Pheasant release – the complete guide to releasing, aviaries, feeding, and care

Pheasant release is an integral part of wildlife management on many Danish hunting estates. However, a successful pheasant release is about much more than buying a flock of six-week-old pheasants and releasing them into the forest.

For the birds to thrive, stay on the estate, and develop into strong and well-functioning birds, it requires planning long before the actual release day. The release site must be ready, there must be access to feed and clean water, the birds must be able to find shelter and roosting spots, and ongoing supervision is necessary.

At the same time, pheasant release is regulated and raises questions concerning animal welfare and nature management. In this guide, we review the most important aspects from the beginning of planning until the pheasants have become an integrated part of the estate.

Why are pheasants released?

The pheasant has been part of Danish hunting culture for several hundred years and is widely released today for hunting purposes.

The purpose of the release is typically to create or supplement a huntable population on the estate. But pheasant release should not stand alone. The best results are achieved when the release is part of broader wildlife management, where work is also done with cover, food sources, coverts, game crops, and other habitat improvements.

A good release should therefore be considered a process – not a single event.

The quality of the birds certainly matters, but even good pheasants will not thrive if released on an estate that is not prepared for them.

Know the rules before you start

Pheasant release is regulated in Denmark, and it is important to investigate the applicable rules before ordering the birds.

The rules include:

• how many pheasants may be released,

• where and when they may be released,

• requirements for a biotope plan for more extensive releases,

• any requirements for education or courses,

• reporting the release,

• as well as rules on breeding and animal welfare.

The rules change from time to time, and you should therefore always check the current executive order and the authorities' guidance before planning the year's release.

A practical rule of thumb is: get the legal aspects in order first – then order the birds.

Plan backwards from the first pheasant hunt

The timing of the release should not be chosen randomly.

Many release pheasants as approximately six-week-old birds. They then need time to grow, develop plumage, learn the estate, and gradually become more independent.

Therefore, it makes good sense to plan the release backwards from the expected first pheasant hunt.

For example, if the birds are desired to be approximately 20 weeks old at the first hunt, six-week-old birds should be released about 14 weeks earlier.

This also means that the planning of the release site, feed, water, and other wildlife management must begin even earlier.

Buy pheasants from a reputable breeder

The cheapest pheasant is not necessarily the cheapest solution.

If the birds are weak, sick, stressed, or poorly imprinted when they arrive, the consequence can be high mortality and birds that quickly leave the estate.

Therefore, choose a breeder with a good reputation and ask about:

• the age of the birds,

• health status,

• vaccination and disease history,

• what feed the birds are accustomed to,

• how they are bred,

• and how transport takes place.

It is an advantage if the birds, even during breeding, have been exposed to conditions that, to some extent, resemble the environment they will later live in.

The goal should be healthy, active, and manageable birds that have the best possible conditions for the transition from breeding to life on the estate.

The release site must be ready before the birds arrive

One of the classic mistakes is only completing the release site when the birds are in the transport crates.

Everything should be ready beforehand.

When the birds arrive, there should already be:

• a functional enclosure,

• feed,

• water,

• cover,

• roosts,

• dry areas,

• shelter,

• sunny spots,

• and secure passages in and out of the release area.

It is also a good idea to inspect the entire site immediately before release. An aviary that was problem-free three weeks earlier may have been visited by rats, foxes, or other predators in the meantime.

The English aviary

A common method for releasing pheasants is the so-called English aviary.

Here, a larger enclosed area is established in a suitable natural habitat – typically with bushes, trees, and other vegetation – where the birds can orient themselves and gradually move between the release site and the surrounding estate.

The point is not just to keep the birds in.

A good aviary should rather serve as their first safe base on the estate.

They should associate the area with:

• security,

• food,

• water,

• cover,

• rest,

• and roosting spots.

When they later move further away, they must have a reason to return.

What should be in the aviary?

A well-designed release site should include, among other things:

Roosts

Pheasants must be able to get off the ground at night. Trees with suitable branches are therefore valuable. Roosts should preferably be located inside the area and not right next to the fence.

Bushes and dense vegetation

The birds must be able to quickly find cover. Dense vegetation protects against the weather and reduces disturbance from birds of prey.

Sun and shelter

Pheasants often seek warm, dry areas. Therefore, there should be several sunny spots, while also allowing the birds to find shelter.

Opportunity for dust bathing

Pheasants dust bathe as a natural part of their feather care. Dry soil patches are therefore an advantage.

Feeding stations

Feed should be placed so that the birds feel safe but are also encouraged to forage naturally.

Clean water

There must be constant access to fresh water, and watering equipment must be kept clean.

Grit or small stones

Pheasants have no teeth and rely on small stones in their gizzard to process food. In soil where this is not naturally available, particular attention should be paid to providing suitable material.

Location matters a lot

A beautiful aviary in the wrong place is still a poor release site.

Choose a quiet area with natural cover and good connections to the rest of the estate.

For example, avoid placing the release site directly next to:

• frequently used forest roads,

• areas with significant human activity,

• open areas without cover,

• or places where the birds are immediately pushed into unsuitable terrain.

Also, think ahead.

When the birds start to disperse, where should they go?

Ideally, there should be natural guiding lines in the landscape – for example, hedgerows, coverts, wide field margins, small woodlands, and game crops – which make it attractive for the birds to move around on your estate.

Check for predators before release

Predation is a natural part of life in nature, but newly released pheasants can be particularly vulnerable.

Therefore, inspect the release area immediately before the birds' arrival.

Look for, among other things:

• fox dens,

• cavities under tree roots,

• piles of stones and brushwood,

• woodpiles,

• hollow trees,

• old nests,

• holes in the ground,

• as well as signs of rats.

It is not necessarily the number of birds taken by a predator that is the biggest problem. Repeated disturbance can cause the rest of the flock to leave an otherwise good release site.

Good cover is therefore at least as important as the enclosure itself.

The day of release

If possible, choose a day with calm and good weather.

It is an advantage to release the birds in the morning or forenoon so they have many daylight hours to explore their new surroundings before darkness falls.

Avoid chasing the birds out of the transport crates.

Instead, place the crates calmly and preferably under vegetation, and let the birds exit at their own pace.

The less dramatic the transition from transport to the release site, the better.

The first few hours are primarily about peace and quiet.

Feeding after release

Six-week-old pheasants are far from fully developed and still depend on suitable feed.

Therefore, ask the breeder what feed the birds received immediately before delivery, and avoid unnecessarily sudden changes in feed.

Initially, the goal is not just to satiate the birds.

The feed should also help keep them attached to the release area.

Eventually, feeding can be spread further out on the estate and actively used to guide the birds' movements towards good habitats.

Pheasants naturally spend a large part of the day foraging. Therefore, spreading some of the feed in the vegetation can help activate the birds rather than concentrating all food in one place.

At the same time, attention should be paid to hygiene around feeding stations. Large concentrations of birds and feed can also attract rats and other animals and can potentially increase the risk of infection.

Water is at least as important

The birds must always have easy access to clean and fresh water.

Especially around release and in warm summer weather, lack of water can quickly become a serious problem.

Water dispensers and containers must therefore be:

• checked daily,

• kept clean,

• appropriately placed,

• and accessible to all birds.

In larger release areas, multiple watering points can be an advantage so that the birds are not unnecessarily concentrated around one point.

Daily care cannot be skipped

Pheasant release is not a part-time project for the first few weeks.

The birds must be inspected daily.

The inspection should include, among other things:

• whether there is enough feed,

• whether the water is clean and accessible,

• whether the birds appear active and healthy,

• whether there are dead or sick birds,

• whether the fence is intact,

• whether there are signs of predators,

• and whether the birds are using the release site as expected.

It is often an advantage if the same person is responsible for daily care. The birds get used to the routine, and the person quickly learns to spot if their behavior changes.

A change in the birds' behavior can be the first sign that something is wrong.

Think about the entire estate – not just the aviary

A pheasant release does not succeed solely because of a good aviary.

As the birds get older, they move further away. The estate around the release site therefore becomes crucial.

A good pheasant estate offers a mosaic of:

• dense cover,

• open foraging areas,

• shelter,

• coverts,

• hedgerows,

• game crops,

• grass and herbaceous vegetation,

• and secure connections between areas.

Game crops can have several functions. They can serve as a food source, cover, a guiding line through the landscape, and a habitat.

Don't just think about what the game crop looks like in July. It is especially interesting what kind of cover it provides in October, November, December, and through the winter.

Animal welfare and nature conservation

Good pheasant release is not just about the number of birds on hunting day.

Animal welfare must be in order throughout the entire process.

It is worth remembering that released pheasants transition from a controlled breeding environment to a life as free-living birds. The transition is significant, and mortality among released birds can be high.

Therefore, the following are not merely elements that improve hunting, but are central to responsible release:

• healthy birds,

• good release conditions,

• correct feeding,

• clean water,

• cover,

• disease prevention,

• and ongoing supervision.

One should also be cautious about portraying pheasant release as unequivocally positive for biodiversity. Large-scale release can affect the surrounding ecosystem, partly through high local bird densities, feeding stations, disease risk, and impact on other species.

Wildlife management and habitat improvements can be beneficial, but release and nature care are not necessarily the same.

A successful pheasant release begins long before the birds arrive

Perhaps the most important lesson is that the quality of the year's pheasant release is largely determined before the first transport crate is opened.

Have you chosen good birds?

Is the release site ready?

Is there cover?

Is there water?

Are there good roosts?

Is the estate prepared?

Do you have time for daily care?

And are you aware of the rules?

If the answer is yes, the birds have much better conditions for a good start.

A responsibly executed pheasant release requires work – but the work should precisely be part of wildlife management. The goal should not just be to have many birds on the estate, but to create conditions where the released pheasants can live as naturally and healthily as possible up to the hunting season.