Hunters Enjoy WMA Pheasant

Game farm roosters planted on Wildlife Management Areas seem to be a hit with the hunters. Fish and Game planted more than 16,000 pheasants on eight Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) across southern Idaho last fall. More birds have been bought and planted each hunting season since the program was established several years ago. Hunters paid $21.50 for a permit last fall that allowed them six birds. They can buy as many permits as they want. The fees go toward offsetting the cost of the program that mainly involves the cost of purchasing the game farm roosters. Although most bird hunters agree the experience of shooting game farm birds is different from hunting wild pheasant, the vast changes in habitat across southern Idaho from 20 years ago and the difficulty in finding private property open to hunting pheasant make the WMA opportunity the only one available to many pheasant hunters. In unsolicited written comments sent by hunters to Fish and Game since last fall, the opportunity to take youngsters hunting was mentioned frequently. One said, "Although I did not harvest, it was worth it for my 12-year-old grandson to take two roosters. Thanks for the opportunity for three generations to hunt together." Several even commented that they would be willing to pay more for a permit. No major changes in the program are being proposed by the department to the Fish and Game Commission for this fall.