First, I make no representation about the truthfulness of what I was told but the person who told me this seemed credible. I believe everyone until proven otherwise. This occurred in a stubble field in MT.
He said his son works for a company in Wis. that raises 100,000 pheasants for shipment to hunting operations all over the US. They use a very clever way to get birds that are 50% wild and then feed them a diet that results in smaller birds that are very good fliers. They use a feed supplement that bonds with the feathers as they grow that makes them much more flexible and less prone to break. Why? Long good looking tails on the birds after shipment. He said that although they will ship anywhere and do, they sell primarily to farmers in NoDak and SoDak and their contracts require that the birds be delivered in the middle of the night and planted at that time. They have to be gone well before morning hunts. I met his son who was hunting and he was one of the few hunters I met with well used equipment so I give him high marks for credibility too. He could be hunting in NoDak or SoDak as their season was just opening and given his contacts but he was in Mt for what that's worth.
He said his son works for a company in Wis. that raises 100,000 pheasants for shipment to hunting operations all over the US. They use a very clever way to get birds that are 50% wild and then feed them a diet that results in smaller birds that are very good fliers. They use a feed supplement that bonds with the feathers as they grow that makes them much more flexible and less prone to break. Why? Long good looking tails on the birds after shipment. He said that although they will ship anywhere and do, they sell primarily to farmers in NoDak and SoDak and their contracts require that the birds be delivered in the middle of the night and planted at that time. They have to be gone well before morning hunts. I met his son who was hunting and he was one of the few hunters I met with well used equipment so I give him high marks for credibility too. He could be hunting in NoDak or SoDak as their season was just opening and given his contacts but he was in Mt for what that's worth.