SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION OF WILD AND PEN-REARED RING-NECKED PHEASANT HENS

Pen-reared ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) hens are commonly released by private managers to augment wild pheasant populations in South Dakota. To evaluate this practice, I radiomarked wild (n = 44) and pen-reared (n = 159) ring-necked pheasant hens to monitor their survival and reproduction in 2 study areas in eastern South Dakota, 1990-92. Survival of pen-reared hens (7.8 +/- 2.4% SE) was lower (P < 0.001) than that of wild hens (54.6 +/- 6.6%) during the 181-day reproductive period because of higher (P < 0.001) predation (90.3 +/- 2.9% and 45.4 +/- 6.6%, respectively). Fewer (P < 0.001) pen-reared hens (21%) initiated nest incubation than did wild pheasants (68%). Surviving pen-reared hens (38%) were less (P = 0.03) successful in nesting than were wild hens (63%), but brood-rearing success did not differ (P = 0.17) with treatment (56 and 83%, respectively). Wild hens recruited 34 broods/ 1 00 hens compared with 3 broods/100 hens for pen-reared hens. Because of low survival and reproductive rates, pen-reared hens should not be released in habitats containing wild pheasants.