If you’re a pheasant hunter, particularly if you have a hunting dog or two, you’ll get another chance of taking a longtail for the dinner table when the Pennsylvania Game Commission releases approximately 8,400 hen pheasants this week for the late pheasant hunting season that runs through Feb. 28.

The PGC managed to offer these additional birds after they purchased chicks from a private supplier and raised them to maturity. According to the PGC, they requested their supplier to raise additional pheasants as an insurance policy against any disease issues that may arise from the supplier’s primary breeder flocks. This was in precaution to the present avian flu taking place statewide. The PGC said their primary breeder flocks, however, have remained healthy.

Pheasant releases are planned to take place during a two-day window on Wed. Feb. 12 and Thursday, Feb. 13, at select locations in each of the PGC’s six regions. But the agency points-out that any logistical issues - or weather - could result in last-minute changes to the schedule.

The most local locations expected to receive birds are as follows:

NORTHEAST

REGION

*SGL 40 and Beltzville area (Carbon Co.)

*SGLs 58, 226 and 329 (Columbia Co.)

*SGLs 119 and 187 (Butler Enterprises Hunter Access property; Francis Slocum and Nescopeck State Parks; Luzerne Co.)

*SGLs 84 and 185 (York Co.)

SOUTHEAST REGION

*SGL 280 Blue Marsh (Berk Co.)

ICE FISHING REPORT

Chris’s Outdoor Shop, Mertztown: According to Chris, Leaser Lake is fishing good with 5-8 inches of ice where ice anglers are taking some yellow perch and nice black crappie in fact one customer showed him a photo he took of one he caught that was almost 17 inches. Ontelaunee Reservoir is also fishing well with minnows and waxworms for sizable crappie. Chris added that he fished Promised Land, Shohola and Prompton lakes last week and they all had 9-plus inches of ice.

Mike’s Bait and Tackle Shop, Nazareth: Reported that Minsi Lake had 7 inches of ice with hardwater anglers picking up some small bass and trout, all on fathead minnows. But he points out with the fluctuations with the temperature and weather conditions, ice fishing could be on or off.