I noticed on the TPWD website there is a season for pheasants in Chambers, Jefferson and Liberty counties in SE TX....does anyone know if there is any public land or outfitters down there? What is the pheasant population like?

Thanks.

I live in S E Liberty county not far from Chambers county line and I have never heard of a huntable population of pheasants any where close.

i posted this same question last year. what i dont get is of all the counties in texas that have no pheasants why did these two counties get listed as places to hunt. not only that the season is much longer in houston area than in panhandle area leading people to believe the place is loaded with pheasants

I might have a possible answer
I know that about 15 ~20 years ago TPWD released a sizable number of phez in South Texas. I think this was to propigate a huntable population. Unfortunately I think that these birds have not survived in any large numbers. South Texas weather, Heat, Fire Ants ETC have probably wiped them out. I think they have left the season open to see if there are any birds to harvest.

pheasant eggs do not hatch in humid climates very well, like the above post, fireants would have wiped them out.

Funny you mention Blessing
Very close to where I grew up. Thats how I know about the Phez. First time I ever walked one up and it took some air I about crapped myself. I had never seen a wild? Phez. I trapped that same bird about a week later under a bridge and saw the band on it's leg---

HupDog Daddy,
I am sure what your thinking of is Granger WMA. Several years ago TPWD stocked about 50 wild pheasant that had been trapped in the panhandle along with a few hundred pen raised birds. They had an experimental public hunt through the Type I lottery draw. I was on that hunt in 1986 with a Brittany. It was a miserable hunt for most. It was over 100 degrees and at least one hunters dog died on the hunt just before ours. The Pheasants did not survive for the reasons you mentioned and there were no more hunts. It is in no relation to the current Coastal Pheasant season.

Nope
To be real specific the bird I saw was on the Savage ranch in Matagorda county. If I remember correctly it was about 1985? I saw several other birds after that. Our closest neighbor who was a federal trapper and had many TP&W / GW contacts informed me of the release. All the birds I saw were banded -- I had assumed that they were pen raised birds. I suppose they might have been wild trapped birds??
I was informed that the attempt was to propigate a huntable population in the future.
You do understand I was getting my info 2nd hand so it could be off a little. I did however see the birds with my own eyes and the story seemed to fit.
I have no doubt that other attempts were made to populate other areas. Like I posted before I think TP&W is feeling out whether there are any (huntable) populations lurking down on the coast.
I think it would be great if we ever did have enough birds to have a statewide season. With all the hunters in the state it would have to be pretty well managed.