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Generally it is most cost effective to release hens on your property in late winter or early spring say the first or second week of March. This way you carry the birds through the most difficult part of winter and release them around 30-45 days before spring breeding, this gives the hen time to naturalize to the area. She will raise her brood in that area and you will have a "wild " flock that fall.

It is important to rember not to distrub the hens with the broods say from mid april to mid july, do your dog training at a park or sportsmans club, and leave 1/3 of your property as a sanctuary that fall so you don't push that brood off your property.

Also release a few more cox's and hens every 2nd to 3rd year so you diversify the genetic pool and the population doesn't imbreed too much.

That really depends on what your trying to do,...?

If you just want to enjoy an afternoon together on a place with birds,...one hour is usually sufficient

If you want to extablish a population there, hunting shortly after you releaseing is a little counterproductive, that is why I often suggest to leave 1/3 of your property as a sanctuary so you don't pressure birds off immediately