New York's Statewide Pheasant Release Program

[THE GOB-FATHER]

For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Maureen Wren
Friday, September 11, 2009 [phone]

DEC ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF PHEASANTS FOR 2009 HUNTING SEASON

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that approximately 25,000
adult pheasants will be released on lands open to public hunting for
the
fall pheasant hunting season.

The regular pheasant season will begin Oct. 1 in northern and eastern
portions of the state, Oct. 17 in central and western portions, and
Nov.
1 on Long Island. For regional maps and a description of season dates,
go to www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/29453.html. Boundaries for
pheasant
hunting zones conform to state Wildlife Management Units (WMU); WMU
boundary descriptions can be found on DEC's website at:
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8302.html. In addition to knowing these
boundaries, hunters should review the 2009-2010 New York Hunting &
Trapping guide for complete regulations and other important
information
before going afield.

Junior Hunter Weekend
For the third consecutive year, junior hunters (12-15 years old) have
the opportunity to hunt pheasants the weekend prior to the regular
pheasant hunting season in most areas. In northern and eastern New
York,
the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Sept. 26-27. In western New York,
the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Oct. 10-11. There is no youth
hunting
weekend on Long Island. All current pheasant rules and regulations
remain in effect during the youth hunt. Pheasants will be released on
a
number of select sites across the state to provide ample youth
hunting
opportunities.

Pheasant Release Sites
Raised at DEC's Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca, pheasants will be
released primarily on wildlife management areas and cooperative
hunting
areas around the state prior to and during the fall hunting season.
All
release sites for pheasants provided by state-funded programs are open
to public hunting. A list of statewide adult pheasant release sites
and
sites receiving birds for youth pheasant hunt weekends can be found
at:
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9349.html . Locations where birds will be
released for the youth hunt are noted with a "YH" on that page.

Pheasant Rearing and Release Programs
Two popular cooperative pheasant rearing and release programs, the
Day-old Pheasant Chick Program and the Young Pheasant Release Program,
provide additional opportunities for pheasant hunters. Birds from
these
programs are released before the season opens and disperse widely,
presenting a greater challenge for experienced hunters. Anyone
interested in raising and releasing pheasants to expand next year's
hunting opportunities should contact the Reynolds Game Farm at (607)
273-2768.

The Day-old Pheasant Chick Program provides day-old pheasant chicks to
cooperating 4-H groups and sportsmen and sportswomen. This year,
nearly
54,000 pheasant chicks were distributed statewide in May and June as
part of this program. The Young Pheasant Release Program was developed
in 1992 with assistance from organized hunters. In this program,
seven-to-10-week-old pheasants are distributed to cooperating groups
and
landowners for release at pre-approved sites from June through August.

Approximately 14,000 young pheasants were released on more than 340
sites this year. A list of these sites is available from DEC regional
wildlife offices. More information about these programs can be found
at
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/49071.html on the DEC website.