Black Pheasants

[gonefishin11]

Shot a couple black pheasants this year south of Valley City. Just wondering if anyone else has ever shot one of those or even heard of them.

After checking on google, they are apparently a mutation of the regular ringneck and survive as their own species.

One of the ones I shot had a 22" tail feather and was absolutely gorgeous but I shot it in the head and was unable to mount it.

[Jim Bob]

We hunted a field in Kansas opening weekend where the farmer raised and released 250 of em back in June. Out of the 3 birds that got up 1 was Black, which the brother-in-law got, which was beautiful! I've got pictures and he's getting it mounted.

[koutdoors]

What's a good site to see pics of a black pheasant? I swear that I saw a black hen last weekend.

[gonefishin11]

http://www.pheasant.com/content/files/images/1623_melanisticmutant.jpg

This is a good picture. If you do an image search with Google you can find a few more of them.

[koutdoors]

I found a picture of a hen that is exactly what I saw. Thanks!!! Very cool looking bird.

[FOOT]

Several years ago Outdoor Life had an article on "black pheasant".

Seems they are generally smaller then the ringneck and much hardier. Michigan experimented with them a few years back by planting them in the northern part of the lower peninsula as well as the UP.

Driving up to Escanaba I actually saw a hen and rooster black just south of Esky about 5 miles. I talked to me brother-in-law and he said they can live in cedar and evergreen forests and are much harder to hunt because of that fact. He's gotten a couple just from pure luck. He doesn't bother hunting them.

[Quackaddict9]

theres something funny about the picture in the link.. the background and the pheasant. looks like it was photoshopped but the "black" pheasant was all I needed. thanks for sharing and no there are no Pheasants up north unless youre hunting game farms. I have to see it to believe it.

[LABS4ME]

Actually Michigan tried transplanting the "black neck" pheasant. Looks just like a regualre rooster without the ring neck. They have a high proponderence to roost in the trees instead of on the ground in grass. I know a guy who was raising these because of that article. He was hoping to raise the population locally, but as most stocking ideas go, it really didn't help.

The "black" pheasant is almost always an escapee from a game farm or released into the wild by someone. I know of a couple guys who shot two in one weekend and they argued that they were "wild" birds and they just happened to hit the jackpot. I pointed out there was a pheasant hunting preserve within a half mile of where they were shot and an operation that had thousands of ringnecks to "plant" within a mile, they still didn't believe theyt came from either of those. The mutation while possible in nature is very rare. There are a TON of game farms and stocking going on in Michigan, so I wouldn't doubt that they are commonly seen there. But their DNR was trying to get a self sustaining population going with the "black neck" to try and curb some of their stocking efforts.

I was hunting down in Hastings with a friend 25 years ago and he shot a Golden pheasant. He thought he really had some rare pheasant (which to see in the wild it would be) but in actuality was just an escapee.

Good Luck!

Ken

[bigbucks]

I've hunted game farms only twice in my life & not the same one, both times we shot one black pheasant. This year it was a rooster, the other time it was a hen. They're pretty cool looking. The rooster was quite large.

[gonefishin11]

There are no game farms in the area that I shot my black pheasant but one of the farmers could have easily released one. Does anyone know if they will breed with a regular ringneck?

[gspman]

The Sichuan pheasant is what we are referring to as "black".

Michigan tried to transplant the Sichuan but from what I heard it didn't really take. Pennsylvania tried it too. I don't know if they will breed with a ringneck or not.

[CaptainMusky]

I thought the Sichaun and Black pheasants are two different birds.

[LABS4ME]

They are... I think GSP man is saying guys are thinking they were transplanting "blacks" but they were Sichuan or "black neck" pheasants. They will interbreed with ringnecks and look like a regular rooster minus the ring neck.

Good Luck!

Ken

[gonefishin11]

According to this HSOforum, http://www.pheasant.com/page.aspx?page_id=68

The Black pheasant I am referring to is called a Melanistic Mutant Pheasant. Here is what the site says:

This melanistic mutant is a pure breed. These large, beautiful pheasants feature an iridescent, greenish-black plumage. A favorite variety for release, they display a remarkable ability to survive and reproduce in the wild. Prime habitat consists of 55-70 % crop fields such as corn, soybean, or small grains. The remainder of the habitat should include some wetlands, grassland, and woodland or brushy thickets.

Is this the same as the Sichuan?

[Bigfife]

If you shoot one near Detroit Lakes it is the one that I missed. The game farm up there raises them. Two years ago I missed my shot at one and he cruised on to some private land.

[LABS4ME]

Those are good pics of the "black" or melanistic mutant pheasant. I think they can interbreed with ringnecks. These are released birds.

Here are some pics of the black neck: they tend to roost in trees. As stated they look like a regular rooster minus the ringneck.

This is another picture of a "black neck" but it is called a "Bohemiam Blackneck", not sure if it's the same or not... looks a little brighter colored, but it could be the photo.

and the golden I was talking about in my previous post, which too would be an escapee or released

Good Luck!

Ken