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Sask. pheasant release program aims to grow populations in the wild

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REGINA -

Volunteers with the Regina Wildlife Federation (RWF) released pheasants into the wild on Saturday morning.

In May the federation’s raise and release program received around 1,050 baby pheasants from a pheasantry near Toronto.

RWF said about 950 birds will be released in various locations around rural southern Saskatchewan, adding some of the birds died in travel and during the raising process.

“Having talked to more experienced pheasantries in both B.C. and on the west side, they have said we have done extremely well,” Mert Malkoske, volunteer with the raise and release program, said.

The goal of the program is to help grow Saskatchewan’s pheasant population.

Malkoske said since the program started a few years ago, the federation has seen an increase in pheasant populations.

“We’ve seen growth in areas where there were no pheasants, we’ve seen the population growing, we’ve seen young ones,” he said.

On Saturday, the group released about 400 birds on a farmer’s land near Tribune Sask.

“It’s always great to have landowner and hunter relations and this is one way of doing it,” Co-chair of the program, Derek Cattell, said.

Many of the volunteers said the pheasants became like their pets and it can be sad to see them go, but know it’s to help the future of pheasant hunting in the province.

“It will be for enjoyment for future generations to come and that’s the idea,” Malkoske said.

The federation hopes the program will run again in 2022.

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