Ring-Necked Pheasants

Post date: Oct 03, 2017 5:23:10 PM

Upland birds are known for several traits which distinguish them from other birds. They are chicken-like in appearance, and have short, rounded wings, short heavy bills, and heavy bodies. They stay on dry ground and seek cover in brush or woodlands. Typically, these birds do not migrate, but adapt to seasonal changes.

Pheasants are Asian natives that were first successfully introduced into the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Agricultural land-use practices at the turn of the century were ideal for pheasants. As a result, pheasant numbers increased quickly and peaked in Ohio at approximately five million birds in the late 1930s and early 1940s. High populations persisted through the 1940s and 1950s with annual hunter harvests averaging around 750,000 cock pheasants.

For more information about ring-necked pheasants, please visit the ODNR website at Ring-Necked Pheasant.