F&G Evaluates Rearing Pheasants in the Field

This year's pheasant season will include something extra for a few lucky hunters. Idaho Fish and Game is working with a couple of hunting groups to evaluate the effectiveness in raising pheasant chicks in remote self-contained, rearing units. Biologists are trying to determine the survival to harvest. Fish and Game has raised and released about 2,400 rooster pheasant chicks on the Niagara Springs, Sterling and Market Lake wildlife management areas and three private land parcels in the Magic Valley and Southeast regions. Each rooster chick has a mark within its wing that can only be seen under a special light. To evaluate survival, Fish and Game biologists will place wing barrels at all locations in which the chicks were raised and released. They are asking each hunter who harvests a pheasant on these areas to remove both wings and place them in provided envelopes, fill out the information on the envelope and place in the wing barrels on site. In an effort to get as many hunters to comply as possible, Fish and Game will enter each envelope with both wings submitted in a drawing for one of three $100 gift certificates. The winner will be drawn after the end of the pheasant hunting season. The youth pheasant season runs from October 2 through October 8. The regular season opens October 9 in Area 1 of north Idaho, and October 16 in the rest of the state - Areas 2 and 3.