Completion of the State Game Lands 333 Project
Photo courtesy of Mark Nale
State Game Land 333 which we have been sponsoring for the past 5 years. State Game Land 333 is located in Centre County on property previously owned by Rockview Penitentiary near Shiloh Road. The Game Commission has been managing a large portion of the Game Land for upland birds including ring-necked pheasants. The chapter has been assisting by providing labor, a tractor, a seed drill, herbicide and grass and pollinator seed.
The Central Pennsylvania Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) recently completed a native prairie restoration project on State Game Lands 333 in Centre County. Nearly 60 acres of upland habitat was restored adjacent to Interstate 99 near Shiloh Road. The chapter provided the grass seed which included a mixture of switchgrass, big bluestem, Indian-grass and wildflowers as well as labor to plant them. NWTF provided seed to plant cool-season buffers around the grass fields. The Game Commission provided a tractor, grass drill and labor as well. Other partners included the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who also provided labor, a tractor and grass drill. A similar project was also completed by the partners in Clearfield County on SGL 59 where 30 acres were planted. The restoration projects will provide habitat for upland birds, mammals pollinating insects and other native wildlife.
2020 Youth Pheasant Hunt
Wing Ding and Wild Pheasant Talk
On Thursday, September 25, 2014 the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold a Wing Ding and Wild Pheasant Talk at the Old Fort American Legion. Chapter President Jesse Putnam will talk about Pennsylvania’s Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas (WPRAs). Over the last six years, Jesse has been trapping wild pheasants in South Dakota and Montana and transferring them to the four WPRAs in Pennsylvania. There will be all-you-can eat chicken wings, raffles and prizes. Cost is $15 / person. Doors will open at 5:30 PM and the Wild Pheasant Talk will begin at 6:30. Proceeds will benefit local habitat restoration such as the native grass planting on SGL 333. To make a reservation, or for more details, e-mail Jesse at putnam80@gmail.com , or call him at 814-598-9789. You can also visit the website at www.centralpapheasants.org .
2010 Year End Habitat Summary
In 2010, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of Pheasants Forever planted and restored 18 acres of warm season grasses, managed one controlled burn, restored 62 acres of wetland and planted 55 acres of trees and shrubs. These projects were all completed by crews and volunteers from Centre, Clinton, Snyder and Union Counties. We are also working on establishing a Wild Pheasant Restoration Area in Penns Valley, like the ones at Montour Preserve, Pike Run, Somerset, and Hegins-Gratz.
Upland Bird Habitat Development
Jesse Putnam, Habitat Forever Crew Leader and Central Pennsylvania Chapter Volunteer, stands in front of a Truax Drill used to plant warm-season grasses to provide upland bird cover. This site was planted with switchgrass and big bluestem along with a wildflower mix. Cooperators along with the Central Pennsylvania Chapter included the landowner, the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Jesse’s Pheasant Trapping Story
As Timmons says in Dances with Wolves, “I’ll bet someone back east is going, ‘Now why don’t he write?'” Well, it’s cold, very cold. Three days in a row of sub zero temperatures. Normally I would never complain about temperatures below zero, with the real feel near -25, but… When you add several miles a day on a snowmobile, that real feel is amplified. It was cold today. The local Montanans were even complaining about how cold it was. Continue reading Jesse’s Pheasant Trapping Story