PA Game Commission Aims To See How Many Stocked Birds Go To Hunters

By Bob Frye

 

You might have heard a certain football coach in Pittsburgh say “the standard is the standard” a time or two.

In this case, there is no standard.

 

A number of states stock ring-necked pheasants for hunters. Few, apparently, have any idea how many get harvested. There are no nationwide guidelines for what constitutes a successful stocking program, either.

Rather, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Jared Wiklund, spokesman for Pheasants Forever.

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, for example, stocks 15,000 pheasants a year. How many go home in a hunter's hands is a mystery.

 

“We don't have any data on that. Unfortunately, there's no good way for us to say how many of the birds we release are harvested,” said wildlife communications specialist John Windau.

 

Similarly, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation annually stocks 30,000 adult birds and gives another 40,000 chicks to sportsmen's clubs to raise and distribute on lands open to public hunting.

It put radio collars on some of those birds in 2009 and monitored them in two areas. Harvest rates ranged from 21 to 31 percent, said spokeswoman Wendy Rosenbach.

 

But whether that's typical, or even enough to make stocking worthwhile, are questions without answers. The agency doesn't know whether harvest rates have changed over time, nor does it have a “threshold harvest rate” by which it validates its program, Rosenbach said.

 

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is hoping — with the help of hunters — to get better answers here.

 

“We do have a reward band study going on where we're going to be measuring harvest rates on our pheasants this fall,” said Bob Boyd, chief of the commission's propagation division. “We did this in 1998, and we're going to repeat it that this year.”

 

That earlier study found hunters took one of every two birds released, with success better on public land than private, Boyd said. The commission made changes to its stocking program as a result. This will be the first look to see whether they boosted harvest rates, he added.

 

Roughly 5,500 leg-banded pheasants will be released, 1,000 of them good for cash rewards. Hunters who take any — the statewide season begins Saturday, with a two-bird daily limit through Nov. 28 — are being encouraged to say so using the bands' toll-free number, commission biometrician Josh Johnson said.

 

He said he's hoping for cooperation, and it's easy to see why. The stakes are comparatively high.

 

Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection requires anyone wanting to chase pheasants to buy a pheasant stamp. That money — and only that money — pays for birds.

 

“The number of pheasants that are purchased is directly correlated to the number of pheasant tags sold in Connecticut during the previous season, the revenue derived from pheasant hunters and the price paid for each pheasant,” reads the agency's explanation of the program.

 

This year, the agency sold 106 fewer stamps than last year, while the price of birds increased. The result is hunters will be getting 14,935 birds, or 650 fewer than last fall.

 

The Game Commission's program, by comparison, is gargantuan, costly and shared by all.

 

The commission raises 200,000 pheasants annually, at an estimated cost of about $4 million. Fewer than 10 percent of license buyers will hunt them, yet all will subsidize the program, said Dennis Duza, who retired from the commission as its northcentral regional supervisor a few years ago.

 

That's not fair, he said. Speaking to commissioners at their recent meeting, he suggested the agency — which has asked lawmakers to increase licenses fees for the first time since 1999 — also ask for a pheasant stamp to support stockings.

 

At least two commissioners aren't interested.

 

Tim Layton of Windber said many youngsters get into hunting through small game. He said his son still is involved in the sport only because he took a pheasant incidentally, he said. If he had been required to have a pheasant stamp, he never would have pulled the trigger and might not even be a hunter now, Layton said.

“I understand the cost of the program. We talk about this all the time. We know that it's, for lack of a better term, a burden on the commission,” Layton said.

 

“But it's one of those things we can give back to hunters, and if by a result of that we can turn our youth into long-term small-game hunters, I mean, that brings a lot to the table.”

 

Commissioner Brian Hoover admitted the commission spends a lot on ringnecks. But he said it also spends a “tremendous amount” on wildlife habitat benefiting a variety of species.

 

“So what do we do next?” he asked. “Do we then charge the hunter for a buck stamp, or a buck tag, on top of his license because we spend millions of dollars on habitat improvement for that? Do we do the same thing for grouse hunters? Where does it stop?”

 

Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobfryeoutdoors.

Early Pennsylvania Migratory Bird Seasons Set

Dove hunters to enjoy expanded opportunity in coming seasons.

Pennsylvania’s early migratory bird seasons have been approved, and changes this year give dove hunters about three additional weeks to spend afield. 

            Federal frameworks have increased the total season length for mourning doves from 70 to 90 days.
            In Pennsylvania, that means the first segment of dove season will expand substantially, opening on Monday, Sept. 1 and running through Saturday, Nov. 15. 

            Traditionally, the first segment started and ended in September, and much of October was closed to dove hunting.   

            Ian Gregg, who heads up the Game Commission’s game birds section, said channeling the additional dove-hunting days to the early season segment was done with hunters in mind. 

            “Pennsylvania dove hunters who responded to a recently completed survey indicated they generally prefer as many dove hunting days in early autumn as possible,” Gregg said. “As a result, the additional days have been routed to the early season segment to create 2 ½ months of continuous dove hunting.” 

            Hunting hours during the longer first segment are from noon until sunset from Sept. 1 through Sept. 25. Then beginning on Sept. 26, and through Nov. 15, hunting hours begin at one-half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. 

            Two short-season segments around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays also have been retained. Gregg said this also is in response to the survey results, which showed these later seasons are popular and productive times for the most avid dove hunters to be afield. The later season segments will run from Nov. 22 to Nov. 29 and from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1, with hunting hours during those segments set at one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. 

           The daily bag limit in each dove-hunting segment has been set at 15, with a possession limit of 45.
           The September statewide season for resident Canada geese also will open Sept. 1, and continue through Sept. 25. The September season retains a daily bag limit of eight Canada geese, with a possession limit of 24. 

           Shooting hours during the September goose season are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, except when the season overlaps with youth waterfowl hunting days. On those days, shooting hours end at sunset. 

          There are special regulations – including smaller bag limits and possession limits – in a couple of areas of the state.  

          In most of the Southern James Bay Population Goose Zone, and on the Pymatuning Reservoir and the area extending 100 yards inland from the shoreline of the reservoir, excluding the area east of state Route 3011 (Hartstown Road), hunters will have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of nine. 

          Also, in a portion of western Crawford County, the daily bag limit is one goose and possession limit is three geese. That area begins south of state Route 198 from the Ohio state line to intersection of state Route 18, then follows state Route 18 south to state Route 618; follows state Route 618 south to U.S. Route 6; U.S. Route 6 east to U.S. Route 322/state Route 18; U.S. Route 322/state Route 18 west to intersection of state Route 3013; and state Route 3013 south to the Crawford/Mercer County line. The exception to the rules in this area is State Game Lands 214, where September goose hunting is closed. This restriction does not apply to youth participating in the youth waterfowl hunting days, when regular season regulations apply. 

         The controlled hunting areas at the Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon and Lancaster counties, as well as all of State Game Lands 46, will remain closed to September goose hunting to address the decline in the resident Canada goose flock. 

         And, in the area of Lancaster and Lebanon counties north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) and east of state Route 501 to state Route 419; south of state Route 419 to Lebanon-Berks county line; west of Lebanon-Berks county line to state Route 1053 (also known as Peartown Road and Greenville Road); and west of state Route 1053 to Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76), the daily bag limit is one goose, with a possession limit of three geese. This restriction does not apply to youth participating in the youth waterfowl hunting days, when regular season regulations apply. 

         Kevin Jacobs, a waterfowl biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, noted that recent liberalizations in Canada goose hunting opportunities, along with control programs being implemented by many municipalities and public and private landowners, appear to be stabilizing the growth of the state’s resident Canada goose population. The 2014 Pennsylvania spring resident Canada goose population was estimated at 241,732, which is statistically similar to the recent 10-year average of 266,306 geese. 

         However, populations remain significantly above the management goal of 150,000. 

         “Hunting remains the most effective and efficient way to manage resident Canada geese, provided hunters can gain access to geese in problem areas,” Jacobs said. 

         The first youth waterfowl hunting day will be held statewide on Sept. 20, and the second day will vary by duck-hunting zone and will be announced when late migratory game bird seasons are selected in mid-August. 

         Youth waterfowl days are open to licensed junior hunters who are 12 to 15 years old. To participate, a youngster must be accompanied by an adult, who may assist the youth in calling, duck identification and other aspects of the hunt. During those hunts, youth can harvest ducks, mergansers, coots and moorhens, and both youth and licensed adults can harvest Canada geese. 

         During youth waterfowl days, youth and adults have the same daily limit for Canada geese in the area being hunted. Bag limits for ducks, mergansers, coots and moorhens will be consistent with the limit for the regular season, which will be announced in mid-August, after the annual Waterfowl Symposium on Aug. 8. 
         Pennsylvania’s woodcock season retains its longer format this year, opening on Oct. 18 and closing on Nov. 29. The daily limit remains three, with a possession limit of nine.  

         The season for common snipe also will run from Oct. 18 to Nov. 29, which is the same structure as previous years. The daily limit is 8, and the possession limit is 24. 

         Virginia and sora rail hunting will run from Sept. 1 to Nov. 8. Bag limits, singly or combined, are three daily and nine in possession. The season for king and clapper rails remains closed. 

         Hunting for moorhen and gallinules also runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 8, and the bag limits are three daily and nine in possession. 

         Migratory game bird hunters, including those afield for doves and woodcock, are required to obtain and carry a Pennsylvania migratory game bird license ($3.70 for residents, $6.70 for nonresidents), as well as a general hunting, combination or lifetime license. All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older also must possess a federal migratory game bird and conservation (duck) stamp. 

         Hunting hours for all migratory birds close at sunset, except for September Canada geese, as noted above, and the snow goose conservation season. 

         Annual migratory bird and waterfowl seasons are selected by states from a framework established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

The “Pennsylvania 2014-15 Guide to Migratory Bird Hunting” brochure will be posted on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) in mid-August. 

         Hunters are encouraged to report leg-banded migratory game bird recoveries online at www.reportband.gov, or use the toll-free number (1-800-327-BAND). Hunters will be requested to provide information on where, when and what species were taken, in addition to the band number. This information is crucial to the successful management of migratory game birds.

The Hunting Dog Diet: Nutritional Needs Of The Working Dog

By John Hayes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Click to enlarge

A good hunting dog changes everything. Well-trained dogs work hard for their human partners. They are canine athletes trained for speed, endurance and discipline and genetically predisposed to enjoy human companionship.

New research has found that year-round specialty diets can keep dogs in peak performance condition, and dietary supplements can prepare muscles and cardiovascular systems for explosions of energy use and post-exercise replenishment.

Canine nutritional physiologist Brian Zanghi said the summer training season, when temperatures can reach the 80s and above, can be a difficult time for four-legged hunting partners.

“We all know working dogs will burn more calories,” said Zanghi, a research scientist with the Molecular Biology Group at the Purina company’s Nestle Research Center. “What we’ve learned in the last 20 years is that the formulation that a dog eats — the amount of protein, fat and carbs in a dog’s food — can play a big role in its overall health and ability to perform.”

Generations of selective breeding created in hunting dogs the propensity to have special capabilities and skills. For millennia, dog owners have understood that size, speed, sight, scent perception, intelligence, discipline and affinity for working closely with a human master are among traits that can be fully capitalized upon or enhanced through good training. Zanghi said new research shows that high-performance dietary formulas can enable dogs’ bodies to take full advantage of the training regimen.

“Humans get most of their energy from carbs,” he said. “We’ve found that dogs, particularly working dogs with a high level of athleticism, get most of their energy from fats. These dogs have higher nutritional needs. Nutrition drives the ability of the muscles to adapt to the exercise regimen, and performance formulas have more fat than maintenance formulas.”

A high-fat diet can be beneficial, even for dogs that get little exercise. The research shows that when less active dogs are put on a performance diet for a several months, their muscles become primed to adapt to exercise metabolism. Zanghi, owner of beloved retriever and co-founder of a retriever club in Kentucky, said hunters shouldn’t wait for September to start their dogs on a new performance formula.

“The old paradigm was that hunting dogs are less active in the summer and spring and need fewer calories, so you feed them less food,” he said. “We’ve found it’s better to give them a [high-fat] performance formula all year long, altering the serving size in the offseason. I regularly get feedback from hunters [who’ve tried it and] say they’ve seen changes in their dog’s performance.”

The key to helping a canine athlete reach peak performance is in maximizing the muscles’ ability to burn oxygen. Year-round feeding on a performance diet primes the muscles to use oxygen more efficiently, said Zanghi, who helped Purina to develop its Pro Plan Prime and Refuel bars, nutritional supplements that help the muscles to rev up before exercise and replenish afterward.

“They’re not treats — that’s a very important element to share with readers,” he said. “Treating a dog as a reward for performing some skill should be done with very small kibbles or training treats. These bars are specific nutrients given before and after a dog goes on extended exercise.”

Carb loading is standard practice among human athletes, but it can actually impair performance in dogs. Even eating a typical meal before exercise can slow a dog down.

Pre-exercise supplements, given 30 minutes before intense exercise, are better at putting extra proteins in place and sustaining them while the dog is active.

Post-exercise bars, said Zanghi, are formulated with rapidly digestible carbohydrates that don’t trigger a sugar spike. They work best when given to the dog during the window of opportunity for recovery and replenishment, 60 minutes following significant exercise.

“If the recovery nutrient is delayed two hours after exercise, the degree of replenishment is reduced by 50 percent,” he said.

Unlike their human handlers, dogs don’t sweat or use large amounts of electrolytes, which control how the body processes waste and absorbs vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Watering is vital for working animals. While many hunters periodically share a bottle of water with their dogs, Zanghi said they often don’t provide the amount of hydration required by a high-performance canine athlete.


“If you let a dog drink until he’s through, a lot of times he won’t drink enough to thoroughly hydrate himself,” he said.

Zanghi recommended that hunters and dog trainers add water to the dog food a day in advance of the exercise. During the outing, bring water that’s just for the dog and hydrate the animal every 15 to 20 minutes.
“You might have to bait the water to get the dog to drink enough,” he said. “Ideally, use something like low-sodium chicken broth, or put some kibble in the water to encourage him to drink. You might have to pour water into the side of his mouth, or use a tube to get the water in there.”

Dry gums, excessive panting, the seeking of shade, fatigue and lethargic behavior are symptoms of dehydration. Stop the exercise and get the dog to a cool location, preferably in the water.

A hour after the hunt or training session is a good time for feeding, said Zanghi.

“A lot of people feed their dogs twice a day, but for hard-working dogs it’s advantageous to feed them once a day,” he said. “When a dog has fasted it has better endurance potential than a dog that eats before exercise.”

PA Game Commission Urges Participation In Christmas Bird Count

Volunteers sought for annual citizen-science survey.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are urging wildlife enthusiasts to join the tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the United States in the Audubon Society’s 114th Annual Christmas Bird Count, which will take place Dec. 14 through Jan. 5.

The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen-science survey in the world, and the data collected through the count allows researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.

Local counts will occur on one day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. Volunteers can pick the most convenient circle, or participate in more than one count. There is a specific methodology to the CBC, but everyone can participate. The count takes place within “Count Circles,” which focus on specific geographical areas. Each circle is led by a “Count Compiler,” who is an experienced birdwatcher, enabling beginning birders to learn while they assist.

Those who live within the boundaries of a Count Circle can even stay at home and report the birds that visit their backyard feeders.

In either case, the first step is to locate a Count Circle that’s seeking participants and contact the local Count Compiler on Audubon’s website, www.audubon.org, to find out how you can volunteer.

There is no longer a fee to participate in the Christmas Bird Count.

Dan Brauning, who heads up the Game Commission’s wildlife diversity division, said the Christmas Bird Count makes an indispensible contribution to conservation because it monitors bird species that spend winters in Pennsylvania.

“Some of these species are much easier to count or monitor in winter because their breeding ground is so far north in areas where there are few people or roads to give access to habitat,” Brauning said.

The rusty blackbird, for instance, migrates from the boreal taiga forests of Canada and Alaska to the southeastern United States in winter, Brauning said. Pennsylvania is on the northern edge of its winter range, and it sometimes turns up in the Christmas Bird Count, he said.

Hawks also are more easily counted in winter, Brauning said.

Brauning said the Christmas Bird Count is a good way to introduce beginners to bird identification. It is much easier in winter to find birds through your binoculars, he said.

“Birds are easier to spot because the trees lack the leaves that hide birds from your eyes in spring and summer,” Brauning said. “And there are fewer bird species around in winter than at other times of year, so it is easier to learn bird species identification. In fact, many birders got started in this hobby in winter in a car with more experienced birders on a Christmas count.”

Game Commission To Host Annual Waterfowl Briefing

This year’s symposium to be held at Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area.

Representatives of waterfowl organizations, interested hunters and the public are invited to attend a briefing on Friday, Aug. 9, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Northwest Pennsylvania Duck Hunters Association, on the status of Atlantic Flyway waterfowl populations and proposed preliminary federal frameworks for the 2013-14 waterfowl hunting seasons.

The briefing will begin at 1 p.m., at the Game Commission’s Pymatuning Administration Building, 9552 Hartstown Road, Hartstown, Pa.

In addition to reviewing frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for upcoming waterfowl and migratory bird seasons, Game Commission staff will provide updates on current and planned research and management programs, as well as past hunting results.

Public comments will be accepted at the meeting; or by sending a letter to: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797; or via e-mail throughWaterfowlComments@pa.gov.

Based on public comments, Game Commission staff will prepare and present recommended waterfowl and migratory bird seasons, bag limits and related criteria to the USFWS for final approval. 

All migratory bird hunting seasons and bag limits must conform to frameworks set by the USFWS.  States select their hunting seasons within these established frameworks.

Early migratory bird hunting seasons – including September Canada goose, mourning dove, American woodcock and webless species – will be announced soon.

By mid-August, when the final selections are made, the Game Commission will issue a news release on the remaining hunting seasons for migratory birds.  The agency also will post the annual brochure outlining the seasons and bag limits for waterfowl and migratory bird seasons on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

Spreading The Word About Birds On Game Commission Website

Game Commission website offerings on wild bird upgraded

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Game Commission today unveiled a redesigned and expanded birding and bird conservation section on its website to help it better communicate the importance of wild birds to the millions who visit the website annually.

“We have always recognized that there is tremendous interest in birding and bird conservation among Pennsylvanians, but it hasn’t been easy to meet that demand with content on our website, because of our limited number of wildlife diversity biologists are incredibly busy,” explained Carl G. Roe, agency executive director. “These upgrades have been in development for the better part of two years, and with them now in place, our wild bird content overnight has become an indispensible resource for anyone from students to birders to backyard bird feeders.”

The new section offers advice on where to go statewide to see birds, when the best times of day are to go and what you can expect to see. Learn about migratory behavior. Figure out what seeds to put in your feeders to attract the wild birds you really want to see. Get help in making your property more bird friendly. Get background on how you can take part in important projects conducted annually to help biologists keep tabs on bird numbers.

“There’s always a need for more participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count, Pennsylvania Annual Migratory Count and even the Christmas Bird Count” explained Doug Gross, supervisor of the agency Endangered and Nongame Birds Section. “Visit these pages and learn firsthand how you can get involved, work with other birders and make a difference in bird conservation. We could really use your help!”

Pennsylvania is truly a keystone state when it comes to wild birds because the Appalachian Mountains have been part of a continental migratory highway for birds since the days of the passenger pigeon. There are 285 species of wild birds that are regular denizens of the state; another 129 species are less frequent visitors. It’s that diversity of birdlife that makes Pennsylvania so special to birders.

“We’ve taken substantial steps on these pages to acquaint more Pennsylvanians with the state’s wild birds and the agency’s role in bird conservation, both within the Commonwealth’s borders and internationally,” said Dan Brauning, supervisor of the agency’s Wildlife Diversity Division. “This content will help more people see the value of wild birds, and get them closer to birds. It also offers ways to get involved in bird conservation and to make your property safer and more attractive to birds. Please visit. You’ll see a side of Pennsylvania that surely will charm you and likely hook you on wild birds for life!”

To access the new Birding and Bird Conservation Section of the agency website – www.pgc.state.pa.us – place your cursor over “Wildlife” in the top navigation, and select “Birding/Bird Conservation in the dropdown menu. The new section can be accessed from the Wildlife Page