Pheasant hunting season begins Saturday in Montana, and hunters will have new opportunities thanks to an unlikely partnership between Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Montana State Prison.
About 80 pheasants were released Friday at the Lake Helena Wildlife Management Area, but these birds weren't raised through traditional methods. Instead, they were hatched and cared for by inmates at the Montana State Prison as part of a conservation program that pairs wildlife management with rehabilitation.
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The pheasant release program allows inmates to harvest, incubate and hatch pheasant eggs, then care for the birds from hatchling to adulthood. The collaboration between FWP and the state prison has been running for four years and provides inmates with valuable life skills.
"Anytime you can help them build when they're incarcerated, build a skill set. It does give them a much better chance of surviving, and not and lowers the rate of recidivism," said Christy Clark, Director of Montana FWP.
The releases create new hunting opportunities, particularly benefiting young upland bird hunters who can experience pheasant hunting with improved success rates.
"To be engaged, sometimes you need success. And this does give them a better opportunity for success," Clark said.
The program receives funding from hunting license sales and Pittman-Robertson funds.
Pheasant hunting season begins Saturday, October 12, and runs through January 1.
