Pheasants
by JAMART Photography
Title
Pheasants
Artist
JAMART Photography
Medium
Photograph - Art Photography
Description
JAM750
Anita Iowa
2005
https://www.explorebigsky.com/pheasant-hunting-in-america-a-brief-history/12789
The pheasant is so commonplace in North America today that people may not realize this colorful, grouse-like bird has only been on the continent since the late 1800s.
Native to Asia, the ring-necked pheasant was first introduced as an Oregon game bird in March of 1881, when United States Consul General Owen Denny and his wife Gertrude shipped 60 of them from Shanghai to the Willamette Valley. The introduction was a success, and the birds quickly spread to nearby counties.
With the help of Denny’s political connections, he was able to sway the state to pass legislation in 1892 that banned hunting until the population reached a sufficient number. That year, the first pheasant-hunting season opened in Oregon, and hunters reportedly bagged 50,000 birds in 75 days.
Subsequently, the ring-necked pheasant was introduced to other states across America. Populations thrived in the Midwest’s grassland habitat, as the birds spend the majority of their time on the ground and prefer fields and farmlands with brushy cover. However, they also inhabit woodland undergrowth and some wetlands.
Pheasant numbers reached all-time highs in the mid 1900s before suffering severe population declines, due to changes in agricultural practices in which farmers converted grasslands to croplands or urban development. Populations have since thrived as a result of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Grassland Reserve Program, which helps to maintain grasslands.
Although the birds have short lifespans – it’s rare to get a 3-year old pheasant – they have good-sized broods, or offspring, and are very productive if conditions are favorable.
Pheasant hunting is popular in the Midwest, especially in South Dakota, where the bird was introduced in 1898. Since then, South Dakota has adopted the ring-necked pheasant as its state bird and has become a world-renowned destination for the sport. Only twice in the past two decades has the bird’s annual harvest been under 1 million roosters.
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November 10th, 2017
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