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Pheasant Stocking an Unfortunate Waste of Money

October 2, 2011 by Corey 2 Comments

Flooding related to Tropical Storm Lee severely damaged the two farms used for raising Ring-necked Pheasants in Pennsylvania earlier this year, limiting the number of birds that will be released for slaughter by hunters (and slaughter is exactly what shooting farm-raised birds is). Never fear, hunters!

In an effort to appease small game hunters, Roe said the commission will increase its production of pheasants to 200,000 birds for the 2012-13 season. Funds to pay for the increase in birds will come from money the commission has received from Marcellus Shale-related leases on State Game Lands.

So, let companies hydrofrack for natural gas on state land, polluting ground water and putting a huge industrial footprint in the middle of what should be managed as habitat for native wildlife, and use what pittance the state receives in return in order to raise and release vast flocks of non-native birds that will be shot quickly?  And this makes sense why?

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.