Administrative Rules of Montana › Department 12 - FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS › Chapter 12.9 - WILDLIFE DIVISION › Subchapter 12.9.6 - Upland Game Bird Release Program › Rule 12.9.602 - REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECTS INVOLVING PHEASANT RELEASES

Current through Register Vol. 13, July 5, 2024
(1) The department will not authorize
				participation in the upland game bird release program for pheasants unless the
				proposed project meets the following requirements:
(a) all birds must be at least ten weeks of
				age at the time of release;
(b) no
				more than 40% of the birds released may be cocks;
(c) all birds must be fully feathered, appear
				healthy, uninjured, and have the ability for flight at the time of the
				release;
(d) applications for
				releases must be postmarked by January 15, and all releases must be made
				between August 1 and September 15;
(e) groups or individuals releasing birds on
				property they do not own must provide the department with written documentation
				from the landowner giving permission for the release, acknowledging the
				requirements of allowing free public hunting, and notifying the department whom
				payment should be made;
(f)
				releases may not be made in Fergus, Richland, or Roosevelt counties in order to
				provide a potential basis for evaluating the success of the program;
(g) all releases must be on land open to
				public hunting without the imposition of any monetary charge for such hunting
				privilege during the year of release. Release sites may be subject to use
				limitations but no fee may be charged in connection with the privilege to hunt
				on any release site;
(h) all
				release sites should contain a minimum of 160 contiguous acres under the
				ownership of the applicant or the person authorizing release. Release sites as
				small as 80 contiguous acres will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may
				be authorized if the acreage involved would provide a viable habitat base for
				the number of birds authorized to be released;
(i) within one mile of each release site,
				habitat must be available that consists of:
(i) at least 10% effective winter
				cover;
(ii) 25% idle cover such as
				undisturbed residual vegetation 10 or more inches high; and
(iii) 10% food sources, such as cultivated
				grain;
(j) certification
				of the genetic strain must be available from the commercial source of the eggs
				or chicks and must be provided, upon request, to the department by the
				applicant;
(k) all source stock
				must be purchased from an authorized National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
				hatchery;
(l) the department
				reserves the right to inspect the pheasant raising facilities and sample
				birds;
(m) the department reserves
				the right to refuse to stock or pay for any pen-reared pheasants that are
				observed to be in poor condition or health prior to or during release
				activities;
(n) habitat sites will
				be inspected by department personnel to determine the authorized number of
				birds that may be released. This number will be determined by:
(i) the availability of required habitat
				components within one mile of the release site; and
(ii) the number of birds that the area will
				support assuming one bird will require approximately three acres of habitat
				within a one-mile radius of the release site;
(o) banding of birds may be required in
				specified study areas;
(p)
				pen-reared pheasants may be assessed for overall health and general condition
				prior to and during release activities and the department maintains the right
				to refuse authorization of any pheasant release or payment for released
				pheasants if pheasants appear unhealthy prior to or during the release
				activity;
(q) all releases must be
				verified at the time of release by a department representative who will submit
				the verification form to the program coordinator for payment to the landowner
				or their designee;
(r) pheasant
				releases may occur annually within a five-year period starting from the first
				release. The department may fund additional releases for one additional
				five-year period if habitat improvements are established that address factors
				limiting pheasant numbers.