THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT IN PA b SCOTT R KLINGER b WILDLIFE RESEARCH BIOLOGIST

PA Pheasant Harvest

b TRENDS IN CROPS PLANTED

b LAND USE HAS INTENSIFIED ON REMAINING ACRES

TRENDS IN USDA SET-ASIDE ACRES

IDLE FIELDS-AN ENDANGERED HABITAT

RESTORING THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT b THE PHEASANT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PA

GOALS b Restore Wild Pheasant Populations b Provide 250,000 Game Farm Pheasants b Inform and Educate b Develop Partnerships b Monitoring and Research b Provide Funding and Resources

SECONDARY PHEASANT RANGE- 2005

b WPRAS

TRAP AND TRANSFER OF WILD PHEASANTS b GAME FARM PHEASANTS VS WILD PHEASANTS b HUNTING b DOG TRAINING b MONITORING b HABITAT

Target acres% of croplandPublic land acres Private land Acres SECURE NESTING COVER Grass/legume 150,000 15% 2,000148,000 Small grains 100,000 10% 50099,500 WINTER COVER Standing corn 10,000 1% 1,0009,000 Border edges 20,000 2% 2,00018,000 Shrub cover 19, % 2,00017,000 Wetlands 1, % b WPRAS-HABITAT TARGETS

THE FUTURE OF THE PHEASANT IN PA b DEPENDS ON LAND USE OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS b THE 2002 FARMBILL b PRIVATE LAND USE b 2007 FARM BILL b Game Farms b Trap and Transfer b Monitoring and Research b 200,000 Wild Pheasant Harvest b By 2017 b 220,000 Game Farm Birds Stocked-132,000 Harvested b 200,000 Pheasant Hunters b HABITAT IS WHERE ITS AT

b “WE SHALL NEVER ACHIEVE ABSOLUTE b HARMONY WITH THE LAND, ANY MORE THAN WE SHALL ACHIEVE ABSOLUTE JUSTICE AND LIBERTY FOR PEOPLE… IN THESE HIGHER ASPIRATIONS …THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO STRIVE.” b ALDO LEOPOLD