Pheasant Hunting: History Of An Exotic Pleasure
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Source: Department of Natural Resources & Conservation
Published: Oct. 27, 2008
Pheasant hunting is so popular in Montana that many people may not stop to consider that pheasants are not native birds. That is too bad, because the story of how this exotic game bird made its way here is an interesting one.
The saga began in 1733 when a few pairs of black-necked pheasants were introduced in New York and then quickly disappeared. English pheasants introduced in New Hampshire and New Jersey also failed to thrive, according to "Montana’s Ring-necked Pheasant," a book published in 1976 by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Over time, the "English" pheasant, originally from Asia, was interbred with the Chinese ring-necked and the Japanese pheasants. Eventually a hybrid ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, eventually became established as a game bird in portions of the U.S.
Some sources say pheasants were introduced to California in 1857. However the first truly successful release of pheasants in the U. S., according to FWP sources, occurred when Judge O. N. Denny released Chinese ring-neck pheasants in the Willamette Valley of Oregon in 1881.
Judge Owen Denny was the U.S. Consul General in Shanghai. He obtained Chinese ring-necked pheasants and shipped them to his brother’s farm in the Willamette Valley. By 1892 the original 28 birds had reproduced dramatically. During a 75-day hunting season an astonishing 50,000 pheasants were bagged the first day. Nearly half a million pheasants were taken during the full season.
Not so in Montana. Pheasants introduced prior to 1895 failed to thrive due to the unbroken expanses of rangeland, though the state is within the latitudinal and weather limits of Asian pheasant ranges.
Early FWP biologists said that as irrigated croplands became more common, more suitable pheasant habitat emerged. Territorial records show one-tenth of one percent of the state was farmed by 1870, mostly in Western Montana. The pace quickened and by 1900 nearly 13 percent of the state was farmed.
Dr. Charles Thornton was the first to introduce pheasants in Montana. He came West in 1905 and settled in Corvallis. The doctor was quite a sportsman. He also imported and bred German hunting dogs. At one point he had more than 30 German shorthaired pointers in his kennels. This is the same Dr. Charles Thornton who, with his brother Dr. Will Thornton, was instrumental in building and operating hospitals in Montana, including the first hospital in the Bitterroot Valley.
FWP records show that, between 1909 and 1929, about 7,000 pheasants were mainly released in Montana in Lincoln, Flathead, Lake, Ravalli and Teton counties. Pheasants were also released near Glasgow and Lewistown in 1920 and reports were promising.
By 1926 pheasants were abundant in some areas of the state, and in 1927 the Montana legislature authorized the FWP Commission to regulate the hunting of pheasants.
Montana’s first pheasant season was November 24-25, 1928. By 1940, pheasants had become the most popular game bird in Montana. Populations peaked then crashed in 1945. In 1947, hunting was reopened and by 1948 hunters bagged an estimated 198,000 pheasants. Today’s 20-year average wild pheasant harvest is 123,037. FWP estimates 151,592 pheasants were harvested in 2007. Montana’s wild pheasants now occupy most available habitat and maintain their numbers through natural reproduction.
For more on pheasants and other upland game birds in Montana go to the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov and look for the Animal Field Guide under Guides and Planners.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Pheasant Facts
- Average hen weight: 2-2.5 pounds
- Average rooster weight: 3.5-4 pounds
- Flight speed: 38-48 m.p.h.
- Favorite foods: grain, seeds, insects
- Preferred habitat: undisturbed grass adjacent to domestic cropland and tall brushy winter cover
- Start of egg-laying: Early May
- Average incubation start: Late May
- Length of incubation: 23 days
- Average first hatch: Mid-June
- Average first clutch size: 10 eggs
- Number of broods per year: one
- Number of renest attempts: two to four
- Major predators while nesting: fox, raccoon, skunk
- Major predators of adult pheasants: man, fox, hawk, owl
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