Surprisingly on this bird they were not much longer than the ring necks we took that day. All of these birds got up and moved out pretty quickly but the reeves of all was the slowest to get up after being flushed.
black pheasant
- Thread starter alan
- Start date
Surprisingly on this bird they were not much longer than the ring necks we took that day. All of these birds got up and moved out pretty quickly but the reeves of all was the slowest to get up after being flushed.
1pheas4
Moderator
I was pricing out some Hume's bar tailed pheasants for taxidermy. Those guys were $60 a pair!
I'm sure a reeves is right up there too, if not more. I had 1/2 dozen of them when I was in collage. A weasel got into the pen one night and killed them all. I wasn't doing taxidermy back then so I just through them out. Oh well, if I only knew then what I know now(LOL) --1pheas4
FCSpringer
Moderator
Here's an interesting group we harvested on private land this year.
These are the exact bird I was talking about, hens are always more brown. But this gal here raises tons of em and many end up in SD, delivered at night because the guy tells everyone that there all wild birds you hunt. I buy them for training all year long for 5-6 bucks for adults. They fly the same. Just a color phase of a little mix in there. At least that what the grower says. Occasionally we see a light blond one too. Too me it would not be a big prize since we shoot them all the time. But I can see where someone will get excited over it. Some of ours get away in training as well here and sooner or later a person will get one. Now one of those white ones I have not seen. I will not divulge the where abouts of the places in SD simply because that would hurt someone financially and that would not be cool. So there is a bunch released out there some where in SD every year. My guess is you shot these on a preserve since you have a hen laying there.
FCSpringer
Moderator
I was pricing out some Hume's bar tailed pheasants for taxidermy. Those guys were $60 a pair!
If you want to use these pretty bluish blackish roosters I know where you can buy all you want for 10 bucks right now
Big, long tails.Yes it was a once in a lifetime private place I was invited to hunt.
FCSpringer
Moderator
I tell ya what though, they flush just as hard as any bird, and in fact the brown hens seem to be the best for us for whatever reason. First guys shyed away from grabing them, but now they don't hesitate.
kscountryboy11
New member
a little off subject, but when i was real little,like 5, i used to go with my dad and his buddys, and i can remember a guy shooting a albino pheasant, completly white with red eyes, it was a rooster if i remember corectly ill have to look through some old pics and see if i can find one of it, if i do ill post it.
1pheas4
Moderator
If you want to use these pretty bluish blackish roosters I know where you can buy all you want for 10 bucks right now
Thanks FCS. I'm actually heading out today to snuff out a few for taxidermy. Your guy selling birds for $10 is a great price especially if their taxidermy quality birds! Unfortunately I'm in Illinois so that's a bit of a drive
--1pheas4
waterdog09
Active member
Was in sd this year 2 weeks after opener and saw a Melanastic mutant on the side of the road, the only hunting preserve was 25 miles away and we saw this bird 500yds from a public shooting area. Wish we would have had our licenses at the time because it would be on my wall, to bad our licenses didn't start till the next day, it was standing in a ditch with 3 other ringnecks that took off right before this one flew, still stuck around long enough to get some good pics of him....
birdshooter
Well-known member
Too bad you didn't have your license, that would be a nice wall hanger. I wonder if some of these Melanistic looking birds could be the offspring or a Wild Ringneck/Game preserve Melanistic cross? Not sure who would carry the dominant gene, but I guess the offspring could result in more of the melanistic genes being brought to the front. Maybe? I dunno, but could explain why this bird was seen so far from a preserve.
FCSpringer
Moderator
It doesn't have to be a preserve. The guys out there that buy these offten are just pay to go hunting on my land guy's. And tell you you are getting a 100% wild bird. trust me this one I really do know. It may be the case on near by property where you see a bird like this. Maybe not, but they are most likely released. Or offspring from one that was, as BS said.
trust me this one I really do know. It may be the case on near by property where you see a bird like this. Maybe not, but they are most likely released. Or offspring from one that was, as BS said.I think I shot a melanistic mutant today in Idaho.
I have never seen one here in Idaho before and there are no game farms or preserves nearby so I am quite surprised. Thought I would join in the conversation and post a pictures for confirmation.
It seems to be a young bird with a pretty short tail. He cackled when he took off otherwise I wouldn't have shot him. He got up from a ditch and I wasn't sure it wasn't a coot because they tend to make some clucking noises themselves but then I saw just a slight glimpse of red on his face despite the fact that it was out about 40 yards and that was all I needed.
Someone asked about nostrils. Is there a way to tell if this bird is pen raised by the nostrils or something?
I have never seen one here in Idaho before and there are no game farms or preserves nearby so I am quite surprised. Thought I would join in the conversation and post a pictures for confirmation.
It seems to be a young bird with a pretty short tail. He cackled when he took off otherwise I wouldn't have shot him. He got up from a ditch and I wasn't sure it wasn't a coot because they tend to make some clucking noises themselves but then I saw just a slight glimpse of red on his face despite the fact that it was out about 40 yards and that was all I needed.
Someone asked about nostrils. Is there a way to tell if this bird is pen raised by the nostrils or something?
quail hound
Moderator
Cool pic Idaho, he looks like a mutant cross. On pen raised birds you can see straight through the nostrils, a product of being raised with blinders on. From the pic it looks like his nostrils are flared, but I can't tell for sure. Another way to tell is by checking the birds craw, if he was eating the same things of the other bird he is either wild or has been out for a while. It takes pen raised birds awhile to start foraging successfuly in the wild. Either way I think bagging one of these birds is pretty cool.
Rusty Trigger
Member
How about this black bird. Harvested last year. No game farms anywhere in the area. Nostrils are normal.
cabes
New member
IL Black Pheasant
My brother has a bird mounted that looks just like yours. He shot it on private land over 30 years ago in Illinois. We figure it must have been an escaped pen bird from somewhere. They sure are beautiful birds.
Here is a picture of mine, he is a wily bugger, nothing like the other roosters I have. He escaped my pen during feeding about 3 months ago and I still see him and here him crow every now and then. The picture doesn't do him justice, he has over 28in tail feathers.
My brother has a bird mounted that looks just like yours. He shot it on private land over 30 years ago in Illinois. We figure it must have been an escaped pen bird from somewhere. They sure are beautiful birds.
FCSpringer
Moderator
They are really cool looking, No matter what, it is still just as fun droping one for your self or dog as any bird.:coolpics:
The nostrils look just like a wild bird and he had a croup full of Russian olives and he is a juvenile.
God bless Russian Olives. They seem to be the primary feed while the ground is covered in snow. Only a couple of weeks left in the season here and the birds are getting wiser every time I go out.
God bless Russian Olives. They seem to be the primary feed while the ground is covered in snow. Only a couple of weeks left in the season here and the birds are getting wiser every time I go out.
quail hound
Moderator
I believe that bird is a product of the wild Idaho. To me what he was eating says it all.
It's a mystery to me. I shoot approximately 40 roosters a year and that's the first exotic I've seen or shot. I did get a bobwhite last year in the same area which is a bit exotic here because we typically have only the California Valley Quail and a few mountain quail, the latter protected.
I will have to keep my eyes open for more black pheasants to see if there are more out there.
LOL my father-in-law hates Russian Olives. Thinks they are too evasive but to me and the pheasants and quail they are the only things evasive enough to compete with humans and modern farming practices. Do you have them in your area? I do find a lot of wild rose hips in my birds too when the ground is covered in snow.
I will have to keep my eyes open for more black pheasants to see if there are more out there.
LOL my father-in-law hates Russian Olives. Thinks they are too evasive but to me and the pheasants and quail they are the only things evasive enough to compete with humans and modern farming practices. Do you have them in your area? I do find a lot of wild rose hips in my birds too when the ground is covered in snow.