The Surrogator

[Just-a-bird-hunter]

Has anyone purchased/used/heard of these units? The best way to describe it would be "robo-hen": it keeps chicks of any galliformes bird warm dry, and has it's own self contained watering and feeding stations that are periodically filled. The idea is keep the chicks away from humans so they do not habituate, keeps them safe from predators and gives them a nutritional boost so the birds can go "feral". Has anyone used these to establish a population of pheasants/quail/huns et al? The department of Idaho Fish and Game did a half-assed study and said, "they don't work" (this was for pheasants). Of course, the data is not available and they did not use the Surrogator from Wildlife Technologies but made there own. The things are expensive, mostly because they have a little, furnace inside that keeps the chicks warm, complete with thermostat! In our area of Idaho, there are little "islands" of suitable habitat but they pheasant density is so low, there is no pressure for the birds to move into a new areas. I have heard the mantra, "If you build it, they will come". It's here, they just can't find it.

[AverageGuy]

Never used one myself. Interested in them, read all I can find about them. I have a situation similar to what you posted. Habitat on my farm and those immediately surrounding it would support pheasants, but we have no pheasants presently. They are not waterfowl. They are not going to migrate in as the nearest viable populations are a short drive but too far for a pheasant to get here on its own, with gaps of unacceptable habitat in-between . So they need to be released here if we are gong to reestablish them. Which would probably make more sense for F&G to do that vs extremely expensive Prairie Chicken and Elk into extremely fragmented habitat, but that is another story ...

I think any chance of establishing a population requires first and foremost viable habitat to release the birds into. If that is present I think it could work provided the birds are carefully raised to not have any association with humans, which is supposed to be a benefit of the Surrogator. The F&G positions' seem to assume the birds will be released into unacceptable habitat.

I do know someone who has used a Surrogator to release hundreds of quail. Few if any make thru winter to spring. But his farm lacks suitable habitat. The birds he releases act pretty wild and fly very strong. The guy who owns the company is featured on the Outdoor Channel several times each year on his farm in south central KS. The birds fly strong. He claims some carryover and nest but of course he would. I also have a friend who's job is to train and maintain a string of dogs for a wealthy gentlemen to hunt behind several times a year. My Friend has been on some of the best quail plantations across the south and SE (as well as wild bird places across the SW and MW). Places with $250K annual operating budgets for habitat work. They use them and are able to produce quail that behave as wild birds. Not sure how many carryover and nest however.

I am going to do habitat work first and see what can happen without a Surrogator but if things do not take off, I may well get one and use it. Even it never establishes a permanent viable population the put and take possibilities would be fun as long as the birds flew strong. Would be a nice way to work young dogs if nothing else.

[Just-a-bird-hunter]

AG,

You are absolutely right about pheasants not-being waterfowl, meaning they just don't decide to go walk-about (or should I say, fly-about) for greener pastures. Sage Grouse will fly 7 to 8 eight miles just for a lark, and Sharptail, about half that. I have had this discussion with IDF&G several times: they say, if you build it, they will come. If there was a pheasant in the area, I would find them on our place. We are about a mile away to the east and west from pheasant sightings. The birds are not going to thread their way through over-grazed BLM land to find our place. I have asked for permission to wild-trap one and you'd have thought I wanted to molest both wife and daughter. One of their best replies was, "What if someone wants elk on their property, you think we should trap an elk for them?" My reply was an elk weighs about 1,200 pounds and pheasant, maybe three, and I don't want you to trap them for me, I would just like permission to trap one so I don't end up in the grey-rock hotel. Of course, permission denied, hence, my interest in the surrogator.

[orhunter]

Little islands of suitable habitat isn't enough. Need large blocks, semi-connected and it needs to be the right stuff. Nesting habitat is different from casual habitat and you need both.

[Just-a-bird-hunter]

Eight acres of nesting cover, approximately 20 of thigh-high bunch grasses, approximately 1/2 mile of 5 deep hedgerow: 2 rows Rocky Mtn junipers, 1 row skunk brush sumac, 2 rows mixed chokecherries, Siberian Pea, snowberry. Very close by are about 60 acres of organic beans and corn. BLM to the south and north. That should be enough habitat. I have taken limits in Idaho from areas that were not half as good this area. Yeah, I know, then why aren't they there. The density is too low for them to move out of the areas where they are; no expansion pressure.

[AverageGuy]

There is several thousand acres of suitable contiguous habitat on and around my farm. No Pheasants, some quail. Without a release I do not think the pheasants can be reestablished into this habitat. The nearest wild birds are too far away to get here.

The trap and transfer of wild game to reestablish them in suitable habitat has been used for decades to restore Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Pheasants, Chukars, Prairie Chickens, Ruffed Grouse, Otters, Elk, Ferrets, Wolves, Bison, Bighorn and Desert Sheep, Condors, Peregrines ... Not sure why F&G Depts have become seemingly stubborn to embrace it and use it again for quail and pheasants.

As I say, I am not certain if birds released from a Surrogator will ever establish a viable population or not. Released birds lack survival skills, but the Surrogator claims the isolated approach in the suitable cover where they will be released overcomes that. I know it will produce a release of birds sufficient to provide some decent sport the fall and winter of the year they are raised and released. Carryover to nest the following year is going to be slim is my guess. I am certain it's success would be far below what a trap and transfer of wild birds could accomplish. Over and over once Man destroys what God created our efforts to restore it prove inferior to his original work. Even our Prairies restorations are extremely lacking in plant diversity compared to what was there before we destroyed it.

[orhunter]

What appears to be suitable to us, doesn't necessarily make it so. Nesting/brood habitat needs to be a mixture of plant forms that isn't so thick that newly hatched chicks can't get around in it. The different vegetation species harbor a varied type of insect life. For the first six to eight weeks of a pheasant's life, they eat bugs before they switch over to vegetarian. Without the protein, they don't survive. Here in our area, they raise a lot of grass seed. To the untrained eye, one would think it's great nesting habitat but the fields are a single plant species and therefore, no bugs, no pheasants. Prime nesting/brood habitat should consist of alfalfa, various grass species and weeds. It should be thick enough to protect chicks from avian predators but not so thick as to prevent moving about. It doesn't matter what other cover exists in the area because every pheasant begins as an egg and must survive the first six to eight weeks in order to utilize the other cover as an adult.

I know some folks will release bred hens in the spring. Others us Bantam chickens to hatch/raise chicks.

[AverageGuy]

All True Harvey. My CRP is in year 2. Designed specifically for Quail. The Fallacy of it is that the low seeding rate when it was planted would yield a thin stand and enough bare dirt for the brood habitat you described. What happens in reality is we get way too much moisture to have bare dirt in my part of the country. Something will always grow (e.g. foxtail, ragweed, forbs, grasses, sunflowers ...) unless the ground is disked or sprayed to kill what sprouts. I am still accumulating the tools to do that efficiently and will get after it seriously next year, creating and keeping some strips of bare dirt with thin cover through it along side woody cover and thicker nesting cover. And creating fire breaks so that I can safely burn it on an every 3 year rotation. Pheasants can tolerate thicker cover than quail and it is pretty ideal for pheasants as is. But no pheasants near enough to move in...

[orhunter]

To those who plan on releasing birds, it must be done before the birds get their adult feathers. If you wait till they have their adult feathers, the birds are at that point domesticated and unable to care for themselves.

An active predator elimination program is in order to give young birds a fighting chance. Without a hen to raise them, they are somewhat unaware of survival techniques.

One thing a person should be aware of and that is which predators affect pheasant the most. Number 2, is Fox. Number 1, is Great Horned Owls. Forget Coyotes, they're a non-issue. Skunks affect nesting birds and there's probably more of them around than anyone suspects. Get rid of them.

[AverageGuy]

Coons and weather are the biggest threats to successful nesting in my country.

[AverageGuy]

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[AverageGuy]

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[bhennessy]

I appreciate this great discussion, being that I live in the deep south (Southern Louisiana) where we've seen a 90% drop in our quail numbers over the past decade or two. While I'm sure there is truth to the argument that our changing the birds' habitat is a big culprit, I also cant help thinking there is something else at work. Perhaps a combination of factors? My family is still up in Connecticut where the habitat change has been just as severe due to the steady loss of farming/farmers and a steady population increase, but they are currently overrun with pheasants (and turkeys, and foxes and even a few black bears wandering through) currently. It just doesn't make total sense to me that habitat change in some areas would have a massive impact on bird numbers, but in other areas it seems to have had little to no impact.

I do take heart from the fact that apparently Texas had a very good quail season last year, after several years of terrible numbers, but I think that had more to do with their drought finally ending.

Realize of course I'm an econ major talking about something he knows little about and only observes!

[Just-a-bird-hunter]

Well, I pulled the trigger and have pheasant chicks in the unit. The biggest surprise was how big the thing was! It is about the size of a King -Size mattress and box springs set! We will see how if there any hens in vicinity next February, March and April!

[Texasphez]

Bird hunter,

Please keep us posted on how the unit works out. I am very interested to know what kind of results you see. I've read reviews on both sides. I have been so close to pulling the trigger on one more than once only to read another review from someone who says it was a complete failure. Hope it works out great for you!