mustistuff
Banned
what ever happened to the sichuan pheasant program. mich. tried it, they were supposed to like the woodlands and or brush, seems to be a lost word. any info??
cheers
cheers
sichuan pheasant
- Thread starter mustistuff
- Start date
1pheas4
Moderator
Wild Strauchi with his hen (in China)
Illinois rooster
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hard-rain/395944132/in/faves-26068303@N08/
For whatever reason, Michigan dumped all their Strauchi/"Sichuan" stock. Not a single game farm got their hands on those birds. I have no idea why
It's a real shame. Other than a few good-hearted folks with a very limited number of these (pure Strauchi) birds, he is virtually gone from the U.S.
Prior to Michigan "dumping" their stock in the 90's, a number of states took advantage of the Strauchi and introduced it's wild, alert, strong/fast flying, and hardy bloodline to their existing wild stock. Even out of the pen these birds displayed tremendous wild-like characteristics.
Despite the strauchi not roosting in trees and inhabiting wooded areas (due to heavy populations of raptors and other predators) as Michigan's DNR had hoped, it wasn't a complete "bust" as many would believe.
Releasing Strauchi pheasants into the wild was a good move considering wild pheasants in the U.S. were and are in need of wild genetic diversity.
These birds breed and successfully raised clutches/chicks in the wild where they were released. Their blood-lines are now mixed-in with the other blood-lines we have in the wild.
Every once in awhile we'll get a glimpse of his traits/genes showing up in a wild rooster. Below is a wild rooster from 2007.
2007
Illinois rooster
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hard-rain/395944132/in/faves-26068303@N08/
For whatever reason, Michigan dumped all their Strauchi/"Sichuan" stock. Not a single game farm got their hands on those birds. I have no idea why
It's a real shame. Other than a few good-hearted folks with a very limited number of these (pure Strauchi) birds, he is virtually gone from the U.S.Prior to Michigan "dumping" their stock in the 90's, a number of states took advantage of the Strauchi and introduced it's wild, alert, strong/fast flying, and hardy bloodline to their existing wild stock. Even out of the pen these birds displayed tremendous wild-like characteristics.
Despite the strauchi not roosting in trees and inhabiting wooded areas (due to heavy populations of raptors and other predators) as Michigan's DNR had hoped, it wasn't a complete "bust" as many would believe.
Releasing Strauchi pheasants into the wild was a good move considering wild pheasants in the U.S. were and are in need of wild genetic diversity.
These birds breed and successfully raised clutches/chicks in the wild where they were released. Their blood-lines are now mixed-in with the other blood-lines we have in the wild.
Every once in awhile we'll get a glimpse of his traits/genes showing up in a wild rooster. Below is a wild rooster from 2007.
2007
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First of all we have to realize that the Sichuan pheasant or Strauchi Pheasant (name after the Sichuan province of China) and the ringneck pheasant (P.c. torquatus) are the same specie. The Sichuan is a subspecie of the ringneck, the hens of both subspecie look identical. In addition in the real wild pheasant world in China both subspecie's ranges geographically overleap. Its been that way for thousands of years. This is what Jean Delacour (the True Pheasant expert) call a intermediary zone of suspecies. In those intermediary zone, same geographical area you can find a ringneck looking rooster and a ringless rooster living in the same area, and the two roosters can be close kin.
Look at slide 15 of page 1 of the link below of wild China pheasants:http://www.birdnet.cn/showtopic.aspx?topicid=299544
Main point, the Sichuan pheasants already have ringneck gene but are more predator alert. Therefore it would not take long for the ringneck looking gene to take over again, and after a number of years of crossing a thin ringed wilder more alert predator wary pheasant will be seen. That does not mean that that Sichuan gene just disappeared. The Sichuan or Strauchi pheasant genes have been in the wild American pheasant gene pool for years long before Michigan brought them in. But 2000 wild eggs brought in by Michigan in the mid 1980's from the authentic wild bush (wild genes) was a good idea, we should do it again.
The Sichuan pheasants are doing good in Oregon, Michigan (I spoke with Michigan pheasant biologist) and in North Dakota. After 20 years they did not remain pure Sichuan but did add alertness and predator wariness to the ringneck gene pool.
See article below:
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23...2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101541531263
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=392933
Look at slide 15 of page 1 of the link below of wild China pheasants:http://www.birdnet.cn/showtopic.aspx?topicid=299544
Main point, the Sichuan pheasants already have ringneck gene but are more predator alert. Therefore it would not take long for the ringneck looking gene to take over again, and after a number of years of crossing a thin ringed wilder more alert predator wary pheasant will be seen. That does not mean that that Sichuan gene just disappeared. The Sichuan or Strauchi pheasant genes have been in the wild American pheasant gene pool for years long before Michigan brought them in. But 2000 wild eggs brought in by Michigan in the mid 1980's from the authentic wild bush (wild genes) was a good idea, we should do it again.
The Sichuan pheasants are doing good in Oregon, Michigan (I spoke with Michigan pheasant biologist) and in North Dakota. After 20 years they did not remain pure Sichuan but did add alertness and predator wariness to the ringneck gene pool.
See article below:
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23...2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101541531263
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=392933
quail hound
Moderator
1pheas4. Did that rooster have the blueish wing coverts typical of a strauchi pheasant?
1pheas4
Moderator
He does. I have him hanging on the wall in my family room
. I originally mounted him standing up, but this past fall I re-hydrated him and re-mounted him flying with his tail fanned out. His fan is huge. 3-4 year old bird:thumbsup:P.S.--you mentioned deep frying pheasants in another thread. Just made it on lunch break. Good stuff and so easy to make. I don't know why I didn't try this sooner.
Have a good day QH:cheers:
quail hound
Moderator
Beautiful bird. I think many who believe these birds just vanished fail to realize that infact they did add to the gene pool. The blue wing coverts is a dead give away.:cheers:
Glad you enjoyed your lunch.:thumbsup:
If you could would you please share a pic of the mount?
Glad you enjoyed your lunch.:thumbsup:
If you could would you please share a pic of the mount?
1pheas4
Moderator
Of course. I'll get a picture of him next time I'm taking photos at my studio.
I mounted him in the same position as my client's bird below. Simple, nothing fancy. In case you're wondering, the cardboard on his wings are holding his wing feathers into place (fresh mount).
mustistuff
Banned
smart birds
some neat post but hey guys, i would think the last thing we all need is a smarter rooster cause then we would have to smarten up, not an easy deal, plus, what the hell are we going to do about our dogs
some neat post but hey guys, i would think the last thing we all need is a smarter rooster cause then we would have to smarten up, not an easy deal, plus, what the hell are we going to do about our dogs
LOL what, did I miss something?????? Please do tell me how this type of Rooster is smarter than any other rooster, or Me, or the dogs.
mustistuff not picking on you but your post cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh.:thumbsup:
mustistuff
Banned
smart birds
jmac, think ya did. check out other post, ie: preston1. smart, wary, alert etc. actually, don't know, never seen one, have trouble with the one's i already have around here. actually it is the hens that are smart, when was the last time you heard a hen as it was flushing yelling here i am, shoot me. roosters do it all the time and them, some of them laugh clear across the field
cheers
jmac, think ya did. check out other post, ie: preston1. smart, wary, alert etc. actually, don't know, never seen one, have trouble with the one's i already have around here. actually it is the hens that are smart, when was the last time you heard a hen as it was flushing yelling here i am, shoot me. roosters do it all the time and them, some of them laugh clear across the field
cheers
No I did not miss preston1 post. I was thowing any olive leaf your way.:thumbsup:
Crusaderhunter
New member
Kansas
My son and I saw one of these pheasants this December near a farm house in Cowley County, Kansas. The farm was near a control shooting area so I think it must of come from there. It sure was pretty, thanks for the pictures so we now know what we saw. He looked to be in very good condition and was with a hen. I hope he makes it to spring.
My son and I saw one of these pheasants this December near a farm house in Cowley County, Kansas. The farm was near a control shooting area so I think it must of come from there. It sure was pretty, thanks for the pictures so we now know what we saw. He looked to be in very good condition and was with a hen. I hope he makes it to spring.
mustistuff
Banned
olive something
actually the way things are going on this forum i think i need the whole branch, a leaf just won't be enough. need help
cheers
actually the way things are going on this forum i think i need the whole branch, a leaf just won't be enough. need help
cheers
The key words here are "predator alertness and predator wariness" not dog alertness. Dogs don't hunt pheasants day and night 24-7, but hungry meat eating fat bobcats, coyotes and day/night aerial predators do. Remember predators are getting smarter and increasing in numbers. We need a pheasant with good sense to get out of harms way day and night.
A wild pheasant in the digestive system of a fat predator wont do your dog any good. We need a real live wild pheasant to hunt in the fall to know if we have a real bird dog.
There are parts of the traditional pheasant range now (2013) with only a fraction of the wild pheasants that were available 20 or 25 years ago with good habitat. The habitat did not change but the predators have increased.
Over hundred and twenty years ago we started out with 120 pheasants from China and from that small bunch we have produced millions and millions. I would say we may have inbreeding in wild and pen raised population, because we started with a small group or gene pool.
The Sichuans or Strauchi Pheasants brought in by Michigan was well over 2000 wild eggs taken from China over 100s of miles from the authentic wild bush, not from pens or caged birds.. That represents a much much larger gene pool of authentic wild birds.
A agree with 1pheas4 100%, that the Michigan people should have made some of those pure Sichuans pheasants commercially available to private game farms to make them available to the public land owners.
A wild pheasant in the digestive system of a fat predator wont do your dog any good. We need a real live wild pheasant to hunt in the fall to know if we have a real bird dog.
There are parts of the traditional pheasant range now (2013) with only a fraction of the wild pheasants that were available 20 or 25 years ago with good habitat. The habitat did not change but the predators have increased.
Over hundred and twenty years ago we started out with 120 pheasants from China and from that small bunch we have produced millions and millions. I would say we may have inbreeding in wild and pen raised population, because we started with a small group or gene pool.
The Sichuans or Strauchi Pheasants brought in by Michigan was well over 2000 wild eggs taken from China over 100s of miles from the authentic wild bush, not from pens or caged birds.. That represents a much much larger gene pool of authentic wild birds.
A agree with 1pheas4 100%, that the Michigan people should have made some of those pure Sichuans pheasants commercially available to private game farms to make them available to the public land owners.
mustistuff
Banned
smart birds
think i missed the point about the birds instincts to survive predators are not related to surviving bird dog attacks. anyway, one post somewhere stated that the birds are existing in oregon, anybody have more info on that and or why there and not in some place like mich. or pa. as stated in other post
cheers
think i missed the point about the birds instincts to survive predators are not related to surviving bird dog attacks. anyway, one post somewhere stated that the birds are existing in oregon, anybody have more info on that and or why there and not in some place like mich. or pa. as stated in other post
cheers
1pheas4
Moderator
In Michigan they crossed with other wild birds throughout the state. Here in IL they did the same thing. As for the population in Oregon
(this is the first I've heard of it) if it has not crossed with other lines--would be due to the birds being isolated from other wild birds, hence not able to cross breed.I'm glad to hear there's a population of them out there.
What happend in Michigan (and they imported wild eggs and birds) is that even though in China they nested in marginal cover and was thought they would do the same in Michigan they prefer grassland like Ringnecks if available. results 3 or 4 cuttings of the fields a year and the nest were destroyed and project failed.
Reilly Auld
Member
I will be in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in July. I am planning to get out in the country side to see some pheasants in their native habitat.