wild pheasant reintroduction into central pennsylvania crep
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Wild Pheasant Reintroduction Into Central Pennsylvania CREP. Why try to reintroduce wild pheasants in PA? Why in Central PA? Why now?. Why Wild Pheasants?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Wild Pheasant Reintroduction Into Central Pennsylvania CREP • Why try to reintroduce wild pheasants in
PA?
• Why in Central PA?
• Why now?
The PlanStart Date Winter 2007
• 300 pheasants trapped and released for 3 consecutive years.
• Release areas in Western Columbia, Montour and Northern Northumberland Counties.
• Release areas decided by favorable habitat • Radio tagging of birds and nesting studies• Lands closed to pheasant hunting for 6
years
Why Wild Pheasants?
Why spend thousands of dollars to bring in wild pheasants from South Dakota? Hasn’t the Game Commission been releasing pheasants for years?
Wild Pheasants Vs. Game Farm
• SD biologist Tony Leif’s hen study in SD 1994• 8 week old young pheasants produced per 100
hens• Game Farm Hens -16• Wild Hens- 169
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Game FarmWild
Why Central PA?
Montour CountyAcres in soil bank 1964= 6,819
Acres in CREP and CRP 2008= 7,609
Historical Class 1 Pheasant Range In Red
0 3 61.5 Miles-
Legend
Water
Low-density Urban
High-density Urban
Hay/Pasture
Row Crops
Conifer Forest
Mixed Forest
Deciduous Forest
Woody Wetland
Emergent Wetland
Quarries
Coal Mines
Transitional
Montour County Columbia CountyNorthumberland County
Study Area Core
Watsontown
Turbotville
Milton
Danville
Millville
The Problem
CREP Harvested Corn
Dilution Is The Solution
Wild Pheasant Releases
Over 900 wild pheasants from Montana and South Dakota have been released in the reintroduction area. The average rooster to hen ratio is about 1:5.
Results from the First Two YearsWe are using flushing surveys and spring crowing counts to monitor survival. Early results cause us to be optimistic.
Flushing Surveys2008 - 140 birds total2009 - 252 birds total
Spring Crowing Count Route Through Release Area2006 – 1 Rooster (before start of program)2007- 9 Roosters2008- 16 Roosters2009- 25 RoostersThese surveys and crowing route only measure a part of the release area.
Why Now?• CREP is a 10 or 15 year agricultural conservation program that started in 2000 providing thousands of acres of nesting cover.
• Success of this wild pheasant program can be used to renew current contracts and expand additional CREP programs.
• Many other threatened or endangered grassland wildlife benefits from this program.
•It is imperative that these CREP programs be continued or the plan will fail in the future.
What Do We Expect To Get Out Of All This?
MORE!
MORE OF THIS
AND THIS
AND THESE
AND THIS
AND THIS
Financial Contributors to the Project
• For more information visit our web site at:
• www.centralsusquehannapf.org