Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-02-17
PHEASANTS IN
VALLEY URGED
Propagation AS Game
Bird Is Declared
Feasible

P~hessants as a new game bird FOL
the Lower Rio Grande Valley, IS an
krlasa entirely feasible in the opinion
sCharles G.. Jones, state game
len. and one that will be tested
shortly. The only important
point TO be considered is that the
bird will have to be protected for a
certain length of time.
Mr.. Jones says that he has breach
ed the subject TO the game commits
sioner and he urged that Valley
sportsmen 20 ahead and develop the
plan, raising birds as a test to see
how they will thrive here.
"Our Texas game laws already
have a provision protecting the
pheasant with an indefinite closed
season. / am in hearty accord with
this idea of stocking the Valley sec
tion with this game bird and see no
reason why the birds could not be
raised and propagated in such num-
bers to become thoroughly estab-
hshed as n Of U ranking game
birds.
The unusual success attained in
\ the Dakotas, Iowa and Nebraska,
where these birds are now compare
\ lively plentiful, should at least be
squalled here in the Valley, where
he ckachalaca or Mexican pheasant
fs n native. OF all varieties l would
,uggest the Chinese as being the
BEST for this breed as it is outstand-
rng for its hardness and adaptable
ity.
Breeding stock brought in from
the other states and placed upon
the farms throughout the Valley and
raised in pens is the best plan. After
the young are about grown they
should be gradually liberated on the
land where they are raised. In this
way the birds would know their range
and could be better protected by the
people of the neighborhood.
Under this plan / believe within
q very few years we would have
enough birds 70 consider an open
season on them. My suggestion OF
getting young birds as a beginning
is not made to discourage those who
might care to buy eggs, as this is
a good plan, also. l have in mind
sly the advantage Of adaptability,
IA atgoung being already aeclimated.
IABfedatory animals are n of the
s1ztest enemies to pheasants. To
avoid loss from this source | think
ouL CULTIVATED StCliOnS the DGSt
place to raise and lberate these
birds. Along canals and fence rows
should afford sufficient cover while
in the adjoining fields a food sup
ply can be found. An agreement
with farmers to help protect these
birds, along with signs stating there
Is a closed season for a period of
years, will take care Of the situation
so far as propaganda is concerned.
Several Valley people have already
experimental with pheasants and
find they do well here. Mr.. Cox.
president Of the First State Bank of
Alamo Mr.. Billman, farmer of Dom
ma, p. P. Collie, farmer of Donna;
Mr.. Quinn, Fred Guerin and Bill
Parks, of Mission; Dave Ferguson
of Harlingen and Ross Hoyt of Nc
Allen are men who now have pleas
ants or else very much interested
in seeing these birds placed in the
Valley.
Il have talked with a number OF
Valley men who during the past
year have enjoyed that most royal
sport of shooting ~pheasantS in states
where there is ar open season, and
TO hear them relate their experiences
should arouse in our minds a deter
mination TO have this same sport in
the les future in the Valley. In
this undertaking, as in all others
wherein the sportsmen are TO be
considered, ! am at your service"