A controversial program that pays Montana state prisons to raise pheasants that are then released to hunters could expand to private and federal lands if the state Game Commission gives the program the green light for the next five years.
Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider a proposal August 19 This could double the number of release sites for these pen-raised pheasants, which are easy targets for beginning hunters.
program name, “chickens for recruitment“achieves its intent, but critics of the arrangement say there is no evidence that it is an effective hunter-recruitment tool. They worry that these pen-raised birds could spread diseases to the state’s wildlife and harm Montana’s reputation as an upscale hunting destination built on good habitat, not well-maintained hatchery birds.
Critics say that apart from the effects and optics of the disease, the program is a waste of money. The production cost of each bird released ranges from $95 in 2022 to $48 in 2024. Confirmed per-bird costs were not available for the last two years.
Rather than expanding the program, it should be eliminated, they say, and the money should be used for more sustainable hunter-recruitment and retention tools like outreach programs.
The program originated from 2021 legislation which authorized Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to spend up to $1 million annually “for the purchase of pheasants to be released on state lands.” Funding for what was initially called the “Youth Pheasant Release Program” comes from both FWP’s hunter-license account and the federal Pittman-Robertson Fund, derived from a tax on firearms and ammunition sales. Are eligible due to PR funds Pittman-Robertson Modernization Act In 2019 federal excise funds were allowed to be used for hunter education and recruitment purposes in addition to traditional wildlife management uses.
Where are pheasants obtained for FWP’s program? Montana Correctional EnterpriseA bureau of the Montana Department of Corrections that provides vocational training to inmates.
The pheasants are housed and raised at the Montana State Penitentiary at Deer Lodge, in facilities that formerly housed the prison dairy, but last year additional flight pens were installed at the Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City, which is closer to most of the roosters for recruitment. release sites. The birds — a mix of roosters and hens — have been released onto state wildlife management areas, fishing access sites and some school-trust lands ahead of Montana’s youth pheasant season.
The renewed focus on hunter recruitment is reflected in the program’s name change – Roosters for Recruitment, which was the title of a Montana Outdoors magazine story detailing the program’s alleged benefits. Montana’s Governor Even FWP has gotten in on the action, helping staff release prison-raised pheasants in 2023.
“We believe that giving kids and their families a chance to succeed early makes them want to do more,” says FWP spokesperson Greg Lemon. “It’s a good thing to have pen-raised birds on state land for youth (hunting) weekends and work with dogs and work with mentors and have success.”
The program’s budget has increased from $605,000 in 2022 to $955,000 in 2023 and approximately $450,000 over the past two years. Meanwhile, the number of birds released has increased from 5,730 in 2022 to 13,964 in 2024 and 9,853 last year. According to FWP, the limiting factor for releasing pheasants in large numbers is “suitable habitat on state lands, not breeding and raising pheasants.”
That’s why FWP is asking the commission next month for authority to expand the release program to state and private lands, which “must have suitable habitat and public access.”
According to the environmental assessment of the program’s expansion, FWP plans to expand the program to release 50,000 pheasants annually on suitable lands in the state.
According to the EA, “No pheasants will be released on private land without the landowner’s commitment and details of a public hunt permit for pheasants.” Eligible properties may include “posting the opportunity at least one week prior to the youth hunting weekend for public awareness.”
“We’re interested in partnership opportunities with organizations that are youth hunting,” says FWP’s Lemon. “Let’s say you’re a community group that wants to do youth hunting on private lands so kids can get some feathers in the air and have something to shoot. Currently, we can’t do that on private lands, which is why we’re asking the Commission to expand the scope of the program.”
Federal lands that may be considered for pheasant release may include those administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bureau of Land Management.
Public comments are currently open being accepted Till July 29 for the Commission’s decision.
low recruitment data
Ben Deeble cites several problems with the pheasant-release program, but his criticism begins with what he says is little indication that it is the hunter-recruitment tool the department claims it is.
“There is very little evidence that youth, or for that matter older hunters, are being recruited or reactivated by this program,” says Deeble, president of the Huntington, Inc. Big Sky Upland Bird Association and a frequent participant in FWP proceedings Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program Advisory Council. “In 2024, more than 2,000 hunters responded to a survey about the program, and a minority responded that they had either participated in or approved of the program.”
FWP’s Lemon acknowledged that there is little data on whether pheasants actually recruit initial predators or retain existing predators.
“We did not see any direct impact on license sales that we could determine,” he says. “It is difficult to ascertain whether upland bird license sales are linked to the release program or whether they would have purchased licenses anyway.”
Lemon said FWP also does not collect the number of participating hunters who may encounter prison birds or who went to the release site specifically with the hope of encountering a released pheasant. Instead, the department uses an annual survey of upland hunters to assess support and participation in release-site hunting.
While Deeble’s organization advocates for upland habitat and access programs, he is not against the idea of pen-raised birds to boost hunting success.
“Keeping birds in captivity and managing their habitats to provide optimal shooting opportunities can be a great place to introduce a young hunter or host the final days of an aging hunter,” he says. “Birds are deployed within minutes of hunting so you generally know where they are, and they are not missed by hunters. But I believe this is a role that the private sector can and does provide with far greater economic efficiency than prison.”
Deeble’s major concern is the possibility of disease transmission from hatchery birds to wild populations.
“I have personally visited the hatchery at Deer Lodge, and in the broody building and brooding barn, there are some elements of biosecurity in place,” says Deeble. “But flight pens are a sham in terms of being able to keep mature pheasants separated from wild birds, so the potential for avian flu or other pathogen transmission is high.”
Deeble cites poultry industry reports of high parasite loads in populations of pen-raised birds.
“There is research that strongly suggests that at least some upland bird populations are driven by higher parasite loads,” he says. “And I have received no answers to my questions about what is being done to keep parasite numbers down at the prison. So it’s likely that they are removing parasite-laden pen pheasants from the landscape. If I were a landowner with suitable habitat and the department asked to release these Deer Lodge pheasants onto my property, I would tell them no, because I don’t think they can guarantee that these are disease- and parasite-free birds.”
cascading effect
FWP has been careful to clarify that pen-raised pheasants are not intended to supplement wild populations. Survival of hatchery-raised birds is widely considered to be low, says Hunter VanDonsel, state coordinator for the Montana chapter of Pheasants Forever.
“The science is clear, transplanting pen-raised pheasants does not work for population growth,” says VanDonsel. “We are a habitat organization, so it’s not surprising we want to see resources dedicated to habitat. That said, increased hunting opportunities for pen-raised birds can have positive outcomes in terms of hunter recruitment, retention and reactivation. If I have a criticism of the Roosters for Recruitment program, it’s how and where releases are managed. I question whether we really need to put pen-raised birds in areas of the state with strong wild populations.”
But Lemon says the benefits of many programs are less tangible than birds in bags.
“Whether we’re talking with landowners or organizations, partnerships are becoming increasingly important to FWP, and partnering with prisons has been an important part of the program,” he says. “The business benefits for prisoners are important. And we hope an expanded program can help build partnerships with landowners and organizations we have not worked with in the past.”
Lemon says relationships with landowners can mature into enrollment in habitat and access programs, which are the department’s favorite hunter recruitment tools.
Deeble also wants to see continued investment in both, suggesting that if the Commission ends the jail-bird program, the money could go to FWP. Upland Game Bird Habitat Enhancement Program Which invests in both habitat and hunter access. He notes that Montana Game and Fish (FWP’s predecessor) once ran a department bird hatchery. It was discontinued in the 1980s as production costs skyrocketed and evidence began to surface that simply planting pen-raised birds was a poor substitute for habitat that could support feral populations of pheasants and other upland species on a perennial basis.
“Ever since Montana abandoned its hatcheries, our biologists and habitat managers have been proud of our ability to not only develop good upland bird habitat but to create public access to it,” says Deeble. “Proof of this is that Montana has become a destination for upland hunters from across the country who come here for our wild birds, and more importantly, access to our wild birds.”
In other words, there is no upland hunter recruitment problem in Montana that needs fixing. Deeble cites this year Late start to upland season For non-resident hunters, that was a response to hunter congestion in the state’s most popular upland areas.
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Instead of releasing the birds, Deeble suggests using the money to unlock access to habitats in upland areas.
“If you want to see a significant increase in youth hunters for pheasants or other upland birds, you can use the money to prioritize block management properties near our urban areas,” he says. “You could potentially limit these properties to use only by youth so they don’t have competition from seasoned retirees like me. This could perhaps move the needle on hunter recruitment, but at this point, I believe buying hatchery birds instead of good habitat is like paying for an expensive hotel room every night instead of buying a home.”
