Pheasant hunters who hunt in WI

[millerms06]

The WI DNR annual spring meeting, held April 8 2013, will have something quite interesting on the docket:

Increase the daily pheasant hunting fee at Bong State Recreation Area in Racine County from $3.00 to $12.00 ($5.00 if stocking was not done on the previous day) because the current fee is not sufficient to cover the cost of this stocking program. [NR 45.12]

"This scope statement contains a proposal to increase the daily fee for pheasant hunting at Richard Bong Recreation Area from $3.00 to $12.00. The daily bag limit is two birds per day beginning on the third day of the season (1 per day on opening weekend). A survey of privately owned southern Wisconsin pheasant game farms showed that most charge between $44.00 and $50.00 for two birds. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources conducts similar managed pheasant hunts and charges $25.00 per day with a daily bag limit of two. Because the fee at the recreation area will continue to be significantly lower than similar opportunities available in the region, no shift in hunting activity or hunter's related expenditures is anticipated."

I didn't see anyone bring this topic up on the forum so I am wondering what opinions you would have if your state had this as a proposal? There are many other public grounds that benefit from the state's stocking program, but have no daily fees tacked on to hunt those properties. Currently the fee to hunt at Richard Bong is $3.00 per person during stocking days, $1 after stocking ceases during the later part of the season. My understanding is the fees collected statewide from the state pheasant stamp, including the fees from Richard Bong, help fund the state stocking program.

I have talked to a few hunters while hunting there whom say the following:
They hunt there practically everyday during pheasant season
Want to see the fee reflect a discount for senior citizens
Obviously want to try and keep it how it is

I think Seniors should get to pay a smaller fee at this property, no I am not in this bracket. But I also think out of state hunters should pay a little more: the person that I encountered who said they hunted there everyday was from Illinois (Now I know why he drives up to Racine County to hunt pheasant!). The DNR has made it clear that continuing this program at the current financial rate is putting strain on the program. However, what might lessen the strain would be to release some of the birds during the spring, and then have the remainder quota available during the hunting season. Depending on when they raise the birds and how long they keep the birds before liberating them would determine the additional cost it puts on the overall operation. The habitat, from what I can tell, is great on the properties that receive a quota of birds, so it is possible that some birds would survive and reproduce.

Lots of ways to look at this, so what do you guys think about it?

[Deuce]

Interesting... I'm moving to WI and am excited to have more opportunities at pheasants than I do now. Interesting enough, the quote for what Illinois runs is wrong, it's $30 for Residents, $35 for non-res.

Do I like paying per day to hunt? No, and I probably will not venture to that particular area to hunt, that said if it's my only option, $12 a day is cheaper than a trip to SD. I wonder if they charge at Bong and only Bong to get some $ from the Non-res hunters from IL. If so, I say charge only the Non-res folks and charge them the $12 or even $15, then it's still cheaper for the IL folks than hunting in state.

From what I've researched, there are a fair number of parcels that they stock pheasants across the state... am I correct in this? And also from what I've found, there is no extra charge at any of these outside the stamp, right? It's weird to me that they would charge only at this rec area, unless its for the reasons above.

[deseeker]

[quote=" However, what might lessen the strain would be to release some of the birds during the spring, ?[/quote]

Releasing tame birds in the Spring is a waste of money. Our PF chapter has a youth/mentor hunt 2 weeks before our pheasant season open(on private ground). The birds are tagged when they are realeased. We release 45 pheasants and the kids usually only manage to get around 14 birds. That leaves 31 tagged pheasants that should be there in 2 weeks when season starts. There is only 4 of us that hunt this ground, plus we know everyone that hunts the surrounding farms. The most birds with tags that have been bagged by the end of the season is TWO. Most years is ONE. and this year ZERO. The released birds are too stupid and are caught by hawks or coyotes before season even starts in 2 weeks. The latest we have ever got one of the tagged birds is 2 weeks into the season. Try to talk them out of releasing tame birds in the Spring. A Long time ago Nebraska used to release young tame birds at 8 weeks old. A friend of mine released 500 tagged birds he got from the state. Out of the tagged birds 2 tags were turned in--one shot opening weekend and one off a road kill before season.

[millerms06]

Deuce wrote "Interesting... I'm moving to WI and am excited to have more opportunities at pheasants than I do now."

Awesome! Yes you will have more hunting opportunity,

Deuce wrote "Interesting enough, the quote for what Illinois runs is wrong, it's $30 for Residents, $35 for non-res."

Good to know, I am planning on going to the meeting and would be interested in finding out if they mention this increase or not. The quote came from the proposed plan that was written in August of 2012.

Deuce wrote "I wonder if they charge at Bong and only Bong to get some $ from the Non-res hunters from IL. If so, I say charge only the Non-res folks and charge them the $12 or even $15, then it's still cheaper for the IL folks than hunting in state."

Its Wisconsin's largest managed prairie. With it close to the state line, your thinking is probably correct. Yes Bong is one of the only managed properties that charge hunters.

Deuce wrote "From what I've researched, there are a fair number of parcels that they stock pheasants across the state... am I correct in this? And also from what I've found, there is no extra charge at any of these outside the stamp, right? It's weird to me that they would charge only at this rec area, unless its for the reasons above."

Yes you are correct. Every year the DNR publishes a stocking report giving you total numbers the past two seasons a property had liberated birds introduced. The concentration of liberated birds exist in the southeast portion of the state. I see more hunters at Bong than any other property I hunt at, so I agree with your logic, which makes me wonder why a non resident fee has not been introduced yet. The original fee has been existent for a number years.

[millerms06]

" However, what might lessen the strain would be to release some of the birds during the spring, ?

Releasing tame birds in the Spring is a waste of money. Our PF chapter has a youth/mentor hunt 2 weeks before our pheasant season open(on private ground). The birds are tagged when they are realeased. We release 45 pheasants and the kids usually only manage to get around 14 birds. That leaves 31 tagged pheasants that should be there in 2 weeks when season starts. There is only 4 of us that hunt this ground, plus we know everyone that hunts the surrounding farms. The most birds with tags that have been bagged by the end of the season is TWO. Most years is ONE. and this year ZERO. The released birds are too stupid and are caught by hawks or coyotes before season even starts in 2 weeks. The latest we have ever got one of the tagged birds is 2 weeks into the season. Try to talk them out of releasing tame birds in the Spring. A Long time ago Nebraska used to release young tame birds at 8 weeks old. A friend of mine released 500 tagged birds he got from the state. Out of the tagged birds 2 tags were turned in--one shot opening weekend and one off a road kill before season.

Overall very informative perspective. The idea of releasing birds in the spring was just me spit balling, getting the discussion rolling to address the overall costs of the program and maybe spark a dialogue to find out how to increase population numbers with hundreds of birds being released on a property. Some of the properties in the state get anywhere between 400-8500 birds released depending on the size of the land. I have not done any research as to whether or not the WI DNR have ever tried or would be inclined to split a land's bird quota during a calendar year. In March, I run my dogs on a few of the properties that get stocked during the hunting season. I hear birds cackling, so there are birds there. How was the cover on the property the past few years and even after this past year's drought? Was there enough out there to provide an adequate hide? What about guys that run their dogs for training purposes before the season? Does that happen on the same property or on the surrounding lands? I just wanted to ask. Hawks and coyotes are pesky adversaries no doubt! Would like to go on a coyote hunt sometime: looks like an adrenaline rush!

[jczv]

The reason there's a charge is that they released a huge number of birds on the property (over 8,000 in 2011) which is 6 or 7 times more then they release on any other property
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/documents/ ... ocking.pdf

and realize that they allow up to 300 hunters at a time so it's a bit of a zoo
http://www.bongnaturalistassociation.or ... ev0908.pdf

I live about 30 miles from Bong and hunt there several times during deer gun hunting season (safety in numbers). I actually have no issue with them raising the prices to be more inline with the cost as only a limited number of hunters have reasonable ability to get to Bong and for me it costs me more in gas just to drive there. Everybody pays for the $10 pheasant stamp and out of state hunters still are paying for an out of state small game license so I don't see that as a big issue.

Bong is quickly becoming an island in the middle of a desert as like everywhere else there's been huge ongoing changes in the local farmland removing treeline etc. I think overall there isn't any hope of any real wild pheasant population in Wisconsin other then a few west central areas. 5 years ago we found 10 areas of public land within an hour drive that had decent wild pheasant populations (aka hens where none are released). This past season that was down to 2 with a tiny number of birds.

I'm a little ambivalent about giving more retiree breaks (even though I'm rapidly getting to that age) as some of the recent changes removing time and day limitations on different properties have meant more retirees (and others) following the trucks around during the week and blasting away right after birds are released. Although the biggest change in hunting released birds the last two years is that nice weather has kept more hunters out longer in the season. Previous years early snow or cold cut the number of hunters by 90% by mid-November these last few years there's been enough nice weekends that very few birds get a chance to settle in and there's limited chance of seeing anything late in December.

Personally I've changed my focus from some of the south central areas of the state for pheasant to northern areas for grouse after the woodcock have moved on.

[millerms06]

The reason there's a charge is that they released a huge number of birds on the property (over 8,000 in 2011) which is 6 or 7 times more then they release on any other property
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/documents/ ... ocking.pdf

and realize that they allow up to 300 hunters at a time so it's a bit of a zoo
http://www.bongnaturalistassociation.or ... ev0908.pdf

Both good points, and good points to question why Bong (3600 hunting acres) has as many birds stocked on the property? Scuppernong (3,000acres) and the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine (2,000acres) have more acreage of suitable hunting (the properties mingle together hence combining them as one of the same) yet receive considerably less birds (2700 combined vs. 8160 from last year's total). So the question to that would be why didn't the DNR propose to increase the fee for out of state hunters if they are utilizing Bong as a means to receive more funding for the stocking program? Again any increase they would propose would be cheaper than Illinois.

I agree with you that it feels like hunters are walking over each other. It could be because everyone congregates in the same sections of the property? Kind of weird, but I think it is the "ooh that guy must know where the birds are" or "I killed a couple here yesterday, I am going to go back there again today" mentality. Or perhaps its because there is approximately 3600 suitable acres for hunting?

It would be interesting to see their record logs to see how many days the property did reach 300 hunters.

Like you I mix the season up with Northern Wisconsin Grouse.