Thanks to a series of Marcellus Shale leases approved by the Board of Game Commissioners in 2011, Game Commission officials Thursday announced hunters will see the agency’s pheasant stocking efforts increase to 200,000 birds for the upcoming small game seasons for the first time since 2004.

The 110,090 males and 89,910 female pheasants to be stocked this year includes 15,000 birds for the junior-only season (October 6-13) and 1,500 pheasants allocated for those clubs sponsoring mentored pheasant hunts for juniors on October 6.

“Back in the 2004-05 fiscal year, the Game Commission was forced to make many difficult financial decisions as license revenues failed to keep pace with the increasing costs of doing business,” Roe said. “While the agency’s last license fee increase took effect in the 1999-2000 license year, many operational line-items, such as the price of gasoline and other habitat improvement materials, increased at a faster pace.  The pheasant propagation program was one budget item we were forced to cut, resulting in the closure of one game farm and a 50 percent reduction in the pheasant production level from 200,000 to 100,000.

“During the intervening years, we said that it would take another license fee increase for us to be able to restore the cuts in pheasant production, as well as the other cuts that were made, since reducing the pheasant program was saving the agency more than $500,000 annually.  However, thanks to monies from recent Marcellus Shale-related gas leases on State Game Lands, we have been able to return to the 200,000-bird level this year, which is consistent with the Game Commission’s Strategic Plan and Pheasant Management Plan.”

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8/20/2012