How to enjoy this wonderful bird when hiking, hunting, or just casually experiencing nature!
The Chinese Ring Neck Pheasant actually comes to America from China! At some time they were imported by traders, venturers, travelers, explorers or? Depending I think on who is telling the story. They are one of the most colorful large birds in our country and adapt to many climates from California to most of the upper States in America. They are prolific in England, Germany, and throughout Europe as well–Trivia I thought was fun!
I am a hunter of these birds for the thrill and the subsequent feasting on these fine cuisine. My observations of this bird in the wild include that their flight starts with a tremendous jump while flapping their wings vigorously to get airborne; the jump can easily be 6 feet straight up! The noise is abrupt, the disturbance robust, and the subsequent flight majestic! These birds fly 30 miles per hour easily, maybe more. The ultimate experience is to have one of these birds jump from near your toes or either side while you are walking in cover that they enjoy–dry creek beds with a lot of grass and brush, tree groves, tall grass areas anywhere. An Uncle of mine brought his young children to SD for a fall hunt in 1961 and his fondest wish was that a pheasant would ‘explode’ from his daughter’s feet for the thrill–it happened only six minutes into the first trek and it set her flat on her butt! Uncle was so excited he stated ‘mission accomplished’ and the rest of the trip is ‘icing on the cake’!
The Chinese Ring Neck Pheasant Rooster is pictured above, the Hens are mottled light brown for concealment during nesting. Each Hen Pheasant will lay from a dozen to 20 eggs each spring. The chicks are small very like chicken chicks, yellow with a lot of brown spots for camouflage; the chicks depend on morning dew on the grass for water and small bugs for food. A dry spring will reduce the survival rate and a wet spring will cause a chill and survival rate is reduced as well. 50% survival assures a high population for fall hunting. Winter is another enemy of the Pheasant as they will face into the snow storm if they are caught in the open and snow will collect in their air passages in the beak and smother them. I have found dead pheasants in the hay while moving same from the field to the barn in the middle of winter. That they survive in the upper Midwest at all is a testament to the durability of the breed.
One trivia that I found most interesting is the fall Ring Neck Pheasant Hunt in England. Shooters take positions along a tree or brush ‘hedge’, which are numerous in England; Beaters (persons who carry their walking sticks) advance toward the hedge in a ragged but long line smacking the brush with their sticks and calling to each other to move the pheasants who take flight at various stages, depending the desire to sit or flee, and mostly fly over the hunters hedge. Anyone can sign up and shoot as many as you want–you will be allowed to take only two (a brace) for yourself and the remainder will go to food shelters and other public food programs, however you will be charged several English Pounds for each Bird you Shoot!
Enjoy this Regal Bird, Chinese Ring Neck Pheasant!