Investigation of parameters relevant to the pheasant population in Serbia from 1999 to 2023

Branislav Baltić; Boris Mrdović; Aleksandar Bajčić; Nikola Betić; Milica Laudanović; Aleksandra Tasić; Jelena Janjić

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.72

Branislav Baltić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2603-2521
Boris Mrdović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9964-4317
Aleksandar Bajčić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2923-4137
Nikola Betić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7375-6752
Milica Laudanović University in Belgrade - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6381-2803
Aleksandra Tasić Scientific Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia,Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8361-5697
Jelena Janjić University in Belgrade - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3351-7199

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.72

Keywords: hunting, shooting, pheasantries, feeding grounds

Abstract

The aim of this study was to present data on the number of pheasants, their harvested numbers due to hunting, the volume of obtained meat, and the numbers of pheasantries, feeding grounds for small feathered game, and hunters in Serbia from 1999 to 2023, based on data from the Statistical Yearbooks of Serbia, which report these parameters for each odd-numbered year. The average number of pheasants during the study period was 373 thousand, with 146.2 thousand harvested (39.28% of the total population). From the harvested pheasants, 102.4 tons of meat was obtained. The average number of pheasantries was 500.5, with varying production capacities. For supplementary feeding of pheasants from late autumn until spring, an average of 23,880 feeding grounds were installed, maintained by an average of 83,622 hunters. All examined parameters showed a slight increasing trend from 1999 to 2023, except for the number of pheasants, which showed a decline.