The state of Montana is trading Holsteins for hens at Montana State Prison, hopeful that a new pheasant rearing and release program will help recruit hunters and provide inmates continued work opportunities. House Bill 637, a wide-ranging and hotly debated bill brought by Joliet Republican Rep. Seth Berglee, includes $1 million in funding for a new pheasant program at the Montana State Prison. Plans call for the birds to be released on state wildlife management areas ahead of youth hunting seasons â the first time in nearly four decades the state will be raising and stocking pheasants. Recruitment, retention and reactivation, commonly called the âThree Rsâ of hunting, is part of a national push to bolster hunter numbers. Recognizing that hunting is not only about shooting a bird, FWP sees the pheasant releases as an opportunity for early success, especially as young people try hunting, said Quentin Kujala, FWPâs chief of staff.