It poured down rain Saturday so my plan for a 2 hour dog conditioning run went out the window. As disappointing as that was, it freed my time to take advantage of the open house at The Pennsylvania Game Commission Southwest Game Farm near New Bethlehem. I've driven past this facility several times, so was familiar with the location and more than a little curious about it.
There may have been other factors as well. Whatever happened, they are pretty much gone. Pheasant hunting in Pa. is almost totally supported today by the PGC stocking program. They have been at it a long time, and are very good at it. The birds that they currently release are beautiful, robust, and challenging to hunt.
The tour was interesting. The eggs are laid in nesting boxes in the large pens that cover the farm. They are then gathered, hundreds at a time, by farm personnel, washed, and held in cold storage until a full batch is gathered to fill the large incubators (21 days) then into a temperature controlled hatching cabinet, where hundreds of eggs become hundreds of chicks. For the 1st four weeks of their lives these chicks are under the watchful care of PGC workers in temperature controlled shelter, with gradually increasing "yard time". By 5 weeks they are pretty much free of their high tech start and living outdoors on their own. Though prevented from leaving the premises and protected (mostly) from predation by fencing and overhead netting, they are free to fly and forage at will within those limits. I was impressed by the cover and food plots in the flight pens, as shown in this photo.
Occasional predation does occur. Our tour guide mentioned a mink getting into a pen and killing 57 birds in one night, seemingly for the thrill of it, as they weren't eaten. Raccoons are also a problem.
While there I also had the pleasure of meeting Ryan Toth, who recently returned to the area after completing his military service which took him to Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Check out Leatherwoodoutdoors on Youtube.com, a video venture that he and his hunting and fishing buddies are involved in.
They are obviously great deer hunters, and serious "shed" hunters as well. The"Archery Eve" dinner at their camp, the subject of one of their videos, sounds like a great time.
There were more than 30,000 pheasants at the SW game farm yesterday, an impressive number of birds. Unfortunately that is approximately how many pheasants were lost when the Susquehanna River flooded 2 other PGC Game farms in central Pa. recently. Sad to see that much work, and that many beautiful birds lost.
Pa.'s pheasant stocking program is not without its critics. Some people say that they aren't a native species, so don't really belong here, something which I never seem to hear about the brown trout, which isn't either. Others claim that stocking is a waste of license money. Again, I never hear that when the state dumps some big non-native trout into a favorite Pa. stream. That being said, It's hard to argue the fact that the money spent raising and releasing pheasants over the years hasn't resulted in a tangible wild breeding population and could have added substantially to the State Game Lands System, or other use.
Still, on a nice fall day, when the dog points and I see and hear that powerful flush and "Ert-Ert-Ert" cackle, I'm really glad they do it, and do it so well.
Planning the Great Grouse Hunt
When I decided to plan a NW Pa. grouse hunt I sent out inquiries to several State Forest and Allegheny National Forest offices asking for info on what might be good areas to try. I already had a few areas in mind based on casual inquiries of anyone who would listen and happenstance encounters with forest service workers, other hunters, and with actual grouse. My formal inquiries to professional forestry personnel resulted in a variety of responses ranging from extremely helpful (marked up maps, specific area recommendations) to relatively generic ( "grouse are everywhere in the forest", "they like brushy areas"). When the recommendations reinforced something that I had previously seen or heard, I considered that a double hit and marked it on a map. The same goes for specific or emphatic recommendations - mark the map! Some of the areas have good enough reputations and/or memorable enough names that I don't expect to be alone there, others are just a dot on a map that I'm not even sure how to get to - those are especially compelling to me. That done, I've started looking for dog friendly motels to work from.
One of the most helpful responses was from a woman who identified herself only as "Mary". She said she is an avid grouse hunter and an active member of The Ruffed Grouse Society, and she closed by saying that she hoped that I was also an active member.
Turns out I am. Well, - a member anyways, depends on your definition of active.
I have been a member a few times and let my membership lapse a few times. I'm currently a member at least partially because my wife Peggy and her sister took part in a "becoming an outdoor woman" event. Peggy had also completed her hunter safety course. Either of these qualified them for free admission to the RGS Neshannock Creek Chapter Banquet. Can't beat free. My paid admission re-upped my membership.
I left a few bucks behind, and didn't win anything, increasing the value of my "donations". I heartily endorse Mary's approach. Not necessarily specific to RGS, but if you love the outdoors, and are passionate about hunting or fishing or just "the great outdoors, whatever, put your money where your mouth(or heart) is.
There are plenty of great, active, and influential organizations working on our behalf and I believe that if you want to see things get better, or at least get worse a little more slowly, you should support their efforts. One of the things that makes me proud of hunters and fishermen is that they have historically "put their money where their mouth is" for wildlife conservation. Keep that alive. Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Ruffed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, there is no shortage of organizations that work on behalf of the things we cherish. Write a check to join the one that means the most to you. Participate in their activities and efforts if you can, but at least join. Not a joiner? No problem, I've got a solution for you -
BUY A DUCK STAMP!
I can't say it much better than the caption. 5.2 million acres. $15 at the post office (call ahead, not always avail. at all locations). Get yours now. The ducks, rails, ospreys, muskrats, eagles, herons, red winged blackbirds, frogs, pheasants, deer, foxes, and turtles will thank you. Duck Hunters are required to buy these. I believe that anyone who hunts anything, bird-watches, hikes, or just cares about preserving wild things and open spaces ought to.
Check back - The well trained dog (or not) and shooting (at) grouse coming soon
