You’re right; ring-necked pheasants are not native to Wyoming. They were transported from China in 1882 to the United States. The transplanted birds found perfect habitat here and populations burgeoned into the tens of thousands. Many western states took notice and soon Wyoming started their own bird farm in the Sheridan area specifically for raising pheasants. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department still raises and stocks ring-necked pheasants today for hunting.
In 1935, the Game and Fish, Sheridan County Sportsmen’s Club and Works Progress Administration put together farm lands and laborers to construct the Sheridan Game Bird Farm. In 1937, the first pheasants were hatched using sitting hen chickens. These chickens were capable of hatching three times as many chicks as a hen pheasant and also brooded the chicks as if they were her own. Those few thousand reared birds were strategically placed onto farm lands and grain crops in an effort to build a self- sustaining population - and they did just that.
However, grain farming slowly went away and more efficient agriculture practices limited wild pheasant populations. So today, the Game and Fish’s pheasant raising and stocking program allows pheasant hunters opportunities they might not otherwise have. To raise more birds, in 1961, the Downar Game Bird Farm was built near Yoder. Today, using modern incubation and hatching equipment 40,000 pheasants are hatched in just four weeks between the Sheridan and Yoder bird farms. Adult pheasant stocking takes place in October, November and December with all Game and Fish raised pheasants released on publicly accessible lands in eastern and central Wyoming. There are still opportunities to hunt pheasants this year, I hope you’ll get out and take advantage of this fun sport.
In 1935, the Game and Fish, Sheridan County Sportsmen’s Club and Works Progress Administration put together farm lands and laborers to construct the Sheridan Game Bird Farm. In 1937, the first pheasants were hatched using sitting hen chickens. These chickens were capable of hatching three times as many chicks as a hen pheasant and also brooded the chicks as if they were her own. Those few thousand reared birds were strategically placed onto farm lands and grain crops in an effort to build a self- sustaining population - and they did just that.
However, grain farming slowly went away and more efficient agriculture practices limited wild pheasant populations. So today, the Game and Fish’s pheasant raising and stocking program allows pheasant hunters opportunities they might not otherwise have. To raise more birds, in 1961, the Downar Game Bird Farm was built near Yoder. Today, using modern incubation and hatching equipment 40,000 pheasants are hatched in just four weeks between the Sheridan and Yoder bird farms. Adult pheasant stocking takes place in October, November and December with all Game and Fish raised pheasants released on publicly accessible lands in eastern and central Wyoming. There are still opportunities to hunt pheasants this year, I hope you’ll get out and take advantage of this fun sport.
Publish Date
Answered By
Darrell Meineke
Job Title
Bird Farm Program Supervisor
Photo
Ask Game ID
163
Node order
149
Parent Node
1135