Despite Tropical Storm Lee, and thanks to Marcellus Shale leasing money, Pennsylvania’s pheasant stocking level this year will be the healthiest in almost a decade.

The state game commission plans to stock some 200 thousand pheasants for the upcoming small game seasons for the first time since 2004,  after being at a reduced level of 100 thousand in recent years due to budget constraints.

15 thousand birds are being stocked for junior only hunting season and another 15 hundred are intended for clubs holding mentored hunts for juniors in October.

Bob Boyd of the Bureau of Wildlife Management Services at the Pennsylvania Game Commission says they’ve recovered from damage at two farms caused by Tropical Storm Lee due to the dedication and perseverance of staff at the Lycoming County facilities.

Some changes have been made to protect from future storms by relocating some of the fields most prone to flooding. But he adds that the core infrastructure was not damaged during the storm.

***Photo of Ring Necked Pheasant by Joe Kosack/PGC Photo