is one male to two females.
Other important data is discovered during flushing counts. It is now known that some pheasants have dispersed to new areas throughout the study area. DeLong is quick to add that without the CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program), there would not be sustainable habitat for wild pheasants.
"The only reason the Central Susquehanna Chapter of Pheasants Forever and the PGC could even attempt to get this project started a few years ago is because of all the CREP fields planted since 2000. CREP fields provide grasses that are not harvested or grazed. This equates to safe nesting cover for pheasants, which is the number one factor that has kept pheasants from maintaining a sustainable population in Pennsylvania for so long," she emphasized.
Does the snow cover have an impact on their survival rate?
Absolutely not. "They came from Montana during wind chills of minus 30 degrees and many, many feet of snow. In fact, the trappers had to use snowmobiles last year. If pheasants couldn't handle snow, they would never have survived in Pennsylvania years ago," she stated.
There is also no need to supply extra food for the birds. "If they need us to feed them, they aren't going to make it."
Feeders are also frowned upon because they cannot only help spread disease, but attract predators.
The winter flushing counts are followed by a spring crowing count in April and May to determine the number of crowing cock birds. Brood surveys are then done once pheasant chicks are on the move. "The brood surveys are done by release site landowners and community members who see broods and let us know. We want to know whenever someone sees chicks with or without the hen," DeLong urged.
Then she added, "My phone rang constantly last summer from people who have seen roosters, hens or chicks. I have so many reports from last summer that I haven't had time to analyze the data yet."
Though the ultimate goal of this project is to eventually restore a sustainable population of wild pheasants that can be hunted, there is an underlying concern. "These birds have to survive and grow a population with the conditions we have," she said. "That includes habitat, predator densities, food and nesting cover, among others."
DeLong is a dedicated wildlife biologist who spends countless hours doing research and collecting factual information. What would she change, if she could? "I'd clone myself so I could spend more time updating and receiving information for the landowners and farmers who are such a big help to us."
She would also change the way people view and manage wildlife. "So much habitat is destroyed for no reason at all. Humans seem to feel a need to clean up the outdoors like we do our homes. Mother Nature did not intent things to be that way."
As the project continues, DeLong is very appreciative not only to the landowners, but for all the community support she receives. "We couldn't ask for a better place with better people to do this project. People are getting really excited seeing more pheasants around the area, and calls on locations are a big help. All I can say to the community and landowners is thank you, thank you, thank you!"
n Connie Mertz is a hunter and nature enthusiast from Danville. Contact her at: owcam@verizon.net.
