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Pheasant hunting in America: A brief history
Published
10 years agoon
By Maria Wyllie
Explore Big Sky Associate Editor
The pheasant is so commonplace in North America today that people may not realize this colorful, grouse-like bird has only been on the continent since the late 1800s.
Native to Asia, the ring-necked pheasant was first introduced as an Oregon game bird in March of 1881, when United States Consul General Owen Denny and his wife Gertrude shipped 60 of them from Shanghai to the Willamette Valley. The introduction was a success, and the birds quickly spread to nearby counties.
With the help of Denny’s political connections, he was able to sway the state to pass legislation in 1892 that banned hunting until the population reached a sufficient number. That year, the first pheasant-hunting season opened in Oregon, and hunters reportedly bagged 50,000 birds in 75 days.
Subsequently, the ring-necked pheasant was introduced to other states across America. Populations thrived in the Midwest’s grassland habitat, as the birds spend the majority of their time on the ground and prefer fields and farmlands with brushy cover. However, they also inhabit woodland undergrowth and some wetlands.
Pheasant numbers reached all-time highs in the mid 1900s before suffering severe population declines, due to changes in agricultural practices in which farmers converted grasslands to croplands or urban development. Populations have since thrived as a result of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Grassland Reserve Program, which helps to maintain grasslands.
Although the birds have short lifespans – it’s rare to get a 3-year old pheasant – they have good-sized broods, or offspring, and are very productive if conditions are favorable.
Pheasant hunting is popular in the Midwest, especially in South Dakota, where the bird was introduced in 1898. Since then, South Dakota has adopted the ring-necked pheasant as its state bird and has become a world-renowned destination for the sport. Only twice in the past two decades has the bird’s annual harvest been under 1 million roosters.
Northeastern and central Montana are also prime hunting ground for pheasants and other upland game birds – an American term that refers to non-waterfowl game birds hunted with pointing breeds, flushing spaniels and retrievers. Central Montana is the state’s most popular pheasant hunting destination, seeing twice as much use compared to other parts of the state, according to Ron Aasheim, spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Aasheim attributes this to ideal habitat with lots of grain and cover.
In Montana, pheasant hunting season begins Oct. 11 and ends Jan. 1. Aasheim says the season is set later in the year to give pheasants more time to get their color, thus making it easier for bird identification.
Aasheim expects the season to be an average one this year, falling somewhere between 90,000 – 100,000 roosters harvested. “We’ve heard good reports on pheasant and sharp tail, with partridge off a bit,” he said, adding that there is no way of knowing overall population sizes.
The daily bag limit for pheasants is three and the possession limit is nine. FWP regulations state that it’s unlawful to posses or transport pheasants within Montana unless one leg and foot are left naturally attached for evidence of its sex since it’s illegal to shoot females, which are called hens. For other upland game birds, hunters are required to leave a wing.
“I can tell you that pheasants are by far the most popular upland game bird,” Aasheim said.
Total hunter days for upland game birds are approximately 300,000, whereas hunter days for elk and deer are about 1 million, according to Aasheim. Despite this discrepancy, upland game bird hunters still spend approximately $40 million each year in Montana.
FWP reminds hunters that it is their own responsibility to know hunting regulations, and that ignorance is not an excuse.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
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(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd