Controlled shooting of game birds, as evidenced by recently established preserves in the Southeast, is rapidly increasing in popularity. With a view toward appraising this type of hunting and its role in wildlife management, 100 ringnecked pheasants were released in seven lots on a l20-acre peninsula, Allatoona Lake, Georgia, November 24-27, 1955. Hunting began 30 minutes after the initial release of 24 birds and was sustained for four days, during which 25 hunters, divided into parties of from three to seven guns each, exerted a total gunning pressure of 33 man-days. Each of the seven hunts averaged about three hours in duration. Eighty pheasants were bagged, approximately 2.4 birds per man-day, at a cost of $3.30 per bird, exclusive of ammunition, dogs, transportation and equipment. Techniques employed in developing grounds and conducting hunt, closely compared to practices employed on Nilo Farms, Illinois, and other established preserves, except that the Allatoona hunting grounds were flanked by broad, open-water areas. This factor unquestionably increased the percentage of recovery. Contrary to the expectation of many, hunting conditions were natural, dog work excellent, shooting reasonably sporty, success satisfactory, and costs within reach of the average hunter. The feasibility of staging similar hunts by sportsmen's clubs or groups of hunters was demonstrated.
