Populating our habitats

Times Reporter  

 

Late last month, on April 26, the Wheatland Conservation and Wildlife Association released 1,000 pheasants in 27 different locations throughout Wheatland County. 

Wheatland Conservation is the local chapter of the Alberta Fish and Game Association (AFGA). Each year Wheatland Conservation fundraises for different projects around the community. At the annual fall dinner held in Carseland they raised money for the recent release. 

“We earmark all that money to go into either habitat for pheasants or to help improve the populations,” said Clint LaRiviere, president of Wheatland Conservation and Wildlife Association. 

“So this year we decided to, along with other funds from the club, we spent approximately $15,000 to purchase hens, pheasants, from the hatchery in Brooks and we released them in groups of 12 to 13 birds around the community and more in different areas.”

The pheasant is not a native bird to the area, it was brought in to the province in 1905, and it has since made Alberta its home. Over the years there has been a decline in the pheasant population. 

“Declines come with better farming practices and loss of habitat. In the past we’ve done projects to enhance habitat along the WID (Western Irrigation District) canals,” said LaRiviere. 

“Any landowners that have habitat we’ve approached them, or they’ve approached us and we’ve fenced it off so that it remains as pristine as possible. We’re hoping that the release of hens into the wild will help the future pheasant population in the area.”

LaRiviere said there are some who think that releasing the birds doesn’t do any good, but the association feels the birds were released here at one time and had thrived so there is potential to help see the population grow substantially. 

“We’re hoping that if even 100 of the birds nest this year that’s going to put 800 to 1,200 birds on the ground this fall and they will be wild birds then,” said LaRiviere. 

The Wheatland Conservation and Wildlife Association often partners with Ducks Unlimited and Partners in Habitat Development to help see wildlife habitats enhanced, or established in Wheatland County. 

“The importance of our group is basically we try to be also stewards of the land, we do hunting and fishing but there wasn’t any conservation groups before the AFGA Association and we basically started conservation here back in the early 1900s,” said LaRiviere.

“It’s essential so that we can have a voice to the government to voice our concerns over regulations and to ensure conservation is being done by the government.”

Those interested in becoming a member with the Wheatland Conservation and Wildlife Association can contact the membership chair Doris Thompson at 403-934-2629.

The association is also going digital soon. By the end of the month they will have a website up, www.wheatlandconservation.com where people can go to find more information about the organization.