Forecast: Wild, self-sustaining pheasant populations are largely restricted to the Lake Plains portion of western New York, notes Michael Schiavone, certified wildlife biologist for the Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife.
For that reason, most New York hunters will chase captive-bred pheasants that are released by the department on public lands, says Schiavone. In addition, the department has provided about 40,000 day-old pheasant chicks to private cooperators to raise and release on lands open to public hunting.
For hunters who seek wild birds, the news is grim. “Loss of habitat due to conversion to row-crop agriculture, development, or habitat succession has diminished the quality of this region for pheasants, and populations have declined significantly in the area over the past few decades,” reports Schiavone. “In more recent years, successive poor production years coupled with severe winters in 2014 and 2015 have further negatively impacted pheasant populations in the Lake Plains.”
Nonetheless, wild bird number appear better this year than last, according to the summer farmer-pheasant inventory in Livingston, Monroe, Genesee, and Wyoming counties. During summer 2015, only 7 percent of participants reported seeing pheasants. That number increased to about 14 percent this year, Schiavone says.
Field Notes: The department created a 150,000-acre pheasant habitat focus area in the Genesee Valley in 2011. The plan has been to focus federal, state, and private funding into pheasant management. Unfortunately, progress has been hampered by high commodity prices in past years—a disincentive to enroll acreage into conservation programs.
Season Dates: Varies by region, see link below
Daily Bag Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Possession Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Helpful Links: