We from
Eastern South Dakota take pheasants for granted. They were brought over from
China in 1898 some say but I don't think the Chinese could locate
our state
with a Google map. Others say they came over in 1908 but I believe that A.E.
Cooper and E.L. Ebbert released 250 pairs of pheasants into Beadle and Spinks
counties in 1911. Question is where did these S.D. farmers get their hands on
500 pheasants? Anyway the pheasant (Phasiannus colchicus) aka the ring necked
pheasant named after the brightly colored cock (easy now). The hen on the other
hand is a frumpy brown. They thrive on grain, worms and even mice. The pheasant
was named our state bird in 1943 5 years before any of us drew a breath.
 |
| Ring Necked Pheasant |
My
experience with our state bird started in grade school when my family moved to
Lincoln street just south of Melgaard Road on the edge of town. We routinely
saw pheasants in our back yard and one hen actually laid an egg on our swing
set. We found a nest of eggs just beyond our back fence and we tried to
incubate them to no avail. I once hit a pheasant with a golf shot out of the
rough while the pheasant was in flight at the old country club. One-time Ken
Koch and I went pheasant hunting during our lunch hour at CHS. Got stuck in the
ditch trying to hang a U turn on a narrow county road. Had to get a tow truck
to pull us out. Went hunting with dad and my 20-gauge shotgun several times but
only killed a few pheasants. They thanked me for that. Remember eating pheasant
for dinner and spitting out buckshot. None of my friends in Southern California
can relate to this but my fellow Aberdonians can.
1 comment:
I remember it as well, Dave. Especially the "road hunting", which is history now. And very little land that is not fenced. "The Opener" was and still is a ritual of fall. Diz
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